Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told a special session of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) on Monday that was willing to meet "moderate" Arab leaders at a summit to hold peace talks "without any preconditions," and that once the Israeli operation in the Palestinian territories ended, the army would withdraw to "specified" buffer zones.
"I am ready to go at any time and to any place to negotiate peace without any conditions," the prime minister said.
Referring to the Saudi initiative, Sharon said it had a "positive element," but that it would remain "empty of content" without dialogue between the sides. "No one side can impose terms on the other," he said.
But Sharon, who said he would discuss his plan with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who arrives Monday in the region, made it clear Israel could not agree to the return of Palestinian refugees to its territory.
Brandishing documents that he said linked Yasser Arafat to “terrorist” acts, Sharon began his address saying that the Palestinian leader had created a "regime of terror" that systematically “trained and dispatched terrorists to kill Israelis.”
Sharon said that the Israeli invasion of the West Bank was always intended to be "temporary," but that the operation would continue until the "terror infrastructure" in the territories had been dismantled.
"We have no intention of permanently conquering the Palestinian cities. After the operation has been completed, the Israeli army will withdraw to specified buffer zones."
In a speech interrupted by stormy interjections from both left and right, the prime minister said Arafat was behind "gangs of murderers" that sought to drive Israelis from their homes, and that he was the dispatcher of the attacks that had rocked Israel for months.
Departing from Knesset practice in presenting documents before the parliament, Sharon said that, "What began as a fear and grew stonger into a suspicion, has turned into a solid fact that no one can deny: Arafat has established in the area under his rule a regime of terror, which in a governmental and organized manner trains terrorists... funds, equips and arms them, sends them into operations of killing across Israel."
"The gangs of murderers have a leader... and the aim is to force us out of here," Sharon said. "The one who sends them is the head of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat."
Addressing the Palestinian people, Sharon said: "We have no war against you and we do not want to control you. We want to live with you, side by side, with dignity and honor. (But) you must take your fate in your hands... You must reject the forces that have brought upon you catastrophe."
Sharon also announced Monday his intention to add three new cabinet ministers, hardliners Effi Eitam and Yitzhak Levi of the National Religious Party and right-centrist David Levy, a move which has sparked debate within Labor over remaining in the coalition.
Referring to Sharon, Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said that "the man's endgame all along was to dismantle the Palestinian Authority," and that Israel would not find Palestinians to go along with such a plan.
Erekat said Sharon was defying the United States by refusing to stop the offensive immediately. However, U.S. officials have suggested Israel still has a little time before beginning the withdrawal. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
