Prime Minister Ariel Sharon delivered a diplomatic statement in the Knesset this afternoon. He began his speech by mentioning that we stand only two days before the Shavuot holiday, when \"our ancestors would fulfill the Biblical commandment of [bringing the first fruits] to Jerusalem, and would recite, \'I have come to the Land that our G-d has sworn to our ancestors to give us.\'…\" He said that the eternal connection between Israel and its land continues even now: \"Israel and the Land of Israel are one, and they will never be detached.\" He repeated his stand that negotiations can start only after terrorism is completely stopped and after reforms are made in the Palestinian Authority - and added once again that he would then be willing to make \"painful concessions.\" He noted that Iran was attempting to enlist Israeli-Arabs in its war against Israel.
Sharon came under attack from left and from right for his diplomatic strategy. MK Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party) said, \"Even if you truly believe that a PA state is necessary - which I do not - why volunteer it at this stage? You, Mr. Prime Minister, the one who taught us that one should never give bonuses to his negotiating partner - so why do you suddenly, out of the blue and right in the middle of a brutal terrorist campaign by the Palestinians against us, offer them a Palestinian state? Someone might interpret this as a \'prize for terrorism,\' when it\'s clear that you want exactly the opposite.\"
MK Chaim Ramon (Labor) said cynically, \"Mr. Prime Minister, you were misunderstood by your party\'s Central Committee. Actually, you so much wanted to tell them that you agree with them and have absolutely no plans to give the Palestinians a state. But you couldn\'t say it outright; after all, you\'re the Prime Minister and you have international obligations, and so on... In reality, then, those who are worried that you are in favor of a Palestinian state, need not be concerned. But those who realize that in order to reach peace there must be two states here, side by side - they must worry.\"
MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) was sharply critical of Sharon: \"You spoke so nicely about bringing first-fruits to the Temple - but you don\'t even allow Jews the right to pray at the Temple Mount!... You spoke so longingly, like some kind of masochist, about the painful concessions you would like to make - as if the previous concessions, which cost us in blood, weren\'t painful enough...\"
Sharon came under attack from left and from right for his diplomatic strategy. MK Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party) said, \"Even if you truly believe that a PA state is necessary - which I do not - why volunteer it at this stage? You, Mr. Prime Minister, the one who taught us that one should never give bonuses to his negotiating partner - so why do you suddenly, out of the blue and right in the middle of a brutal terrorist campaign by the Palestinians against us, offer them a Palestinian state? Someone might interpret this as a \'prize for terrorism,\' when it\'s clear that you want exactly the opposite.\"
MK Chaim Ramon (Labor) said cynically, \"Mr. Prime Minister, you were misunderstood by your party\'s Central Committee. Actually, you so much wanted to tell them that you agree with them and have absolutely no plans to give the Palestinians a state. But you couldn\'t say it outright; after all, you\'re the Prime Minister and you have international obligations, and so on... In reality, then, those who are worried that you are in favor of a Palestinian state, need not be concerned. But those who realize that in order to reach peace there must be two states here, side by side - they must worry.\"
MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) was sharply critical of Sharon: \"You spoke so nicely about bringing first-fruits to the Temple - but you don\'t even allow Jews the right to pray at the Temple Mount!... You spoke so longingly, like some kind of masochist, about the painful concessions you would like to make - as if the previous concessions, which cost us in blood, weren\'t painful enough...\"