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Sharon not bound by peace proposals
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ISRAELI caretaker cabinet affirmed yesterday that incoming Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon's government has no obligation to honour the previous Israeli stances on the peace talks with the Palestinians, Israel Radio reported.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak made similar statements in letters to world leaders last week that the next Israeli government is not bound by former US President Bill Clinton's peace proposals, Israeli offers at the Camp David summit and the peace talks at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Taba.
At the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday, the cabinet ministers received copies of the letters Barak sent to US President George W Bush and Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, an architect of the 1993 Oslo peace accords, expressed his reservations about Barak's position, but did not vote against it, the radio said.
Barak and Sharon met for the second time yesterday since the election to discuss the coalition issues as well as the diplomatic and security situation.
Although Barak has announced his intention to quit politics following his defeat in the election, Sharon offered him the defence portfolio and some other cabinet posts to attract the Labour into his coalition government.
Uzi Baram, a veteran member of the Labour Party, announced his decision to quit politics yesterday, in the third Labour resignation following Barak and his campaign chairman and Knesset (Parliament) member Elie Goldschmidt. (Xinhua)
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