Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Saturday night that the PLO was busy training suicide bombers and preparing car bombings as part of an \"infrastructure for war\". He told an audience in Holon, \"From the standpoint of the Arabs, they are engaged in war with us, even though it is difficult for us to consider this a full scale war. If they had tanks and warplanes, they would undoubtedly use them against us.\"
Nevertheless, Ben-Eliezer said that if the PA start arresting wanted terrorists and thwarting attacks by Arabs against Jews, then Israel will \"start implementing the Mitchell plan\", referring to the resumption of Israeli concessions in exchange for cessation of attacks, based on an outline put together by an international commission lead by former US senator George Mitchell.
Ben-Eliezer said over the weekend that a Palestinian state would be established one day, adding that the timetable was totally dependent on the PLO. He supports the meetings that Peres has been holding with Abu Ala, reasoning that diplomatic talks should not be neglected even during times of violence.
PLO leader Yasser Arafat telephoned Ben-Eliezer on Thursday night to congratulate him on winning this week\'s Labor party election. The Defense Minister told Arafat that he must do more to reign in terror groups.
Nevertheless, Ben-Eliezer said that if the PA start arresting wanted terrorists and thwarting attacks by Arabs against Jews, then Israel will \"start implementing the Mitchell plan\", referring to the resumption of Israeli concessions in exchange for cessation of attacks, based on an outline put together by an international commission lead by former US senator George Mitchell.
Ben-Eliezer said over the weekend that a Palestinian state would be established one day, adding that the timetable was totally dependent on the PLO. He supports the meetings that Peres has been holding with Abu Ala, reasoning that diplomatic talks should not be neglected even during times of violence.
PLO leader Yasser Arafat telephoned Ben-Eliezer on Thursday night to congratulate him on winning this week\'s Labor party election. The Defense Minister told Arafat that he must do more to reign in terror groups.