Palestinians on Wednesday blasted Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for branding Palestinian President a "murderer and liar," saying such remarks were "obscene" and would poison peace efforts.
In an interview with Russia's NTV Tuesday, Sharon said that "One must understand we speak about a murderer. He is a murderer, a pathological liar," Haaretz newspaper quoted him as saying.
They were Sharon's harshest public comments about Arafat since he became Israeli prime minister in March, although he has repeatedly accused forces under Arafat's control of being behind anti-Israeli attacks.
"It cannot be that he will go all around the world with a red carpet...he is not a head of state," said Sharon.
"There were some people who expected that he would behave like a head of state, but he behaves as the head of terrorists and murderers."
Sharon's remarks followed the killing of 20 Israelis by a suicide bomber at Tel Aviv night club on Friday, the worst attack in years, which led Arafat to call for a ceasefire amid fears of severe reprisals.
The secretary of the Palestinian cabinet, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, criticized Sharon in response.
"The obscene expressions mouthed by Sharon against President Arafat only reflect his intention to continue this war and this escalation against the Palestinian people," Abdel Rahman told AFP.
"If Israel wants peace it should silence this raven that caws day and night against the leader of the Palestinian people," he said.
"These allegations are poisoning the air, they block the road and sabotage the international efforts to resume the peace process."
Sharon came also under criticism from Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, said Haaretz.
"If we declare Arafat a terrorist, then we won't be able to talk to him," Peres told Israel Radio, cited by Haaretz.
"It's impossible to ignore the change that has taken place recently in the territories," Peres continued. "We should act with moderation to give Arafat a chance to put the ceasefire into effect," he added.
In an earlier interview with the Israeli paper Haaretz, Sharon, who joined the underground Jewish military at the age of 14, characterized as "disgusting" Arafat's alleged role in encouraging Palestinian youth to fight Israel's occupation army - Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
