It appears that Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom is a leading candidate to speak at the right-wing Jerusalem Conference, plans for which are well underway. Visiting the Shomron city of Ariel this week, Shalom said that he is against the unilateral withdrawal from Yesha areas proposed by Prime Minister Sharon. "We must not sway from the Road Map," Shalom said, which stipulates - according to the Israeli version - that the PA must stop terrorism before any other diplomatic moves are made.
Minister Shalom also criticized the Shinui party for demanding that the counter-terrorism partition be built closer to the Green Line: "The world will not accept a wall that is built even one meter away from the Green Line, so what's the sense of making changes?" Shalom asked. He said that the partition should be built even further from the Green Line than it presently is, and that Ariel should be included within its envelope. Shalom has also had criticism of the raising of this issue in The Hague, saying that it should be resolved only between Israel and the PA.
Shalom did say, however, that unauthorized outposts should be dismantled. He does not feel that this will be a precedent for the removal of permanent Jewish towns in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Minister Shalom also criticized the Shinui party for demanding that the counter-terrorism partition be built closer to the Green Line: "The world will not accept a wall that is built even one meter away from the Green Line, so what's the sense of making changes?" Shalom asked. He said that the partition should be built even further from the Green Line than it presently is, and that Ariel should be included within its envelope. Shalom has also had criticism of the raising of this issue in The Hague, saying that it should be resolved only between Israel and the PA.
Shalom did say, however, that unauthorized outposts should be dismantled. He does not feel that this will be a precedent for the removal of permanent Jewish towns in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.