Text: PM's Office Asserts Israel Agrees With US Against Rest of the Quartet?

STATEMENT REGARDING REPORTS APPEARING IN THE MEDIA OVER THE PM'S COMMENTS ON
THE QUARTET
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Office)
Sunday, January 19, 2003

[IMRA: Note the wording. There is no claim here that Israel agrees with
anyone about the Road Map, just "the suitable interpretation of and the
appropriate methods for implementing President Bush's speech." Put another
way, Sharon agrees with Bush about the Bush speech. The Road Map isn't even
worth relating to.

"NEWSWEEK Jan. 18, 2003 - WEYMOUTH: What do you think of the peace plan of
the so-called quartet: the
U.S., the U.N., the EU and Russia?

SHARON: Oh, the quartet is nothing! Don't take it seriously! There is
[another] plan that will work."
http://www.msnbc.com/news/861148.asp?0cv=KB10&cp1=1 ]

In connection with publications appearing in this morning's media the
Prime Minister's Office would like to clarify the following:

Within the forum known as the Quartet, which includes the US, UN, EU and
Russia, Israel and the US see eye to eye on the suitable interpretation
of and the appropriate methods for implementing President Bush's speech,
in contrast to the position of the other Quartet members. The State of
Israel's view is that the US and Israeli vision are the only actual
understandings which are likely to result in peace in the Middle East.