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Peace Process

Sharon: Onus still on the ?Palestinians?


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
November 12, 2004

From the United States to Europe to the halls of the UN, the world is hailing the death of Yasser Arafat as a historic opportunity to renew peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs.

Central to that theme has been the notion that Jerusalem should respond to Arafat’s demise by making “goodwill gestures” toward the new “Palestinian” leadership.

But Prime Minister Ariel Sharon firmly stated Thursday that despite the loss of their leader, the onus remained on the “Palestinians” to cease the terrorist murder of Israel’s Jews as the first step toward lasting peace.

Sharon said Israel would not make concessions until the PA proved it was stable, in control and willing to combat anti-Jewish Islamic terror.

Chance for peace?

The death of Yasser Arafat presents new opportunities to revitalize the stalled Middle East peace process, a senior British official said Prime Minister Tony Blair would tell US President George W. Bush when the two met Thursday night.

Speaking to the Jerusalem Post , the official said he believed “Bush would be listening.”

London’s assessment was echoed in other European capitals, on the editorial pages of newspapers worldwide, as well as in the halls of the United Nations.

‘Goodwill gestures’

Central to the international community’s efforts to utilize Arafat’s death is the offering of “goodwill gestures” by Israel to the new “Palestinian” leadership.

American officials recently conveyed that the Sharon government should take steps - including a release of jailed Palestinian Arab terrorists – to help strengthen what they called the “moderate” PA administration, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Washington also expects Israel to fully implement its planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, despite the political changes in the region, senior Bush administration officials indicated.

Ball in the PA’s court

But Sharon, just hours before the PA officially pronounced Arafat dead, rejected the idea of premature concessions.

Israel should wait until the new “Palestinian” leadership had proven its ability to maintain control and its willingness to fight terror before offering it gifts, Sharon told his cabinet.

If the PA succeeded in these areas, then Israel would be willing to restart meaningful bilateral negotiations, Ha’aretz quoted the prime minister as saying.

During a speech to an economic conference in Tel Aviv Thursday night, Sharon reminded the world that the first step toward peace remained the cessation of “Palestinian” terror.

“As long as [the Palestinian Arabs] continue not taking real steps towards clamping down on terrorist organizations, there would be no change in Israel’s policy,” he said.

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