Israel must give peace a chance: Likud ministers

Amid constant heckling from a vociferous crowd, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz called on the Likud to rally around the government and its difficult decision to embark on the roadmap process.

"I will not hide from you that I have big doubts about the process we entered into last week in Aqaba," he said, referring to a Middle East summit at the Jordanian resort convened by US President George W. Bush which formally launched the process.

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"However, I am convinced that... we have to give it a chance, we owe it to ourselves, to our children and to our future as a people," he said.

"In such a fateful period we must be determined and full of faith and everyone must unite around the path along which the government is taking us."

Israel would proceed cautiously, he stressed, but added that without the Palestinians putting up "a true fight against terror on the ground" there would be "not the slightest advance".

Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom offered similar sentiments.

"Even though I have a lot of doubts about the success of the process, we have to give the political process a chance and to test it," he said.

Interim prime minister and former Jerusalem mayor and Ehud Olmert faced down a raucous crowd, telling them they should congratulate the Sharon government for taking such a brave and painful step.

"This government decided, rightly, that at this particular moment it was ready to examine whether there was a chance of reaching an understanding with a Palestinian government which says it wants to fight terror and make peace with us," he told the hall.

"It is highly possible that all this is shown to be impractical (but) if there is a chance to reach such an understanding with a government like that, we should say 'well done' to the Israeli government, the Likud government, that was ready to start that process," he said.

His comments came in stark contrast to earlier sentiments expressed by minister without portfolio Uzi Landau, who led calls for a vote to show the Likud's opposition to the roadmap.

"There are mistakes that prime ministers do not make," he said, referring to Sharon's use of the word "occupation" two weeks ago.

"The damage is huge, the political damage is big but worse still is the ethical damage, the damage to (our) values and the educational damage. If we are 'occupiers' in Shilo or Beit El, what are we in Tel Aviv, the Negev or in Galilee?"

"The roadmap will only bring more violence," he concluded.

Meanwhile, the United States reaffirmed Sunday its support for Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas and urged Israel and the Palestinians to stick to an agreed-upon plan for peace in spite of the latest violence.

"We will not allow this kind of terror activity... to derail our efforts toward the roadmap," Secretary of State Colin Powell said, referring to the earlier attack by Palestinian hardline groups that killed four Israeli soldiers at a military post between the Gaza Strip and Israel.