Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held talks Friday with his rival Benjamin Netanyahu and offered him to become his foreign minister, as he seeks to form a new right-wing cabinet following the collapse of the coalition government.
Sharon offered the job to his rival for the leadership of his right-wing Likud during a two-hour meeting late Friday at his ranch in southern Israel's Negev desert, public television reported.
The hawkish Netanyahu, a former prime minister, was expected to give Sharon an answer at a second meeting on Sunday, it said.
On the ground, the Israeli army said it had arrested 29 "wanted" Palestinians in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. One of the arrested activists was Islamic Jihad leader Fayez Tubassi. The army confirmed it had captured Tubassi, who is accused of helping plan suicide car bombings in northern Israel in June and last week that left 31 Israelis dead.
In the Gaza Strip, a 24-year-old Palestinian was hit in the chest by Israeli fire outside the Jewish settlement bloc of Gush Katif, and a bullet struck an 11-year-old boy in the hand near Rafah on the border with Egypt, security sources said.(Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
