Housing Minister Natan Sharansky also took a moderate line regarding Prime Minister Sharon\'s talks with the PA leaders. Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Sharansky said,
\"It is important to transmit this clear message that as long as they perpetrate terrorism, don\'t dismantle their terror organizations, and continue incitement, they have no chance of getting anything from us - and this is what Sharon told them, more or less. I am concerned, however, with statements to the effect that there may be PA leaders who are more \'realistic,\' more \'appropriate for us to negotiate with,\' etc. Because we must not forget that this is a terrorist organization in every sense - the only terrorist entity that has its own educational facilities, media, economic, military, etc. - and there is no difference between Abu Ala, Abu Mazen, or Arafat...
\"What also concerns me greatly is that the government is giving Peres too much rope. The danger to our public information campaign suffers great damage when Peres goes around the world talking about a Palestinian state, etc. I was just in the U.S. for two days, and the contrast is particularly striking now after Bush\'s announcement that he\'ll wage war on every nation that comes close to terrorism, while Peres says that a Palestinian state would be OK...\"
Sharansky acknowledged that he does not understand why the Prime Minister saw fit to talk now about \'painful concessions\' that he would be willing to make in the event that diplomatic negotiations get off the ground: \"This is not the time to talk about concessions or anything having to do with diplomatic talks; this is the time to fight terrorism... I would like to see a firmer war against terrorism on our part...
\"I asked Sharon why he gives Peres so much diplomatic rope, and he answered that everyone knows that he [Sharon] is the one who will decide, etc. I said, though, that this is causing damage on the informational front. He said he knows this, but this is the price that he is willing to pay for the national unity government, as long as it stays in the realm of words and not actions. I would not say that there is no room for concern, but there is certainly a difference between Peres and Sharon...\"
\"It is important to transmit this clear message that as long as they perpetrate terrorism, don\'t dismantle their terror organizations, and continue incitement, they have no chance of getting anything from us - and this is what Sharon told them, more or less. I am concerned, however, with statements to the effect that there may be PA leaders who are more \'realistic,\' more \'appropriate for us to negotiate with,\' etc. Because we must not forget that this is a terrorist organization in every sense - the only terrorist entity that has its own educational facilities, media, economic, military, etc. - and there is no difference between Abu Ala, Abu Mazen, or Arafat...
\"What also concerns me greatly is that the government is giving Peres too much rope. The danger to our public information campaign suffers great damage when Peres goes around the world talking about a Palestinian state, etc. I was just in the U.S. for two days, and the contrast is particularly striking now after Bush\'s announcement that he\'ll wage war on every nation that comes close to terrorism, while Peres says that a Palestinian state would be OK...\"
Sharansky acknowledged that he does not understand why the Prime Minister saw fit to talk now about \'painful concessions\' that he would be willing to make in the event that diplomatic negotiations get off the ground: \"This is not the time to talk about concessions or anything having to do with diplomatic talks; this is the time to fight terrorism... I would like to see a firmer war against terrorism on our part...
\"I asked Sharon why he gives Peres so much diplomatic rope, and he answered that everyone knows that he [Sharon] is the one who will decide, etc. I said, though, that this is causing damage on the informational front. He said he knows this, but this is the price that he is willing to pay for the national unity government, as long as it stays in the realm of words and not actions. I would not say that there is no room for concern, but there is certainly a difference between Peres and Sharon...\"