TEL AVIV, April 5: Israel will dump the internationally drafted “roadmap” for Middle East peace if its amendments are rejected, a key aide of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Saturday, on the eve of a trip to Washington aimed at discussing the changes.

“We will submit 15 remarks on the roadmap to the United States and if we find that a refusal of our proposed changes could jeopardize Israel’s security, we will not accept it (the roadmap),” Dov Weisglass told public radio.

The “remarks” mainly concerned “the dismantlement and disarmament of terrorist organizations, the creation of new Palestinian security services which are not implicated in terrorism but, on the contrary, combat it under the supervision of the interior ministry and a Palestinian prime minister”, Mr Weisglass said.

“On these issues we will not make any concessions and, if we have to, we will leave the negotiating table and come home,” he added.

Mr Weisglas is due to travel to Washington next week to put the points to the Americans, the radio announced, once Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom have approved the final draft on Sunday.

The “roadmap” will be published after the formation of a new Palestinian government under Mahmud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, Weisglass said.

Deputy leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Abu Mazen was deisgnated as the first Palestinian prime minister by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on March 19.

“When he takes power, Abu Mazen must clearly show that he is making constant efforts in the war against terrorism,” Weisglass insisted.

“We must give him time, and we know that he is opposed to having recourse to terrorism to achieve political ends.”

Weisglass also confirmed reports that the United States had suggested Israel take “humanitarian” measures in regard to the Palestinians, in order to give Abu Mazen its backing.

“It is a realistic demand, but we must take account of our security requirements,” he added, rejecting such calls.

“We will negotiate with Abu Mazen when he announces his government and, if he is moving in the right direction, Israel will reply immediately by moving in the same direction, so that his success will also be ours.”

On the question of an end to Jewish settlement activity in the occupied territories as demanded by the United States, Weisglass said he was “convinced an agreement can be found” with Washington, but said the whole question of the settlements “will come under discussion in the final phase once the Palestinians have fulfilled their promises on the dismantling of terrorist organisations”.

US President George Bush has repeatedly promised that he will shortly publish the so-called “roadmap” for peace drawn up by the US, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, which includes plans for the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.

Sharon has approved the initiative but insists he is not prepared to accept it in its present form.

Weisglass also threatened to exclude Britain from the negotiations with the Palestinians after London drew a parallel between the conflict in Palestine and the war in Iraq.—AFP