Israeli Labor Party leader and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer told a meeting of the party central committee that separation from the Palestinians was a "strategic necessity".
The committee discussed its peace proposals and worked on a platform for general elections, slated for October 2003. "The plan I am talking about is based primarily on a vision - a vision of two states, living side-by-side in peaceful co-existence - Israel and Palestine," Ben-Eliezer said.
"I consider it a strategic necessity to strive towards a separation with the Palestinians," said Ben Eliezer. "We are forced (toward this separation) after moving from a place of confrontation to a place of negotiation," he said, while stressing that current conditions for talks were "very difficult". "There is a complete loss of confidence between the parties," he said.
Turning to Jerusalem, Ben Eliezer said an "enlarged western sector would be the capital of Israel", including west Jerusalem and Jewish neighborhoods of the mainly Arab annexed east Jerusalem. It would be separated from purely Arab districts of the eastern part of the city.
He also called for a "special regime" for the holy sites in east Jerusalem, saying he would be ready to forego Israeli sovereignty of the Al Aqsa mosque compound. "It would be desirable to set up a special regime under which the special relationship of each of the parties would be recognized" to the holy sites in the disputed city.
Ben Eliezer said he favored a Palestinian state to cover "a large majority" of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territories which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. "As part of an accord, Israel will evacuate the (Jewish) settlements in Gaza and isolated colonies" in the West Bank, he said.
"Most of the settlers will be able to remain and gather in the main settlement blocs which will be annexed to Israel," said the Labor leader, outlining his vision of a settlement. "The area of these settlement blocs will be fixed in negotiations," he said. "Israel will be ready to exchange territories" as part of a settlement.
The Labor leader said he adamantly ruled out the right of return for Palestinian refugees. (Albawaba.com)
