Maher confers with Israeli opposition member

The secretary general of the Israeli Labor party Ofeir Benis said, after talks he had held with the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Maher, that the evacuation of main Jewish settlements in Gaza should take place in the context of "unilateral measures" in the interest of the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

Benis said that if the Roadmap peace plan fails, there is the possibility of thinking of taking unilateral measures, especially in Gaza. "We agree that the evacuation of the main settlements in Gaza will be in the interests of everyone." Benis considered that "evacuating just one main settlement in Gaza will prove the good intention of the Israeli side towards the Palestinian side, and will help to restore confidence between the two sides and halt violence, as well as returning back to the table of negotiations."

The meeting between Benis and Maher comes at a time when the Israeli foreign minister is expected to visit Israel on Monday to meet with prime minister Ariel Sharon and his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom.

Meantime, speaking to Radio Cairo, the noted Israeli-Palestinian figure, Azmi Beshara said Maher's talks with the Israeli officials would certainly tackle the West Bank separation wall and a committed Israeli ceasefire in parallel with a Palestinian.

Beshara described yesterday Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's speech as a threat to the Palestinian people, warning that it meant Israel would unilaterally demarcate borders between the Palestinians and Israelis, which consequently cuts off vast swathes of a potential Palestinian state.