Israel will not negotiate with a new government hand-picked by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Israel's foreign minister said in the first public warning to those trying to topple beleaguered Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
A power struggle between Arafat and Abbas has intensified in recent days, with clashes over key appointments and control of security forces.
Several Palestinian legislators, including Arafat allies, are lobbying to oust Abbas later this week after he presents the achievements of his first 100 days in office to parliament. It remains unclear whether the session will be followed by a vote of confidence.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom suggested on Sunday that an already troubled US-backed peace plan, the so-called "road map," would be derailed if Abbas is ousted. "Israel will not negotiate with a new government formed under the instructions and the influence of Arafat," Shalom said after a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Tel Aviv.
Arafat reluctantly appointed Abbas as the Palestinians' first prime minister in April under pressure from Israel and the US, which have accused Arafat of blocking peace efforts.
Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qureia, considered a possible replacement for Abbas, said Sunday that the infighting is harming Palestinian interests. The outside support for Abbas, including from Israel and the US, "is complicating the crisis," Qureia warned.
Abbas has minimal support among Palestinians, many of whom say they distrust him because he has Israel's backing. And while Arafat also has lost popularity after failing to deliver on promises of statehood, the 74-year-old remains the symbol of dreams of independence.
A Palestinian parliament meeting scheduled for Monday was pushed back to Thursday, to allow Abbas to try to garner support.
Lawmaker Qadoura Fares, a member of Arafat's Fatah movement, said he and others plan to present a possible compromise that would increase Arafat's influence but keep Abbas in power. "Arafat should support the decisions of the government and should be consulted on the basic issues," Fares said.
Arafat would also head a new five-member national security council.
The US and Israel have warned that ousting Abbas would hurt peace efforts and have urged Arafat to give Abbas full control of security forces for a crackdown on militants, but Arafat has resisted.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said it appeared a "double-headed government has been created," with Arafat and his security adviser, Brigadier-General Jibril Rajoub, maneuvering against Abbas and security chief Mohammed Dahlan.
"I believe that the relationship between these two heads has reached the point of a serious conflict, to the point of collision," Mofaz said, accusing Arafat of "using every tool available in order to cause the process to fail."
Meanwhile, Palestinian gunmen seriously wounded an Israeli construction worker building an Israeli security barrier near the West Bank town of Qalquiliya on Sunday, the army said. In response, troops and tanks entered the city to search for gunmen and imposed a curfew. In another shooting, Hamas gunmen wounded an Israeli motorist near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip.
Solana hopes to find a compromise with Israeli officials over their objections to European envoys meeting with Arafat. However, Shalom on Sunday declared Arafat "an obstacle to peace," suggesting Israel is not willing to soften its stance.
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