Posted on 07/14/2003 10:02:57 PM PDT by anotherview
Last Update: 15/07/2003 04:27
By Aluf Benn and Sharon Sadeh, Haaretz Correspondents
LONDON - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with his British counterpart Tony Blair on Monday evening for talks over dinner at 10 Downing Street, during which Sharon was expected to urge a rethink of British support for Palestinian Authority Chairman Arafat.
Earlier in the day, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told Sharon that Britain would continue to work with Arafat, despite Sharon's contention that the Palestinian leader should be removed from power, a British official said.
The Blair-Sharon meeting took place against a backdrop of pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Israel Radio reported.
During the meeting, Blair was to emphasize Britain's opposition to the West Bank separation fence. British sources told Haaretz that the security fence would harm Israel's security interests in the long run. Blair was also to urge Israel to move more quickly to dismantle settlement outposts and improve economic conditions in the territories.
Sharon was to ask Blair to remove Britain's unofficial embargo of weapons sold to Israel. The embargo prevents British firms from getting export licenses to Israel for security items likely, in Britain's opinion, to assist Israel in its military conflict with the Palestinians.
Last year, Britain refused 84 out of 245 Israeli requests for importing essential military items. The difficulties have remained despite Blair's past explicit commitments to ease the policy toward Israel.
In a meeting aimed at improving strained ties between the allies, Straw and Sharon also discussed the implementation of the U.S.-backed road map toward peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the cases of three Britons killed or injured in Israel, the official said on condition of anonymity.
"I understand Mr. Sharon raised the question of dealing with President Arafat, to which the foreign secretary made clear that the British position... is that while President Arafat is a democratically elected president of the Palestinian Authority then we will continue to have dealings with him, as long as we judge it to be useful," the British official said.
Israel's embassy declined to immediately comment on Straw's position.
"We know the huge amount of work you have been doing to help, in very great difficulties, the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians and we would like to commend you for that," Straw said to Sharon at the start of their meeting.
Sharon said at the meeting that Israel is willing to make painful concessions for peace, but none that will compromise the security of its citizens.
Sharon briefed Straw on his meetings with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, and said that Arafat is the main obstacle to peace. Straw asked for Israeli assistance in tracking down terror organizations posing as charity groups. Straw also stressed the importance of the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Every European contact with Arafat right now weakens Abbas, Sharon will argue. Arafat and Abbas are currently locked in a power struggle.
Sharon, who arrived in London on Sunday, will spend three days in the British capital, where he will meet leaders of the Labour and the Conservative parties, the heads of the local Jewish community and newspaper editors.
Ties between Israel and Britain have been rocky lately, and smoothing over the strains were expected to be high on both Sharon and Blair's agenda. Sharon is hoping to use the visit to end his isolation in Europe, while Blair, under attack at home over the war on Iraq, is interested in diverting local attention to what he sees as one of his main achievements: persuading U.S. President George Bush to restart the peace process and to pressure Sharon into accepting the road map peace plan.
"The only purpose of the visit is to put aside all the problems, the stones that were in the way of the relations of the two countries and really to open a new path between the countries," said Shuli Davidovich, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy, shortly before Sharon and his entourage landed at Heathrow Airport.
Government sources told Haaretz that the British administration asked Blair's special Middle east envoy, Lord Michael Levy, not to participate in the dinner due to the difficult relationship between Levy and Sharon. Levy said he was not participating in the event due to a trip abroad.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw shaking hands with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in London on Monday. (AP)
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