Sharon government wins the Knesset confidence
The government of the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday evening won the confidence of the Israeli Knesset, while the Israeli forces were intensively opening fire at the Palestinian houses which are close to Natsareim settlement at the entrance of Gaza.
Meantime, the Israeli bulldozers installed barriers and drilled trenches near Ramullah in the West Bank to separate it from the nearby villages and areas in the course of its attempts to single out the areas of the west bank.
For the third running day, the Israeli forces prevented the Palestinian citizens in Gaza from moving in their cities quarters and areas to visit their relatives on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.
As confrontations continued with the Israeli forces in various areas of the West Bank and Gaza, the Israeli army chief of staff Shaoul Mofaz renewed his threat to use stronger military power to suppress the Intifada.
Meantime, the new Israeli coalition movement chaired by Ariel Sharon has released its work program.
The program which was circulated by the Israeli Knesset office stated ending the Intifada through what it said proposing " Middle solutions" which are painful and are considered a means to resume the Israeli- Palestinian negotiations. These "Middle solutions" include attempts to reach temporary peace agreements with the Palestinians like re-deployment in the West Bank and Gaza under the condition of not damaging what it called " the interests of Israel." The Israeli government said in its program it will work to preserve what it called Israel's national security through fighting what it called" violence and terrorism," and considered that direct negotiations without mediators is the right path to give the Me peace process a push forward.
Sharon, in statements he made on Wednesday, not to proceed in negotiation tracks unless stability is restored back, noting by that to ending the Palestinian Intifada.
Sources at the divan of the Israeli prime minister expected that Sharon will pay a visit to Washington by the mid of this month and most expectedly on march 19 during which he will meet with the US President George Bush and attend the annual meeting of the American Jewish Lobby.
According to the Israeli radio, these sources explained that this visit is based on the extent of security developments in the occupied territories.
the source added that Sharon will meet with President George Bush and high ranking American officials and review with them current conditions.