Israelis split over withdrawal from south Lebanon
Israeli Minister of Education Yossi Sarid said on Sunday that he still has the belief that that chance is still there to reach an agreement with Syria. "Withdrawal borders should be demarcated in the Golan and for that reaching an agreement on security arrangements and then the situation will be substantially changed in Lebanon," Sarid added.
In an interview with the Israeli Hebrew-language radio on Sunday, Sarid continued that he opposes an immediate withdrawal from south Lebanon without reaching an agreement with the sides concerned.
For his part the chairman of the Shinui movement in the Israeli Knesset, Tomy Lapid, said that he opposes withdrawal without reaching an agreement.
In an interview with the same radio, Lapid said that an immediate withdrawal will not solve the problems with Hizbullah but expose people of the northern Israeli areas to great dangers.
In its report, Israeli Radio said on Sunday that Sarid, who calls for withdrawal from south Lebanon, also calls for resuming negotiations with Syria.
Replying to statements made by Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa, Sarid said, "The Syrian side is committed to solid stances, yet borders should be marked and security arrangements drawn. A peaceful solution can be reached with the Syrian side despite obstacles and difficulties. And when an agreement is reached with Syria conditions in Lebanon will be changed fundamentally."
Member of the Israeli Knesset Dalia Rabin-Pelossof from the Center Party asserted the need for Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon, but in the framework of an agreement to be reached in this respect.
Israeli Minister of the Interior Natan Sharansky said that the Israeli Army should be taken out from south Lebanon as soon as possible, but that should be made following a "painful" Israeli military strike against the Lebanese infrastructure. He added that the relations between negotiations with Syria and the Lebanese question should be separated so as not to keep at Syria's hands the means to pressure Israel to give concessions in the Golan.
On the other hand, an Israeli Knesset member from the Likud Party, Moshe Katsav, said that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has not to wait until April or May until instructing the Israeli Army to withdraw from south Lebanon, rather he has to immediately give his instructions to this end, especially as preparations for such a withdrawal will take at least three to five months, and therefore talking about immediate withdrawal is of no value.
For his part, the leader of the Israeli Likud Party, Ariel Sharon, on Sunday expressed his backing to Israel's unilateral withdrawal from occupied south Lebanon.
In statements to the Israeli Army Radio on Sunday, Sharon added that Israel has to concentrate its attacks against the infrastructure, including Syrian economic interests in Lebanon.
He urged immediate withdrawal from Lebanon, asserting that positions are changing with the passing of time.