Ben Eliezer: peace with Palestinians is not possible without dismantling settlements

The chairman of the Israeli Labor party Benyamin Ben Eliezer has admitted that a settlement with the Palestinians can not be materialized without eliminating the Israeli settlements erected in the occupied Palestinian areas.

In a press conference he held yesterday in Tel Aviv, Ben Eliezer held the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon responsible for the deterioration of Israeli conditions in all areas. He stressed that the patch of poverty in Israel has expanded as a result as Sharon has provided all support for the settlements and neglected other Israeli social strata.

The Israeli radio quoted Ben Eliezer as saying that his party will change the list of priorities in his policy in case he wins the elections to be held by the beginning of February 2003.

As part of the competition to attract the Arab voters in the territories of 1948, he called for eliminating the repression inflected on the Palestinians.

The ministers of the Labor party, and Ben Eliezer on top of them gave their resignation from the government on the ground of protest over allocations of the general budget for 2003. The Labor party ministers asked for the big share to be for the poor classes, while Sharon persisted on the money to be transferred to the settlements.