RAMALLAH, West Bank, 25 November 2003 — Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said yesterday that his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon must come up with serious proposals to kick start the peace process, as Sharon sought backing for “unilateral measures”.
Qorei said he hoped “that there will be serious and tangible steps, steps that will have a positive impact on the peace process and the whole situation and that it will not be mere public relations”.
Qorei was responding to comments by Sharon at his weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday that he “does not rule out unilateral steps”.
While Sharon has remained tight-lipped about the exact details of such measures, there have been widespread reports they would involve dismantling settlements on the Palestinian side of a controversial barrier being built by Israel across the West Bank, or in areas which are considered difficult to defend.
The Israeli leader met members of his own right-wing Likud party yesterday in a bid to persuade them to support such measures after being warned that he was in a minority.
