THE MIDDLE EAST: Showing contempt for efforts by the EU, Russia and the UN to broker progress towards Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, made plain yesterday that he regards the US alone as a trustworthy interlocutor.
The US has been working with the EU, Russia and the UN in a so-called peacemaking "quartet" to finalise a "roadmap" designed to end the 27-month intifada conflict and clear a path to independent Palestinian statehood.
However a Washington Post interview at the weekend quoted Mr Sharon as saying: "Oh, the quartet is nothing! Don't take it seriously! I don't think the United States takes it seriously."
And although the Prime Minister's aides claimed yesterday that these comments had been "taken out of context", a formal clarification issued by Mr Sharon's office actually emphasised his mistrust of the other would-be players.
"Within the forum known as the quartet," the statement read, "the state of Israel's view is that the US and Israeli vision are the only actual understandings which are likely to result in peace in the Middle East."
The comments by Mr Sharon, who is set to win re-election in general elections to be held on January 28th, make clear his misgivings at any non-US role in peacemaking - misgivings which were evidenced only last week in a spat with the British government.
Deriding Mr Tony Blair's efforts to foster reform in Mr Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority (PA) , and arguing that there could be no such reform so long as Mr Arafat held power, Mr Sharon defied British criticism and mild US pressure by banning PA delegates from attending Mr Blair's reform-related conference in London.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank yesterday mourners staged a chaotic, all-day funeral procession for Nathanel Ozeri (34), who was shot dead by Hamas gunmen at the door of his home at an illegal West Bank settlement outpost on Friday. His four-year-old daughter was wounded in the attack.
Some mourners in Hebron, where the procession began, smashed windows in Palestinian homes and set fire to cars.
Relatives and friends then argued over where to bury Mr Ozeri, a far-right activist. At one point, the body was snatched by a group of mourners who sought to bury him near the scene of the murder.
Toward evening, the mourners headed toward Jerusalem, both to protest at his killing and to lay him to rest in the city.