Free Republic

Jan. 30, 2003Mitzna rejects Shinui appeal to join ranks in a Sharon gov't By THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFFLabor Party leader Amram Mitzna today rejected a proposal from Shinui head Yosef Lapid to join ranks in a Likud-led government. In their first meeting after Tuesday's election, Lapid, now the head of Israel's third largest party, suggested that Mitzna bend on his refusal to join a government under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and present him with a list of demands for a partnership. Mitzna stood fast to his refusal to join a government with Sharon, and asked Lapid to join him...

(21:05) Knesset Speaker calls for adopting Saudi initiative By Nina Gilbert In a meeting with European Parliament faction leaders today, Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg said that any international peace conference must be based on the Saudi peace initiative. Burg said the implications of the bold initiative are "full peace and normalization between Israel and all Arab states in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territories." Burg, who was attending the EU gathering in Brussels, said a peace conference should be convened soon in the same format as the 1991 Madrid conference. Burg suggested that the conference be dubbed...