Palestinian President Yasser Arafat blasted Monday Israel's Chief of General Staff Shaul Mofaz in a closed-door meeting with a delegation of eight left-wing Knesset members in his beachside office in Gaza City, reported The Jerusalem Post newspaper.
According to the paper, Arafat accused Mofaz of acting independently of the government and creating a separate power center by fighting a war of annihilation against the Palestinians.
"This is the first time ever there is a chief of General Staff who talks more than the prime minister," Arafat reportedly told the MKs.
In reaction to Arafat's comments, Prime Minister Ehud Barak firmly backed Mofaz.
"The State of Israel is a democracy where the IDF is under the directives of the government and the chief of General Staff is subordinate to the minister of defense and carries out the instructions of the government," said a statement from Barak's office, according to the paper.
"The Prime Minister and Minister of Defense holds supreme responsibility for the IDF's actions," the statement continued.
"Prime Minister Barak has full confidence in Lt.-Gen. Mofaz, the IDF commanders and soldiers, and they receive the full confidence of the whole government."
The Knesset members included Mossy Raz and Avshalom Vilan (Meretz party), Yael Dayan and Colette Avital (One Israel party), Mohammed Barakei and Issam Mahoul (Hadash party).
The paper said that Raz and Vilan initiated the meeting with Arafat to call for an end to the violence on both sides, and offer the peace camp's hopes for a quick settlement.
Raz said that the meeting with the Palestinian President "was very good", and that it "laid the foundation for the reconstruction of trust."
Raz, a former leader of Peace Now, told Arafat that while the Israeli government has not kept agreements and continued building settlements, both sides are guilty of not stopping the violence.
He said he believes that Arafat does not care who prime minister is, because Barak did not convince him that he wants peace more than Netanyahu, according to the paper -- Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
