[lbo-talk] Tension in Likud over anti-road map resolution

[Bryan Atinsky]

Tension in Likud over anti-road map resolution   
 
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent 
 
Senior Likud members failed late Saturday night to
forge a compromise over a resolution opposing the
road map peace plan, which is to be presented at a
meeting of the Likud convention in Jerusalem on
Sunday afternoon. 

 At the center of the controversy
is a resolution containing five
points and which has been drawn
up by convention chairman and
Agriculture Minister Yisrael
Katz, who voted against the
road map in the government.
Katz, along with other Likud
opponents of the U.S.-backed
peace plan, hope to tie Prime
 
Minister Ariel Sharon's hands in future
negotiations. The five points in Katz's plan are:

* retaining Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem; 
* retaining and strengthening settlement in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip; 
* retaining Israeli control of security zones and
the Jordan Valley; 
* holding Arab nations responsible for dealing
with Palestinian refugees and opposing the
Palestinian claim of the right of return for
refugees; 
* demanding an immediate end to terror and
incitement. 

Army Radio reported Sunday that Sharon was
refusing to commit to two of the five points -
strengthening Jewish settlement in the West Bank
and Gaza, and retaining security zones. 

The head of the prime minister's bureau, Uri
Shani, said that Sharon could not agree to the
wording on the settlement issue because it
contradicted commitments he made in his speech at
the summit in Aqaba last Wednesday. 

Sharon is expected to be the last speaker at the
convention, which will be held at the Binyanei
Ha'uma congress hall in Jerusalem. He is expected
to address the convention in the 8 P.M. prime
time spot. Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
who abstained in the government vote on the road
map but is highly critical of the plan, is
expected to be the second last speaker. 

Katz and Sharon confidant Uri Shani met Saturday
night with Likud legal adviser Eitan Haberman to
try to come up with wording for a resolution that
could win the support of Sharon as well as Likud
MKs who oppose the road map. But the meeting
ended inconclusively after right-wing groups
demanded the proposal include elements that
contradict Sharon's speech at Aqaba. 

Katz, who has been discussing the issue over the
last few days with senior Likud leaders and the
heads of right-wing groups, was under the
impression before the meeting that it would be
possible to bring the compromise proposal to a
vote. 

Katz said on Saturday that the new proposal "will
allow me to hold onto my principles, to hold onto
the principles of democracy and the unity of
Likud. No one will get everything he wants, but
it will give the Likud a lot of power." 

Likud leaders close to Sharon have been trying to
play down the importance of the anticipated
demonstrations at the convention and said that
the vote on the resolution proposal has no
practical importance and can only help the prime
minister, not damage him. 

Last year, Netanyahu pushed through a proposal in
the Likud opposing the creation of a Palestinian
state, despite Sharon's opposition. The vote,
however, ultimately worked in favor of Sharon,
who came off looking moderate in the eyes of the
general public and the United States.