Yasser Arafat addressed the opening of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza yesterday, but barely mentioned the issue around which the entire Israeli-Palestinian relationship has been revolving for the past half-year: the Palestinians\' mini-war against Israel. Arafat said, \"We fully understand [Israel\'s] need for security and stability…\" - but did not call upon his people to stop attacking and terrorizing Israeli citizens. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has repeatedly emphasized that negotiations would not resume while the violence continues.
Despite this, Arafat did not hesitate to call on Israel to resume negotiations - and even said that the Clinton proposals must be the starting point for such talks. Clinton himself, as well as ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Sharon, have all said that those proposals are no longer relevant.
Even Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said today that negotiations could not proceed under the current state of violence. He said, however, that he would suffice with a \"continued decline\" in aggression by terrorist groups - and no violence at all by the PA. Peres said that \"it would have been preferable\" for Arafat to have called for an end to violence. President Moshe Katzav, too, commented on Arafat\'s speech, saying, \"Arafat will have to decide if he is a terrorist or a partner.\"
In an interview with a Saudi Arabian paper yesterday, Arafat confirmed that he would not \"give in\" to Sharon\'s demands to stop the intifada.
Despite this, Arafat did not hesitate to call on Israel to resume negotiations - and even said that the Clinton proposals must be the starting point for such talks. Clinton himself, as well as ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Sharon, have all said that those proposals are no longer relevant.
Even Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said today that negotiations could not proceed under the current state of violence. He said, however, that he would suffice with a \"continued decline\" in aggression by terrorist groups - and no violence at all by the PA. Peres said that \"it would have been preferable\" for Arafat to have called for an end to violence. President Moshe Katzav, too, commented on Arafat\'s speech, saying, \"Arafat will have to decide if he is a terrorist or a partner.\"
In an interview with a Saudi Arabian paper yesterday, Arafat confirmed that he would not \"give in\" to Sharon\'s demands to stop the intifada.