Yasser Arafat\'s failure to call for an end to Palestinian violence last night, during his speech at the opening session of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was not a fluke; he told a Saudi Arabian newspaper outright that he would not \"give in\" to Sharon\'s demands to stop the intifada.
During Arafat\'s address to the PLO Council in Gaza yesterday, he 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.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Arafat\'s clear remarks to the Arab media, to the effect that the intifada will continue, prove that Arafat will not be able to achieve peace. \"Arafat has total control over his security agencies, and most of the terrorism is carried out by Arafat\'s men, including his personal Force 17 guard,\" said Sharon today.
Even Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said today that negotiations cannot proceed under the current state of violence. Peres said, however, that he would suffice with a \"continued decline\" in aggression by terrorist groups - and no violence at all by the PA. The Foreign Minister, who many suspect is waiting for an opportunity to resume talks with Arafat behind Sharon\'s back, said that \"it would have been preferable\" for Arafat to have called for an end to violence. President Moshe Katzav, too, was disappointed with Arafat\'s speech, saying, \"Arafat will have to decide if he is a terrorist or a partner.\"
Palestinian-affairs correspondent Roni Shaked of Israel\'s largest daily, Yediot Acharonot, told Arutz-7 today:
\"Arafat has not changed. His language yesterday was softer, his speech was filled with words of peace - but there was absolutely no change in his positions. He still has the same demands: the Camp David and Taba concessions, etc. This was a speech directed to the U.S., as if laying the blame on them, and to Israel, signaling that he would like to resume talks - but only if based on Clinton\'s proposals. He did not say a word about stopping the intifada. Why should he? From his point of view, he thinks it\'s not terrorism, but a war of independence, etc. and he hasn\'t yet gained one substantial thing from it. The truth is, he has made some small gains from it: He sees how Holon called off its Purim celebrations in a concession to terrorism - and I hope that you will give Holon\'s mayor a black mark for this... Arafat has not lost control, as some people think, and we should stop saying so; he is still Arafat, a very important symbol, very popular, etc. It will be more difficult for him to control the violence, and he may not be able to control every individual attack, but he still has overall control...\"
MK Gideon Ezra (Likud), formerly the Deputy Chief of the General Security Service, agreed: \"Arafat can end the violence, but he doesn\'t want to.\"
During Arafat\'s address to the PLO Council in Gaza yesterday, he 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.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Arafat\'s clear remarks to the Arab media, to the effect that the intifada will continue, prove that Arafat will not be able to achieve peace. \"Arafat has total control over his security agencies, and most of the terrorism is carried out by Arafat\'s men, including his personal Force 17 guard,\" said Sharon today.
Even Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said today that negotiations cannot proceed under the current state of violence. Peres said, however, that he would suffice with a \"continued decline\" in aggression by terrorist groups - and no violence at all by the PA. The Foreign Minister, who many suspect is waiting for an opportunity to resume talks with Arafat behind Sharon\'s back, said that \"it would have been preferable\" for Arafat to have called for an end to violence. President Moshe Katzav, too, was disappointed with Arafat\'s speech, saying, \"Arafat will have to decide if he is a terrorist or a partner.\"
Palestinian-affairs correspondent Roni Shaked of Israel\'s largest daily, Yediot Acharonot, told Arutz-7 today:
\"Arafat has not changed. His language yesterday was softer, his speech was filled with words of peace - but there was absolutely no change in his positions. He still has the same demands: the Camp David and Taba concessions, etc. This was a speech directed to the U.S., as if laying the blame on them, and to Israel, signaling that he would like to resume talks - but only if based on Clinton\'s proposals. He did not say a word about stopping the intifada. Why should he? From his point of view, he thinks it\'s not terrorism, but a war of independence, etc. and he hasn\'t yet gained one substantial thing from it. The truth is, he has made some small gains from it: He sees how Holon called off its Purim celebrations in a concession to terrorism - and I hope that you will give Holon\'s mayor a black mark for this... Arafat has not lost control, as some people think, and we should stop saying so; he is still Arafat, a very important symbol, very popular, etc. It will be more difficult for him to control the violence, and he may not be able to control every individual attack, but he still has overall control...\"
MK Gideon Ezra (Likud), formerly the Deputy Chief of the General Security Service, agreed: \"Arafat can end the violence, but he doesn\'t want to.\"