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Sharon Proposes Palestinian Statehood With "Limited Sovereignty"
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has proposed to US President George W. Bush a plan to allow the Palestinians to establish "a state with limited sovereignty," Israel Radio reported on Wednesday.
Sharon, who is visiting Washington, presented the multi-stage plan, which he will offer to the Palestinians, to Bush during their meeting on Tuesday, according to the report.
Under the plan, the Palestinians would have territorial contiguity, but Sharon did not specify the amount of the territories Israel would transfer to the Palestinians.
Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as East Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast War. The Palestinians want to establish an independent state on the whole West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as the capital.
However, Sharon's plan will allow Israel to continue control East Jerusalem. He also wants to keep security zones in the Jordan valley and along the 1967 border line between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Sharon reportedly offered his plan to refute criticisms that he has been trying to avoid peace talks with the Palestinians.
But Palestinian sources warned that Sharon's plan would only deteriorate the situation on the ground as the Palestinian people would see no benefit from a ceasefire if the peace talks would only be resumed finally on such a basis.
Such a scenario would be dangerous, the sources said.
During his meeting with Bush, Sharon outlined his view of how the Mitchell report recommendations should be implemented: a complete end to the violence and incitement; a test of quiet for 10 days; a cooling-off period that will last at least six weeks, followed by confidence-building measures; and after three or four months, a resumption of negotiations.
Regarding the confidence-building measures, Sharon said that Israel will demand the Palestinians arrest the Palestinians involved in attacks against Israeli targets, reduction of Palestinian police force and collection of illegal weapons.
Meanwhile, Israel will agree to transfer tax funds it owes to the Palestinians but will refuse to apply a total construction freeze in the current 150 Jewish settlements, Sharon added.
Such a view of the Mitchell report made no sense and would have no chances to be accepted by the Palestinians, the Palestinian sources said.
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