Israeli press upbeat on UK talks

Israeli newspapers are optimistic that there will be a positive outcome from the talks in London between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his British counterpart Tony Blair.

All agree that both sides have much to gain from the visit after a series of disagreements between the two governments.

"The visit to London is expected to succeed because both sides need this success," writes the independent daily Ma'ariv.

The liberal Ha'aretz agrees. Mr Blair wants to use the visit to divert attention in Britain from the Iraq war, it says.

He wants to focus on "what he sees as one of his main achievements: persuading US President George Bush to restart the peace process and to pressure Sharon into accepting the road map peace plan".

According to the paper Mr Sharon has a different agenda. He is keen to end his isolation in Europe and will also call for a lifting of Britain's "unofficial embargo" on weapons sold to Israel.

Arafat boycott

Ariel Sharon and Tony Blair will have a lot on their plates when they sit down to dinner on Monday Jerusalem Post

The top circulation Yediot Aharonot believes that Mr Sharon's main aim is to encourage the British government to break off contact with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

It says the Israeli prime minister "intends to raise Arafat's negative influence on the chances of moving peace process ahead".

The paper reports that a member of Mr Sharon's delegation will tell Blair: "Abu Mazin's resignation as Palestinian prime minister will gravely endanger implementation of the road map and liable to restore the previous situation that prevailed in the territories."

The Jerusalem Post predicts that the message of the visit will be that "relatively close and warm relations between Israel and Britain have been restored".

But it also suggests that the going will not be easy.

"Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will have a lot on their plates when they sit down to a private dinner at Blair's official residence on Downing Street on Monday evening."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.