Foreign Minister Shimon Peres\' meeting with Yasser Arafat in Portugal on Friday did not go over quietly in Israel. This morning\'s Cabinet session began with a request by Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi to debate the matter and to hear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon\'s position. When Sharon turned him down, Ze\'evi walked out in anger, saying that there is no point to participating in a government meeting if he can\'t express his opinion and attempt to have influence on government policy on matters of this nature. Ze\'evi said that he was irked by photographs showing the look of happiness on Peres\' face as he was greeting Arafat, but that he was particularly bothered by the fact that Peres \"continues to seek ways to conduct dialogue with the murderer of my people.\"
Public Security Minister Uzi Landau said, \"I have difficulty accepting Peres\' behavior. I see a young mother being murdered a day before, in front of her 4-year-old son, and then Peres goes and meets with Arafat as if nothing happened... And then at the same forum, Arafat gives a speech full of invective and lies against Israel...\" Speaking later with the press, even former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami had harsh words for the Peres-Arafat meeting. Ben-Ami said the meeting was pointless because Arafat continues to lie to Israel and it is impossible to reach an agreement with him at this time.
Others also said that the Peres-Arafat meeting went against the \"no negotiations under fire\" policy. Peres defended his meeting by saying this morning that it would be ridiculous if other countries\' representatives can meet with Arafat while Israel\'s Foreign Minister cannot.
Labor MK Collete Avital, who accompanied Peres to Lisbon, defended the meeting. She told Arutz-7 today that it was important because, \"despite everything, Arafat is the head of the Palestinian Authority, and he is the one with whom we must reach a ceasefire agreement. As far as I know, no deeper diplomatic issues were discussed.\" Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal said, \"Arafat promised that he would not give a hate-filled speech, and even in this little thing he lied and did not keep his word. So what is the point in talking to him? Maybe we should just say that there is no one to talk to at this time.\" Avital: \"It could be, but I have a different opinion, not because I trust them, but because we have to try to reach a ceasefire... From a realpolitik point of view, I know that if I have enemies, I have to try to lower the level of violence as much as possible...\"
Public Security Minister Uzi Landau said, \"I have difficulty accepting Peres\' behavior. I see a young mother being murdered a day before, in front of her 4-year-old son, and then Peres goes and meets with Arafat as if nothing happened... And then at the same forum, Arafat gives a speech full of invective and lies against Israel...\" Speaking later with the press, even former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami had harsh words for the Peres-Arafat meeting. Ben-Ami said the meeting was pointless because Arafat continues to lie to Israel and it is impossible to reach an agreement with him at this time.
Others also said that the Peres-Arafat meeting went against the \"no negotiations under fire\" policy. Peres defended his meeting by saying this morning that it would be ridiculous if other countries\' representatives can meet with Arafat while Israel\'s Foreign Minister cannot.
Labor MK Collete Avital, who accompanied Peres to Lisbon, defended the meeting. She told Arutz-7 today that it was important because, \"despite everything, Arafat is the head of the Palestinian Authority, and he is the one with whom we must reach a ceasefire agreement. As far as I know, no deeper diplomatic issues were discussed.\" Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal said, \"Arafat promised that he would not give a hate-filled speech, and even in this little thing he lied and did not keep his word. So what is the point in talking to him? Maybe we should just say that there is no one to talk to at this time.\" Avital: \"It could be, but I have a different opinion, not because I trust them, but because we have to try to reach a ceasefire... From a realpolitik point of view, I know that if I have enemies, I have to try to lower the level of violence as much as possible...\"