Ads push new Mid-East plan

Sharon and his ministers attacked the plan

Creators of an alternative Middle East peace initiative have begun a publicity campaign in Israel to win support for their plan known as the Geneva Accord.

Advertisements in several Israeli newspapers said the full text would be sent to every household next week.

"Read it and judge for yourself," the campaign urges Israelis.

The Israeli Government has dismissed the plan, drawn up by opposition Israeli politicians and senior Palestinian officials, as unhelpful.

'Illusion'

The Geneva Accord was negotiated after two years of secret talks between prominent Palestinians and Israelis, and backed by human rights activists, intellectuals and Swiss diplomats.

The negotiators believe their plan can end the violence

Among its proposals, the plan calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in most of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem as both a Palestinian and Israeli capital.

Another reported key element of the plan, whose details have yet to be published in full, is that Palestinians would not demand the right of return for refugees.

It immediately provoked the anger of Israeli ministers when it was made public last month. The prime minister, Ariel Sharon, dismissed the project as an "illusion".

"There is a roadmap and it is not helpful to make people think there might be something else," Mr Sharon said.

Copy for all

But the plan's creators, who always expected opposition, decided to make a direct appeal to the Israeli public to try to build up support before the accord is officially signed at a ceremony in Switzerland on 1 December.

Full-page paid advertisements, printed in the blue and white colours of the Israeli flag, appeared in prominent daily newspapers, Yediot Aharonot, Maariv and Haaretz, on Thursday, telling readers they would all get a copy of the plan in the post next week.

"Don't trust others, read it and judge it for yourself," the advertisements say.

Arabic and Russian versions of the document will also be available in coming weeks.

However, the Israeli broadcasting authorities have banned the campaign's radio advertisements, apparently because they are considered political advertising and so not allowed.