Tel Aviv’s Likud mayor Shlomo Lahat, is in deep trouble with his own party for saying publicly that he would be willing to meet with Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat.
Although a veteran Likud member, Lahat is known not to toe the Likud line. He told a news conference Sunday that he would be prepared to participate in talks with Arafat if he was convinced the PLO leader represented the Palestinian people.
Lahat also expressed the opinion that Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir would also talk with Arafat in the very near future.
He simply does not have much of a choice, Lahat said, adding that Shamir had to view the current situation realistically.
Sara Doron, chairperson of the Likud Knesset faction, suggested that Lahat stick to municipal politics.
Likud hawk Reuven Rivlin declared the mayor was in the wrong party.
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