Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced at the start of today\'s Cabinet meeting that Foreign Minister Shimon Peres would not meet with Yasser Arafat today.
Until then, it had been unclear whether the meeting would be held today. Prime Minister Sharon told several right-wing ministers this morning that such a meeting would not take place today, but he did not make an official announcement to this effect before the Cabinet session. National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman refused to say whether his party - National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu - would quit the coalition in the event that the two meet, but made a strong case against the meeting in an interview with Voice of Israel radio this morning: \"85% of the Israeli public [according to a Channel 2 poll of last night] is against the meeting; there is a clear majority within the government, against this meeting. But what is most critical is that all the security organs say firmly that Arafat is continuing with terrorism and has not changed his plans. The murderer of the young mother from Nokdim was in the custody of the PA - and they released him; just last night three mortar shells exploded in a Gush Katif community - this is not terrorism?…\" When asked if he would quit the coalition, he said, \"I hope it will be Peres who quits and not us. More important right now than a national unity coalition with Peres is the security of Israel\'s citizens... It doesn\'t matter if there are 48 hours of quiet now; what matters is that he has not changed his basic position that terrorism against Israel is legitimate.\" Shas party leader Minister Eli Yeshai is firmly against the meeting as well, and although Sharon tried to explain to him that the meeting is important because the Americans want it, Yeshai was not convinced.
Until then, it had been unclear whether the meeting would be held today. Prime Minister Sharon told several right-wing ministers this morning that such a meeting would not take place today, but he did not make an official announcement to this effect before the Cabinet session. National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman refused to say whether his party - National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu - would quit the coalition in the event that the two meet, but made a strong case against the meeting in an interview with Voice of Israel radio this morning: \"85% of the Israeli public [according to a Channel 2 poll of last night] is against the meeting; there is a clear majority within the government, against this meeting. But what is most critical is that all the security organs say firmly that Arafat is continuing with terrorism and has not changed his plans. The murderer of the young mother from Nokdim was in the custody of the PA - and they released him; just last night three mortar shells exploded in a Gush Katif community - this is not terrorism?…\" When asked if he would quit the coalition, he said, \"I hope it will be Peres who quits and not us. More important right now than a national unity coalition with Peres is the security of Israel\'s citizens... It doesn\'t matter if there are 48 hours of quiet now; what matters is that he has not changed his basic position that terrorism against Israel is legitimate.\" Shas party leader Minister Eli Yeshai is firmly against the meeting as well, and although Sharon tried to explain to him that the meeting is important because the Americans want it, Yeshai was not convinced.