Israeli FM Willing to Add Bethlehem to 'Gaza First' Plan

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 15, 2002

Israeli FM Willing to Add Bethlehem to 'Gaza First' Plan

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has said he is not opposed to adding the West Bank city of Bethlehem to "Gaza first" withdrawal plan, Israel Radio reported Thursday.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has said he is not opposed to adding the West Bank city of Bethlehem to "Gaza first" withdrawal plan, Israel Radio reported Thursday.

Peres had reportedly told the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) officials during a meeting on Wednesday night that there is no problem in discussing a phased Israeli withdrawal from Bethlehem alongside the "Gaza first" plan.

The foreign minister said he had discussed the proposal with Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, adding Ben Eliezer also supports including Bethlehem into the plan, under which Israeli troops will withdraw from the Palestinian-controlled areas.

During the Wednesday's meeting, Peres said Israel was offering to initially withdraw from the Gaza Strip not for territorial reasons, but because of the fact that the Palestinian security forces in Gaza have remained intact.

Peres said Israel is willing to conduct practical negotiations on transferring security responsibility to PNA in all places, if Palestinians can ensure that calm will prevail in the areas.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel Radio reported that Ben Eliezer is expected to discuss the plan with PNA Interior Minister Abdel RazaqAl Yehya and PNA Chairman Yasser Arafat's security consultant Muhammad Dahlan.

Under the plan, proposed by Ben Eliezer during Israeli-Palestinian talks last week, the Israeli troops will withdraw from the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian infrastructure has not been severely damaged, and transfer the security responsibility in those areas to the PNA.

The plan is to serve as a "pilot plan" and if the Palestinians manage to prevent terror and violence in the cities that the troops vacates, the plan will be extended to other PNA-controlled areas.

The plan was regarded as a positive measure that paves the way for Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories and ultimately resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

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