Sharon in Britain to urge Blair to cut Arafat ties

LONDON - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to urge British leaders to cut ties with Yasser Arafat, a move Israel says will help reformist Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas pursue peace.

"Any contact with (Palestinian President) Arafat weakens Abbas," said a senior Israeli official on Sharon's flight to London, adding the issue would be "raised in all its gravity."

Sharon is visiting Britain and Norway this week to highlight new peacemaking credentials after he and Abbas affirmed an internationally-backed Middle East peace "road map" at a June 4 summit in Jordan attended by President Bush.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will host a private dinner for Sharon on Monday, their first meeting in 13 months and a sign, Israel says, that a series of spats about peacemaking -- now overtaken by the road map -- are over.

Before seeing Blair, Sharon will meet British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

In a series of interviews with British newspapers and a Norwegian daily before the trip, Sharon hammered home a message that Europe should sever ties with Arafat to promote the road map, which envisages creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.

Britain has balked at blackballing the veteran leader and symbol of Palestinian nationalism.

With US backing, Israel has isolated Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, accusing him of fomenting violence in a 33-month-old Palestinian revolt for statehood. Arafat denies the allegations.

Palestinian officials say Arafat is trying to weaken Abbas, viewing him as too soft on Israel over reciprocal measures required by the peace plan.

Despite the power struggle, Abbas said on Sunday Arafat must be allowed "to travel wherever he wants, whenever he wants."

Israel appeared to be anticipating pressure from Blair to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners it plans to release in a bid to bolster Abbas's popularity among Palestinians and help cement a cease-fire militants declared on June 29.

The senior Israeli official said some 300 would go free. The Palestinian Authority wants freedom for all 6,000.

Israel has said no prisoners with "blood on their hands" as a result of carrying out or orchestrating attacks on Israelis would be released and members of militant groups, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, would also remain in jail.

However, the official signalled Israel might loosen the tough terms after a meeting he said Sharon and Abbas were likely to hold early next week.

"We understand the prisoner issue is very difficult for Abbas. We aim to meet with him and see what we can do," the official said.

Abbas spoke to Blair by phone on Saturday and asked him to pressure Israel to release prisoners, a senior Palestinian official said.