ISRAEL

Swissinfo: Sharon rejects settlement retreat
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has rejected any talk of dismantling Jewish settlements in the
foreseeable future despite U.S. calls for conciliatory gestures to advance a new Middle East peace plan.

His remarks, underlining his rightist coalition's objections to the peace "road map", were in an interview published on
Tuesday as he prepared for talks with the new reformist Palestinian premier later this week and U.S. President George W.
Bush on May 20.

"damit ist die US-Friedensinitiative Tod bevor sie begonnen hat"