Shamir Rejects Trading Land for Peace
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said Friday he rejects trading land for peace despite an earlier government statement that Israel is willing to discuss any option with the Palestinians.
“I don’t accept it. It is not necessary. It is not relevant,” he told reporters upon his return to Israel from the United States.
Shamir, 73, described his 10-day U.S. visit as a success and added: “There is an understanding between the U.S. and Israel about our four-point peace initiative.”
Shamir met last week with President Bush, who supported Shamir’s idea for elections in the occupied territories but said the United States could not accept permanent Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Shamir’s plan offers elections to choose representatives from the occupied territories to negotiate an interim settlement with Israel.
Several West Bank Palestinians reportedly have offered a counterproposal that residents elect members of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Palestine National Council instead of representatives for talks with Israel.
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