Netanyahu to Discuss Plans to Resume Peace Negotiations

On the eve of his departure for Washington this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to resolve a Cabinet crisis.

On his first visit to the United States as premier, Netanyahu was expected to stress the fight against terror as a condition for continuing peace negotiations.

His trip also was being seen as an opportunity to forge a new working relationship with President Clinton, who demonstrated strong support for Shimon Peres, the former prime minister and Labor Party leader.

Netanyahu was scheduled to depart from Israel on Monday — his meeting with Clinton was set for Tuesday — but at the last minute, the prime minister was working feverishly to bring Likud Knesset member Ariel Sharon into his Cabinet.

Foreign Minister David Levy had threatened last week to resign if Sharon was not made a member of the Cabinet before Netanyahu’s trip.

During his visit, the Clinton administration is expected to seek clarifications from Netanyahu regarding his stand on the peace process.

Netanyahu has pledged to continue the peace process on all tracks. But he has rejected what he asserts are Arab efforts to set preconditions to negotiations.

Ahead of the trip, Israeli media outlined a five-point package Netanyahu would present, including:

A promise in principle to redeploy Israeli forces in Hebron, with some adjustments to the security arrangements drawn up by the Peres government, and with no obligation to a timetable.

Continued contact with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, at all levels.

Intent in principle to lift the closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, imposed at the end of February after the first of a series of suicide bombings.

Support of international aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Resumption of permanent-status negotiations with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu has made clear his opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, or any kind of negotiation on Jerusalem, both issues the previous Labor-led government was willing to address.

In a recent interview, Netanyahu said he would support Palestinian autonomy without sovereignty, which would enable the Palestinians to run all elements of their lives that cannot pose any security threats to Israelis.

On the stalled talks with Syria, Netanyahu has said he believes that it is possible to reach “subagreements” with Damascus and that he is not adverse to an interim solution regarding Lebanon.

But he has sharply attacked Syria as “a base for Middle East terror.”

The Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported Sunday that Netanyahu had asked the head of the Mossad intelligence agency and the head of army intelligence to draw up a document detailing Syrian and Iranian ties to terrorist groups and activities.

All these issues are expected to be brought up in the Israeli leader’s meetings with the head of the CIA and in an address to Congress.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu held talks with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who stopped here on his way back to the United States from Jordan.

Kissinger told reporters afterward that he believed that Netanyahu would continue the peace process.

“I believe the peace process started by Yitzhak Rabin will continue, and it does not matter who is prime minister,” Kissinger said. “I think any prime minister will come to the conclusion that the process has to be continued. Of course, each leader has his own ideas about how to continue the process.”

Kissinger was speaking to reporters after visiting Rabin’s grave at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, parents of missing Israeli servicemen have asked the government to freeze the release of Palestinian prisoners within the framework of the peace process until more information is produced on the whereabouts of their sons.

The families of seven Israeli MIAs met last week with Justice Minister Ya’acov Ne’eman, their first such meeting with a member of the new government.