President Moshe Katzav made the following remarks at the joint press conference he held at his Jerusalem Residence with visiting Dominican Republic President Hipolito Mejia:

"If Arafat works towards a ceasefire and dismantles the terrorist organizations' infrastructures, he could win worldwide praise and international recognition; it could enable the resumption of the diplomatic process... Arafat doesn't need permission, neither from Israel nor from the world, to work towards a halt in blowing up buses and cafes. The continuation of terror is liable to destroy the Road Map plan. If Arafat is interested in implementing the Road Map, he must first disarm the terrorist

organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He must show responsibility."