Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Barak said after the conclusion of the Sharm el-Sheikh summit that he has no intention of shelving his plan to form a national unity government to include the right wing Likud Party, despite the deal reached at the summit to end the violence.
In an interview with Israeli Channel 2, monitored on CNN, Barak said “we have no problem whatsoever to involve each and all parties,” in a coalition government, which he described as vital and "very very important" at the current stage.
“I spoke to [Ariel] Sharon many times during the summit and I have told parties there that the Likud is a legitimate party and important movement in Israel.”
Barak also said that Israel had achieved its objectives at the summit, including preventing an international probe into 20 days of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
"We have achieved our objectives during this summit: an effort to halt the violence of recent weeks and preventing the creation of an international commission of inquiry," he said in an interview with two Israeli television stations from Sharm el-Sheikh.
"The test will lie in the implementation (of the agreement at Sharm)," he said, adding that he will act cautiously in the coming stage.
Barak stressed that the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with the Palestinians would determine whether Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was a partner for peace.
"What will determine if Arafat is a partner or not is first of all to see what happens, and the next few days will determine if he is a partner or not," Barak said in the interview.
Barak did not disclose details on whether Israeli made demands like returning released Hamas members to prisons or collecting Palestinian weapons had been met. However, he said that “all agreements with the Palestinians should be implemented.” – Albawaba.com
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