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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, July 12, 2003

Contacts with Arafat Undermine Abbas: Sharon

Contacts with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat were undermining Palestinian premier Mahmoud Abbas,Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted by the Ha'aretz news service as saying on Saturday.


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Contacts with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat were undermining Palestinian premier Mahmoud Abbas,Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted by the Ha'aretz news service as saying on Saturday.

Arafat, Chairman of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), "got all those telephone calls from leaders, mostly from Europe, andhe receives messages, ministers of foreign affairs and others," Sharon said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

"Every act of this nature only postpones the progress in the process," Sharon said.

The prime minister also acknowledged that Arafat, who controls the larger part of Palestinian armed forces and part of the money, is strong enough to obstruct the peace process.

In another interview with an Italian newspaper Friday, Sharon urged the European Union to give Abbas support, saying Europe should understand that "just by refusing funds for Arafat and supporting Abbas, results can be obtained."

He also said more Palestinian prisoners would be freed, but "notthe assassins, not those who have blood on their hands," and he wants to help Abbas because he is a man who believes that the only way to arrive at peace is not via violence, not terrorism. It's through negotiation."

Sharon is expected to meet with Abbas next week, after he returns from a three-day visit to Britain.

Both Sharon and Abbas were invited to visit Washington this month to discuss the implementation of the US-brokered roadmap peace plan which envisages an independent Palestinian state by 2005.


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