Israel decided to make a partial troop pullout from the West Bank city of Hebron on Sunday as a US envoy toured the Middle East with a peace proposal, Israeli political officials said.Officials said Sharon approved a pullback plan presented by Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.Political sources said Sharon approved the pullback to help Ben-Eliezer, head of the Centre-Left Labour Party, defeat challengers in a leadership election next month and keep his coalition intact.Sharon, caught between his chief coalition partner and religious members of his government, condemned in public remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting ‘‘any attack on the Army, security forces or police’’.Meanwhile, assistant Secretary of State William Burns’ mission was overshadowed in Israel by violence between Jewish settlers and security forces sent to remove them from Havat Gilad, one of about 20 unauthorised settlements in the West Bank.Some 30 people were hurt in scuffling at the hilltop site. The operation that began on Saturday put strains on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government after religious coalition partners complained the Army desecrated the Jewish sabbath.The US, which sent Burns to the region earlier this week, is keen to see Israeli forces ease up on Palestinians as it tries to rally Arab support for possible war on Iraq.Ben-Eliezer told Israel radio he wanted ‘‘the whole world to understand we are interested not only in curfews and closures but also in leaving territory that is quiet and under control’’.Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat was noncommittal about the peacemaking ‘‘roadmap’’ that Burns planned to discuss in talks with the Palestinians and Israelis at mid-week meetings. (Reuters)
