VARIOUS: FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU IS DUE TO BE SWORN IN AS ARIEL SHARON'S FOREIGN MINISTER

Record ID: 640700

  • Title: VARIOUS: FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU IS DUE TO BE SWORN IN AS ARIEL SHARON'S FOREIGN MINISTER
  • Date: 7th November 2002
  • Summary: (U3) TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (NOVEMBER 6, 2002) (REUTERS) MV FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES IN HIS TEL AVIV OFFICE; SCU PERES' HAND (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES SAYING "I think it's a mistake. I am not referring to his personal manners. I am not in business of gossiping but Mr. Netanyahu is against the creation of a Palestinian state and he is against stopping the creation of new settlements and without those two conditions there is no chance for peace." (U3) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 6, 2002) (REUTERS) SLV PEOPLE IN CITY CENTRE; MV MAN SELLING SWEETS FOR RAMADAN; MV WOMAN BUYING RAMADAN SWEETS; MV SWEETS BEING MAN IN STREETS (4 SHOTS) SCU PICTURE OF POLITICAL PRISONER AND PALESTINIAN LEADER MARWAN BARGHOUTI HANGING IN STREET ZOOM OUT TO SCU MORE OF SWEETS BEING MADE (SOUNDBITE) (English) RAMALLAH RESIDENT MUJED SALEH SAYING "Ramadan this year is coming when we are passing a very hard conditions. The people are under siege, the Israeli siege, the Palestinian cities are under siege and the people are passing very, very tough conditions, really." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ADNAN HAMRSHI, ANOTHER RAMALLAH RESIDENT SAYING "The situation is bad and things are just not normal, it's bad and people are not happy." SLV ISRAELI ROAD BLOCK BETWEEN RAMALLAH AND NEIGHBOURING TOWN BEIR ZEIT; SLV ISRAELI ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER (APC) AT ROAD BLOCK; SLV TROOPS ON APC; SLV PALESTINIAN CARS STOPPED AT ROAD BLOCK; SLV MORE OF TROOPS (5 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM/ TEL AVIV, ISRAEL/ RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Conflict,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAER6DYSGX5Z3VTY4GT2A0MTS8Z
  • Story Text: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's former right-wing prime minister, is due to be sworn in as Ariel Sharon's foreign minister after the Labour Party bolted his government. Shimon Peres, who quit the post as his party left the unity government, has said that Netanyahu being sworn in as new foreign minister is a "mistake".
    Right-wing challenger Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to be sworn in on Wednesday (November 6, 2002) as Israel's new foreign minister after he wasted no time launching a campaign to lead Israel by vowing to get tough on the Palestinians.
    Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called for early elections on Tuesday (November 5) after the centre-left Labour Party, including then-Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, left his coalition last week in a row over funding for Jewish settlements on occupied land.
    Peres slammed Sharon's choice of Netanyahu for foreign minister saying it was a "mistake".
    "I think it's a mistake. I am not referring to his personal manners. I am not in business of gossiping but Mr.
    Netanyahu is against the creation of a Palestinian state and he is against stopping the creation of new settlements and without those two conditions there is no chance for peace,"
    said Peres.
    Netanyahu seeks to counter Sharon's appeal to voters with a tougher platform on the Palestinians and proposed economic changes to rouse the economy out of recession.
    Meanwhile, in the West Bank and Gaza, many Palestinian Muslims observing the first day of the holy month of Ramadan were blocked from travelling to visit family or mosques outside their towns and villages by an Israeli army blockade.
    "Ramadan this year is coming when we are passing a very hard conditions. The people are under siege, the Israeli siege," said Munjed Saleh from Ramallah.
    At least 1,646 Palestinians and 625 Israelis have been killed since the Palestinian revolt began in September 2000 after peace talks focusing on a Palestinian state foundered.
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