Word: palestinian
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Sharon, who had served as Minister of Infrastructure, a post he will keep, the promotion completed a long rehabilitation following his resignation as Defense Minister after the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacres of Palestinian civilians in Lebanon by the Israel-allied Phalangist militia. Though still reviled in much of the Arab world for his role in that outrage and others, Sharon over the past year has gained a reputation for honesty and reliability among Israel's peace partners...
None of which explains why Netanyahu picked him. Netanyahu had held the foreign portfolio himself since January but relinquished it in preparation for this week's U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian summit at the Wye Plantation in Maryland. That meeting is aimed at achieving further Israeli withdrawal from parts of the West Bank, a move hotly opposed by Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies, who have threatened to bring down the government over the issue. Sharon's promotion is Netanyahu's sop to them, an unpleasant one for the Prime Minister, given the long rivalry between the two men. The idea...
...Some Palestinians, however, don't see it that way. "Sharon's appointment means that a resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is imminent because he will give the agreement legitimacy on the Israeli side," says a close aide of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. With this in mind, Palestinian negotiators have been conducting a quiet dialogue with Sharon over the past year. Although they have disagreed with him, he has earned their respect, unlike Netanyahu, who is widely distrusted...
...officials believe Sharon's imprimatur was important in achieving progress last week during Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories. After his first session with Albright, Netanyahu brought Sharon into the meeting so that he could "touch the process," according to a senior State Department official. Last week's diplomacy produced a few steps forward, including progress on a further Israeli redeployment in the West Bank and Palestinian security guarantees. The American negotiators hope to nail down those points this week, announce a package deal and immediately begin long-awaited talks on the final...
...blood-spattered bus station in Beer Sheba may remind Israeli and Palestinian leaders of why they're holed up in Maryland talking peace, but it's unlikely to bring them any closer to a deal. A Palestinian man wounded 64 people in the Israeli town when he tossed two hand grenades into a crowded bus station on Monday, as deadlocked talks between Benjamin Netanyahu and Yasser Arafat at Wye Plantation were extended until Tuesday. "This isn't going to affect the outcome at Wye," says TIME Jerusalem bureau chief Lisa Beyer. "Even before the attack, it looked unlikely they...