Israeli prime minister-elect Mr Ariel Sharon has ruled out resuming talks with the Palestinians begun by his outgoing predecessor Mr Ehud Barak but has moved to assure international leaders over his hard-line position.
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Mr Ariel Sharon
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He has also made overtures to Israel's defeated Labour Party in an effort to form a coalition government.
Mr Zalman Shoval, a diplomatic adviser to Mr Sharon, confirmed the new government would not consider itself bound by previous deals signed with the Palestinians.
"There was no accord concluded in Taba and what was discussed does not commit the government that Mr. Sharon will form, as he said during the election campaign," Mr Shoval said.
The Taba round of talks ended on January 28 without agreement on any of the key issues still dividing the two sides after more than half a century of conflict.
"This government will not be held by signed accords," Mr Shoval said, referring in particular to the 1993 Oslo accords and further interim accords agreed since at Wye River in the United States and the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
But Mr Sharon has started to court the centre-left Labour Party to join a broad unity government that would have a more moderate stance on peacemaking than a right-wing bloc made up of disparate parties.
The Likud Party begins coalition talks today, rushing to meet a late-March deadline to form a new government and pass the state budget or face new elections for prime minister and parliament.
Reuters & AFP