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Barak names Ben-Ami temporary Foreign Minister |
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August 11, 2000
JERUSALEM (AP) - Prime Minister Ehud Barak will appoint negotiator Shlomo Ben-Ami as acting Foreign Minister, an official close to Barak said Thursday, who will be handed the dubious task of working out a final peace deal with the Palestinians. Ben-Ami, who is also Israel's police minister, was slated to depart Thursday for Turkey, the first leg of a tour to bolster international support for Israel's position in the peace process with the Palestinians. He will also visit Spain, Italy and the Vatican. The minister served as the chief Israeli negotiator before talks with the Palestinians at Camp David last month. Ben-Ami will be named as temporary Foreign Minister in the coming days, the official in Barak's office said on condition of anonymity. Ben-Ami, a moderate member of Barak's Labor party, will lead efforts to work out a final peace agreement with the Palestinians as quickly as possible. The Palestinians have pledged to declare a state next month - a move that could spark violence if a treaty is not laid down first. Opposition parties in the parliament, where Barak lost a majority last month, have vowed to bring down the government when the body reconvenes in November. Three parties in Barak's coalition withdrew over reports he was making large concessions to the Palestinians. The two weeks of intensive talks between Arafat and Barak hosted by the Americans in July failed to produce a framework for peace between the sides. The negotiations broke down over conflicting claims over Jerusalem. The Americans had hoped to work out a second summit in the coming weeks but Israeli and Palestinian leaders say the gaps between their positions are still too wide. |