ISRAEL

Guardian: Israel tells foreign backers of Geneva peace initiative they threaten road map

The Israeli government has launched a diplomatic offensive to discourage foreign support for a groundbreaking peace initiative that its supporters say has exposed the bankruptcy of Ariel Sharon's policies.
The foreign ministry summoned a senior Swiss diplomat to protest against his government's support for the "Geneva initiative" made public two weeks ago by leftwing Israeli politicians and a group of Palestinian leaders.

Two years of secretive negotiations were led by the former Israeli cabinet minister, Yossi Beilin, and a close ally of Yasser Arafat, Yasser Abed Rabbo.

Their agreement was for the Palestinians to renounce the right of refugees to return to their former homes in Israel and for the evacuation of almost all Jewish settlements on the West Bank beyond what Israel defines as Jerusalem