Israel will not negotiate with any new government hand-picked by Yasser Arafat, the Israeli foreign minister said Sunday in the first public warning to those trying to topple beleaguered Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. A power struggle between Arafat and Abbas has intensified in recent days, with clashes over key appointments and control of security forces. Several Palestinian legislators, including Arafat allies, are lobbying to oust Abbas later this week after he presents the achievements of his first 100 days in office to parliament. It remains unclear whether the session will be followed by a vote of confidence.
| My guess at this point is that it won't... |
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom suggested Sunday that an already troubled U.S.-backed peace plan, the so-called ``road map,'' would be derailed if Abbas is ousted.
| I think that's already happened... |
``Israel will not negotiate with a new government formed under the instructions and the influence of Arafat,'' Shalom said after a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Tel Aviv. |