From Richard Beeston in Washington and Ross Dunn in Jerusalem
ARIEL SHARON, the Israeli Prime Minister, faces a deep split with Mossad, the country's famed intelligence agency, over his strategy to defeat the Palestinian uprising.
According to Israeli officials and intelligence sources, the split could result in the departure of Ephraim Halevy, the highly respected spy chief, who has on several occasions openly challenged the Israeli leader.
The British-born Mossad director has been named as a possible Ambassador to Washington, a post which became vacant earlier this month. Although he has told colleagues that he is not interested in the appointment, he is coming under pressure to take it and open the way for a new intelligence chief from within Mr Sharon's circle of confidants.
"Some people (in Government) are mentioning his name in connection to the post in Washington, because they want him out of Mossad," an Israeli official said. "It has become very political."
Mr Halevy, aged 67, has clashed with the Israeli leader on a number of occasions. First he opposed the decision taken in December to place Yassir Arafat under house arrest, arguing that it would only boost his popularity among Palestinians.
The most serious disagreement occurred a month ago after the devastating Passover suicide bombing in Netanya killed 28 people and triggered the current Israeli incursion into the West Bank.
Mr Sharon told the Cabinet that he wanted to exile Mr Arafat. But Mr Halevy, who was supported by other security chiefs and military advisers, spoke out against the move, arguing that "Arafat abroad will be far more dangerous to us than in the territories".
Mr Sharon backed down but the two clashed again when the Israeli leader barred a European delegation from visiting Mr Arafat, a decision Mr Halevy insisted was counter-productive.
"There are two types of official, one who says: 'Yes, Minister', and the other who gives his honest opinion," said an official. "Halevy is definitely from the second category."
Israeli intelligence sources insist that Mr Halevy, a nephew of Sir Isaiah Berlin, is a highly professional veteran diplomat and an intelligence officer with no political affiliations.
He is credited with spearheading the negotiations which led to the normalisation of relations with Jordan and with organising the evacuation of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. More recently he served as Ambassador to the European Union before being appointed to head Mossad in 1998.
Nevertheless, he took up his post at a time when Israel expected peace to be concluded with the Arab world and his recent achievements were scored on the diplomatic field rather than in the world of espionage.
Mr Sharon is known to favour someone with a more aggressive approach, preferably drawn from the military.
"The relationship between the Prime Minister and the head of Mossad is absolutely critical to Israel," an Israeli intelligence source said. "The country's security depends on them having a good, honest relationship."
Mr Halevy, in keeping with other intelligence chiefs like George Tenet, the CIA Director, has an interest in seeing the peace process, which he helped to establish over the past decade, resurrected.
Israeli, American and British intelligence officers are thought to have been instrumental in brokering the deal which allowed Mr Arafat to be freed from four months under house arrest.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-284164,00.html
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/ dave /