JERUSALEM, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom Sunday told the Cabinet Israel protested a French and Belgian plan to contribute to a plan to advance peace talks.
France and Belgium offered to contribute $7 million to advance understandings that Israeli doves and Palestinian leaders reached earlier this month.
However Daniel Levy, an aide to Yossi Beilin who led the Israeli team in the talks with the Palestinians, refused the contributtions. Israeli officials said such foreign aid amounted to intervention in Israel's domesstic affairs.
The Israeli protest, even if based on wrong information, indicated the ministers' attitude towards the understandings. Several ministers suggested Israel file a formal complaint, but were told Israel did not want to "upgrade" the understandings by doing do.
The Israeli-Palestinian understandings appear to show how both sides could solve their most difficult problems. However, Sharon reiterated Israel's commitment to the "roadmap" the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia presented last summer.
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