Prime Minister Sharon took American mediators Gen. Anthony Zinni and William Burns on a helicopter tour of Judea and Samaria this morning. The helicopter was in the vicinity of the terrorist attack in Afula at the time, and the three viewed the evacuation of the wounded from on high. Zinni, who breakfasted with Sharon, plans to spend his first days here studying the situation. The Israeli delegation that will meet with Zinni during his two weeks here will be headed by Gen. (res.) Meir Dagan. Zinni will meet later today with Ministers Peres and Ben-Eliezer.
The Foreign Ministry\'s Director-General, Peres-aide Avi Gil, has already resigned from the Israeli diplomatic negotiating team in protest of Dagan\'s appointment. Several Labor party officials have expressed disapproval over the appointment of the hawkish Dagan - paving the way for senior PA negotiator Saeb Erekat to announce that the \"composition of the Israeli negotiating team testifies to Israel\'s intention of ensuring the failure of the Zinni-Burns mission.\"
The Foreign Ministry\'s Director-General, Peres-aide Avi Gil, has already resigned from the Israeli diplomatic negotiating team in protest of Dagan\'s appointment. Several Labor party officials have expressed disapproval over the appointment of the hawkish Dagan - paving the way for senior PA negotiator Saeb Erekat to announce that the \"composition of the Israeli negotiating team testifies to Israel\'s intention of ensuring the failure of the Zinni-Burns mission.\"