Sharon to consider withdrawing Israeli forces during Palestinian vote

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) - At the request of the US administration, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has agreed to consider removing Israeli security forces from Palestinian population areas to facilitate Palestinian elections in the next two months, the New York Times reports.
Israel has serious misgivings about the proposal but is willing to think about it under certain conditions, such as if Palestinian forces are mobilized in place of Israeli forces, an official close to the discussions told the Times.
"When it comes to implementing the decision to have elections in 60 days, the question arises of what you do with the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces)," the official said.
"You want freedom of movement for the Palestinians, but you have to make sure that nothing is done that costs Israeli lives."
"How do you conduct elections in 60 days if the Israelis are still all over Gaza and areas of the West Bank?" a US official said. "That's been a question we've started to have to think about."
During the illness of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and since his death, Washington has quietly been urging Israel to take steps to strengthen the standing of Palestinian moderates, ahead of the vote to choose a new Palestinian leader, the Times said.
Last weekend, Israel released 40 million dollars in frozen tax funds to the Palestinian Authority, after long resisting the move, the Times said, citing US and Israeli officials.
"The White House and Mr Sharon's office are also discussing other steps to facilitate the elections that are points of dispute between Israel and the Palestinians," the daily said. These include Israeli reluctance to allow Palestinians in the Jerusalem area to vote.
Neither side has said much about the discussions for political reasons. Israel does not want to be seen as yielding to US pressure, and President George W. Bush has been reluctant to be seen as pressuring Israel for concessions.
Bush and his principal European ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, on Friday pledged to do "whatever it takes" to secure peace between Israeli and the Palestinians, as Palestinians laid Arafat to rest in Ramallah and observers said his death could open the way for peace.
"I believe we've got a great chance to establish a Palestinian state. I would like to see it done in four years. I think it is possible," Bush declared at a joint press conference with Blair after a White House summit.

11/14/2004 - 07:13 GMT - AFP