Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will inform U.S. President George Bush today that he agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of an interim agreement - but that its exact borders will be negotiated in the framework of a final-status agreement. He is aware that this will earn him the wrath of many political supporters back at home (see next article), but reportedly told aides that he expects the PA to turn down this offer as well.
Sharon was to meet first today with US National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, who agrees with his \"get tough on Arafat\" approach. Education Minister Limor Livnat, accompanying Sharon in Washington, met with reporters today on this issue, and later related that some of the reporters demanded to know by what right Israel claims to determine the fate of \"the democratically-elected Palestinian leader.\" Livnat said,
\"I answered that there is absolutely no comparison between the so-called democracy in the Palestinian Authority, where the only elections were held many years ago - I don\'t even remember if anyone ran against Arafat - and the democracy in Israel or the United States. We have a rule of law, free press, etc., whereas the PA does not. I reminded the questioner that Romania\'s dictator Ceausescu was also \'democratically\' elected...\"
Prime Minister Sharon will reportedly reject the Saudi \"peace\" proposal, and will present President Bush with documents proving that the Saudis allocated tens of millions of dollars for suicide attacks against Israel. Ittim News Agency\'s Yoram Levy, speaking from Washington, told Arutz-7 today that the Saudi Arabian issue \"is a hot topic here. There was widespread coverage of the Israeli evidence showing that the Saudis paid for suicide killers. It is a sensitive issue, in light of recent revelations of the Saudi involvement with Al Qaeda together with their attempt to be portrayed as peace-loving…\"
Sharon was to meet first today with US National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, who agrees with his \"get tough on Arafat\" approach. Education Minister Limor Livnat, accompanying Sharon in Washington, met with reporters today on this issue, and later related that some of the reporters demanded to know by what right Israel claims to determine the fate of \"the democratically-elected Palestinian leader.\" Livnat said,
\"I answered that there is absolutely no comparison between the so-called democracy in the Palestinian Authority, where the only elections were held many years ago - I don\'t even remember if anyone ran against Arafat - and the democracy in Israel or the United States. We have a rule of law, free press, etc., whereas the PA does not. I reminded the questioner that Romania\'s dictator Ceausescu was also \'democratically\' elected...\"
Prime Minister Sharon will reportedly reject the Saudi \"peace\" proposal, and will present President Bush with documents proving that the Saudis allocated tens of millions of dollars for suicide attacks against Israel. Ittim News Agency\'s Yoram Levy, speaking from Washington, told Arutz-7 today that the Saudi Arabian issue \"is a hot topic here. There was widespread coverage of the Israeli evidence showing that the Saudis paid for suicide killers. It is a sensitive issue, in light of recent revelations of the Saudi involvement with Al Qaeda together with their attempt to be portrayed as peace-loving…\"