Sharon at odds with Peres on peace moves

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today rejected a proposal that his foreign minister meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, saying there can be no negotiations as long as sporadic violence continues.

The move sparked an angry exchange with foreign minister Shimon Peres, suggesting a possible crack in the partnership between ideological rivals whose collaboration in recent months has been seen as key to keeping a lid on Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Despite a marked reduction of hostilities, sporadic violence continued today as the sides traded accusations of non-compliance with a truce negotiated last week by CIA director George Tenet.

In Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinians set off two bombs near Israeli soldiers.

But elsewhere, Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles pulled back from sensitive points in Gaza today, and Israeli and Palestinian commanders inspected a key junction together for the first time in months.

A visit by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan sparked a dispute between moderates and hardliners in Israel’s government after Sharon forbad a proposed meeting of Annan, Peres and Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

Peres favours continued contacts with Arafat, but Sharon insists there can be no peace negotiations until all violence ceases.

‘‘Arafat must understand he will not be able to drag Israel into negotiations under fire,’’ said Sharon aide Raanan Gissin. ‘‘This is a principal issue right now.’’

Industry and Trade Minister Dalia Itzik, a Peres ally, complained that at a Cabinet meeting, hard-line ministers turned Peres into a punching bag and Sharon did not defend him.

She warned that ‘‘it could very well be that we will need to be in the opposition’’ - a reference to quitting Sharon’s government.

Sharon won a February election in a landslide and then invited Peres’ moderate Labour Party into a ‘‘national unity’’ government.

Peres says he has helped shape a moderate course on the ground, but critics call him a fig leaf for tough Sharon policies that offer the Palestinians little incentive to return to peace talks.

After meeting Annan in Jerusalem, Peres, who shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, admitted there were ‘‘two world views and two schools of thought’’ in Sharon’s government, and it is inevitable that ‘‘disagreements and clashes’’ would erupt.

He said he would meet Sharon later to try to overcome the differences.

Pressing for a role for the UN, Europe and Russia in the effort to return to peace talks after nine months of violence, Annan said he urged both sides ‘‘to accept the help of third parties in whom they both have confidence’’.

The Palestinians want international observers, but Israel is opposed to the idea.

Peres said there has been a reduction in Palestinian violence since the ceasefire went into effect on Wednesday, but ‘‘it hasn’t yet reached the required level’’.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said today that violence had not yet dropped to the point where peace talks could resume. ‘‘We’ve seen some progress, but we need a lot more progress.’’

A young Palestinian was killed by Arafat’s forces last night, apparently in an effort to prevent fire at Israeli targets.

Palestinian security officials said the 12-year-old boy was killed after a gunfight broke out between a local militia and Arafat’s forces, who were trying to stop gunfire and grenade attacks on an Israeli army post.

In Gaza today, a Palestinian set off a bomb on a cart near an Israeli army position, and Israeli soldiers shot and wounded him.

In the West Bank, a bomb went off next to an Israeli army vehicle, and Palestinians opened fire on it. There were no Israeli casualties in either attack.

The Israeli military reported several other incidents of Palestinian gunfire.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military withdrew armoured personnel carriers and cement roadblocks from the Netzarim junction, a frequent flashpoint for clashes in Gaza.

Israeli and Palestinian field commanders toured the site together.

West Bank security chief Jibril Rajoub said a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian security commanders, set for today, had been postponed for a day for technical reasons.

One of the points in the Tenet plan is resumption of security cooperation, but Jibril said between full coordination would have to await the end of all Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza.

‘‘The Palestinians did not fight to remove the cement blocks or the checkpoints, but to fight for freedom,’’ Rajoub said.

Palestinians complained that despite Israeli announcements that roadblocks in the West Bank and Gaza had been removed, soldiers were still performing extensive security checks and causing traffic jams.

Since fighting erupted last September, 492 people have been killed on the Palestinian side and 111 on the Israeli side.