The Jordan Times reports this week that Palestinian officials say their "worst fears had come true" with the landslide Sharon victory. Palestinian leaders say publicly that talks are possible with Sharon, "but privately they say that they are at a loss over how to deal with Sharon," the Times reports.
"I think the Palestinians are only now waking up to this nightmare. How can Arafat congratulate such a racist Palestinian-hater?" said one senior official, who asked not to be named. The Times quotes analyst Ghassan Al Khatib as saying that with Sharon in power, Judea and Samaria Arabs might step up their violence. "This will lead to crisis at all levels. It will shorten the life of Sharon's leadership and bring new general elections sooner in Israel," Khatib told Reuters.
The Times notes that the PLO wants diplomatic talks between itself and Israel to "resume from the point they ended under Barak." In the view of the paper, "this seems unlikely under Sharon. He proposes handing the Palestinians much less than Barak offered and is not ready to share sovereignty of Arab Jerusalem, one of the main stumbling blocks at peace talks. He also opposes the right of return of refugees, another key Palestinian demand."
"I think the Palestinians are only now waking up to this nightmare. How can Arafat congratulate such a racist Palestinian-hater?" said one senior official, who asked not to be named. The Times quotes analyst Ghassan Al Khatib as saying that with Sharon in power, Judea and Samaria Arabs might step up their violence. "This will lead to crisis at all levels. It will shorten the life of Sharon's leadership and bring new general elections sooner in Israel," Khatib told Reuters.
The Times notes that the PLO wants diplomatic talks between itself and Israel to "resume from the point they ended under Barak." In the view of the paper, "this seems unlikely under Sharon. He proposes handing the Palestinians much less than Barak offered and is not ready to share sovereignty of Arab Jerusalem, one of the main stumbling blocks at peace talks. He also opposes the right of return of refugees, another key Palestinian demand."