Israel's right-wing and religious opposition on Monday laid down four conditions for joining an emergency government Prime Minister Ehud Barak is scrambling to establish, public radio reported.
The opposition groups said they refuse any concession over occupied east Jerusalem, the right of return of Palestinian refugees, any dismantling of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories and any move to give up the Jordan Valley, it said.
The position was adopted after a meeting organized by Likud party leader Ariel Sharon with the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, the National Religious Party which is the mouthpiece for settlers and the extreme right-wing National Union and Israel Beiteinu blocs.
The parties together account for 44 seats in the 120-member Knesset or parliament which is due to reconvene later Monday.
Sharon, blamed by the Palestinians for sparking the month-long wave of deadly violence across the West Bank and Gaza Strip over a visit to a disputed holy site in east Jerusalem, is also demanding Barak give him a veto over any developments on the peace process.
The right-wing and religious groups are in effect demonstrating their opposition to apparent concessions made by Barak at the failed Camp David peace summit in July – JERUSALEM (AFP)
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