PM summons chief of staff to clarify his criticism of pullout

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has called in Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon "to clarify" Ya'alon's veiled criticism this weekend of Sharon's disengagement plan.

During a visit to the Erez crossing over the weekend, to examine the scene of a foiled Palestinian attack, Ya'alon indicated that he believes Sharon's announced disengagement plan will encourage more Palestinian terror attacks. He also told a Be'er Sheva weekly that "it will take more than a division to repair the trouble created by withdrawing from one settlement under fire."

The Prime Minister's Office last night denied a Channel Two report saying Sharon was "enraged" with the chief of staff, that he had caused "enormous" damage and that he was "blatantly intervening in political matters and trying to influence ministers."

According to a source in the PMO, "there was no such statement, there is no rage and anger, and there is no intention to reprimand Ya'alon or to threaten that he won't get his term extended." Ya'alon's three-year stint as chief of staff is over in April.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter is telling U.S. intelligence officials with whom he is meeting this week that the disengagement plan will not reduce motivation for Palestinian terrorism. "Anyone who thinks the disengagement plan will lead to a reduction in Palestinian motivation to conduct attacks is wrong," he said in a briefing about the plan to Israeli representatives in Washington.

He said there is "total chaos" now in the Palestinian Authority and that PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, while still influential, is not in full control.

Dichter is in the U.S. by invitation of the Americans who are trying to grasp what Israel intends to do about the territories. On Thursday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz will be meeting with senior administration officials on the plan and toward the end of the month, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom is due in Washington. No date has been set for a Sharon trip to Washington to brief President George W. Bush on the plan.

Sharon has slated a meeting for next Monday with the Likud ministers, to discuss the disengagement plan. The meeting was initiated by Education Minister Limor Livnat, who proposed he present the plan to his party's ministers, whom he needs to support it.

He will report to the ministers on his meetings with U.S. envoys with whom he has discussed the plans. They are due back in Israel this week to hear more details about the plan, which so far has only been presented in general outlines and in principle to the Americans.

The American administration wants Sharon to present a clear direction and not merely possible alternatives for withdrawals. A key issue in the coming round of talks is how many settlements Sharon intends to evacuate in the West Bank.

The Sharon-Ya'alon contretemps set off a round of political reactions. Science Minister Eliezer Sandberg of Shinui said the chief of staff "had to say what he did against the disengagement and to point out its security aspects." He said that "the fact that the comments created tension between him and Sharon are not surprising, because that is natural where politics and security meet."

Likud MK Ehud Yatom said the reservations about Sharon's plan coming from the chief of staff and the head of the Shin Bet show "the security professionals are very worried by the plan." He said "we must listen very carefully to the professional reservations expressed by the security establishment, and continue to fight terror with all our strength and not give prizes to murderers of Israelis."

Labor Party MK Ophir Pines-Paz said Sharon should internalize the fact "the chief of staff is neither his yes man nor the defense minister's. His job is to tell the truth even when it is not pleasant. I may not agree with the chief of staff but that doesn't prevent me from paying attention to what he says."

Meretz MK Yossi Sarid "I feel pity for the chief of staff who has this man as prime minister and I feel pity for the prime minister who has this man as chief of staff ... Sharon with his confusion and deception and Ya'alon with his antiquated and limited narrow thinking about security deserve each other - but why do we deserve them both?"