1. PERES EXPECTED TO JOIN SHARON IN PEACE CZAR ROLE… Deposed elder statesman Shimon Peres is expected to accept Ariel Sharon’s invitation to join his new party in the role of peace czar, to be created for Peres. Peres suffered a humiliating defeat for chairmanship of the Labor Party when he was beaten by ‘Amir Peretz, head of the nation’s massive labor federation. Israel Radio reported on Monday morning that Peres intimates believe that the octogenarian politician will accept Sharon’s offer to become “special ambassador for peace affairs.” The position would, according to the radio report, place Peres in charge of regional and international contacts related to the peace process. One senior Labor colleague was quoted as saying that for Peres to jump ship after losing the leadership election would be an “inappropriate act” that would “entail a loss of dignity and contempt for his good name.”
2. SHARON LOYALIST HINTS AT PARDON FOR BARGHOUTHI… A former Likud minister who followed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon out of the party hinted at a pardon for a Palestinian leader jailed in Israel on terrorist murder charges. Referring to the question of whether Marwan Barghouthi will be set free following his victory in the Fatah party primary, Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit told Israel Radio that, “in politics, you should never say never.” Barghouthi was sentenced to serve five consecutive life terms for his part in the murder of Israeli civilians. But during his incarceration his Israeli jailers did not prevent Barghouthi from remaining active in Palestinian politics and taking a leadership role. As demonstrated by last week’s primary election, he is viewed by many, in particular the so-called “young guard,” as an important leader of the faction. While Israeli Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom told Israel Radio it was “out of the question” that Barghouthi would be released because he is “an assassin with blood on his hands and was duly sentenced by a court,” the prime minister’s confidante was saying that a pardon “could be envisaged” under certain circumstances. Barghouthi’s release is strongly favored by left wing politicians, a number of whom are being courted by Sharon to join his new party.
3. SPIELBERG TURNS TO CLINTON IN PLANNING P.R. COUNTER-OFFENSIVE… Film maker Steven Spielberg has turned to former President Bill Clinton to lay the foundation for a public relations campaign to counter expected negative fallout from Spielberg’s upcoming film about the 1972 Munich Massacre of Israeli athletes. Although it has not yet been screened, the film is already at the center of a maelstrom of criticism over reports that the role of the Mossad (Israeli intelligence agency) agent charged with tracking down those responsible for the massacre expresses doubt over the morality of his mission. According to the newspaper The Australian, Spielberg has reportedly sought the advice of Clinton as well as that of Clinton Mideast envoy Dennis Ross and former White House spokesman Mike McCurry who is now a political strategist. Observers say Spielberg’s concern is not about possible damage at the box office, but rather the effect the controversy will have on “Munich’s” chances for an Academy Award. Spielberg’s strategy is reportedly to blunt criticism from Israel.
4. PALESTINIAN LEADER: ‘ISRAEL AGREED TO LEAVE WEST BANK BY END OF YEAR’… Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Muhammad Dahlan told a seminar on Saturday that the Rafah crossing point was reopened by virtue of an “executive protocol, not an agreement.” Addressing a meeting of the Palestinian American Chamber of Commerce one day after the terminal linking the Gaza Strip to Egypt reopened, Dahlan said the Palestinian Authority managed to turn the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip from a unilateral step into a chance to end the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip. “I can say that we succeeded to push Israel to leave…almost completely,” Dahlan said. Dahlan also told his audience that in the protocol Israel accepted that it “must end its presence in the West Bank before the end of this year.” He said the United States and European Union have given guarantees about that “without committing the Palestinian side to any political concession.”