The Rabin government may not have to look to the opposition anymore to be told that its peace process is failing.
Israeli Housing Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer reportedly told Israeli journalists in Washington this week that a majority of Israelis no longer support the peace process and that the government should slow down its negotiations with the Palestinians.
At a Washington lunch, he said his government has a “genuine desire to see progress” with the Palestinians, but only if the safety of Israeli settlers is assured.
In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin dismissed Ben-Eliezer’s comments, saying, “something ministers say stupid things.”
During his visit, Ben-Eliezer met with Dennis Ross, the State Department’s special Middle East coordinator, members of Congress and former President George Bush.
Also during his visit, the dispute over Israeli settlements in the West Ba spilled onto the streets of Washington.
About 17 peaceful demonstrators picketed the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where Ben-Eliezer was addressing the pro-Israel think tank about the peace process.
Amid sporadic chants of “Peace Yes, Settlements No” the protesters marched in front of the downtown Washington office building.
A statement distributed to passer-by termed Israel’s settlement building a “effort to impose its will on the Palestinian population.”
“They are acts of an occupying power, not a peace partner,” said the statement, signed by 10 Arab American groups, including the American Muslim Council, the Arab American Institute and the National Association of Arab Americans.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
