Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said last night, \"Arafat has ended his historic role... He is not able to reach an agreement with us [and] will have to wait for a more pragmatic generation of Palestinian leaders... We decided on the ceasefire only so that the whole world would know that we have no one to talk to.\" These remarks, taken together with Prime Minister Sharon\'s recent terming of Sharon a \"pathological liar and murderer,\" apparently herald a new government strategy to de-legitimize Arafat. Public Security Minister Uzi Landau said last night that Arafat should be tried as a war criminal.
Aides close to Prime Minister Sharon denied today any basis to the belief that their boss has agreed to a settlement freeze in Yesha. They said, as Arutz-7 has learned, that contrary to some reports after a Tuesday night meeting between Sharon and four Yesha Council leaders, there has been no change in Sharon\'s approach to Yesha.
PA leaders did not express peaceful intentions towards Israel today. PA Cabinet member Hassan Asfour said today that the ceasefire is \"only temporary, and Sharon must understand that his policies towards the Palestinians will lead to an escalation and regional war.\" Nabil Sha\'ath said that the Palestinian Authority, in which he serves as \"Minister of Planning,\" will not be Israel\'s policeman, and will not respond to its demand to arrest Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with the U.S. CIA Director George Tenet today. Also participating were Mossad Chief Ephraim HaLevy, GSS Director Avi Dichter, and US Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk. Sharon will brief the security cabinet - Ministers Peres and Ben-Eliezer - on the meeting later tonight. A meeting is planned between security leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority for tomorrow, with the participation of American representatives.
Aides close to Prime Minister Sharon denied today any basis to the belief that their boss has agreed to a settlement freeze in Yesha. They said, as Arutz-7 has learned, that contrary to some reports after a Tuesday night meeting between Sharon and four Yesha Council leaders, there has been no change in Sharon\'s approach to Yesha.
PA leaders did not express peaceful intentions towards Israel today. PA Cabinet member Hassan Asfour said today that the ceasefire is \"only temporary, and Sharon must understand that his policies towards the Palestinians will lead to an escalation and regional war.\" Nabil Sha\'ath said that the Palestinian Authority, in which he serves as \"Minister of Planning,\" will not be Israel\'s policeman, and will not respond to its demand to arrest Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with the U.S. CIA Director George Tenet today. Also participating were Mossad Chief Ephraim HaLevy, GSS Director Avi Dichter, and US Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk. Sharon will brief the security cabinet - Ministers Peres and Ben-Eliezer - on the meeting later tonight. A meeting is planned between security leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority for tomorrow, with the participation of American representatives.