The chief of the Prime
Minister’s bureau, Dov Weisglass, left for Washington on Saturday
night at the head of a high-level delegation dispatched to present
the United States with a revised route proposal for the separation
fence, which now includes a "break" opposite Ariel, one
of the largest West Bank Jewish cities, HA’ARETZ reported.
Weisglass, who is accompanied by Defense Ministry Director General
Amos Yaron, is meeting today with U.S. national security advisor
Condoleezza Rice to discuss the new route. Israel will tell U.S.
officials that the section of the fence between the towns of Elkana
and Alei Zahav will not be built, leaving a "break" opposite
Ariel. Instead, the area left open will be guarded by a bolstered
IDF presence, as well as roadblocks and other barriers aimed at
protecting the adjacent Jewish towns. "The fence is not going
to stand in the way of the sustained, long-standing relations between
Israel and the US," a diplomatic official said. "A solution
will be found without compromising the security of the citizens
of Israel."
Weisglass and Rice will
also discuss the new Palestinian leadership. In advance of the meeting,
Israel announced that it had granted entry permits to some 11,000
Palestinian laborers and merchants who wished to do business in
Israel.
In addition, Minister
of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom, who arrived in New York on Sunday
for the opening of the 58th session of the UN General Assembly,
will hold talks on the issue of the security fence with U.S. Secretary
of State Colin Powell.