Sharon: Arafat is 'greatest obstacle to peace'

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Sharon: Arafat is 'greatest obstacle to peace'

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is the biggest obstacle to peace and Israel is determined to remove him from the political scene.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is the biggest obstacle to peace and Israel is determined to remove him from the political scene.

"This man is the greatest obstacle to peace. Therefore, Israel decided to bring about his removal from the political arena, "Sharon said in a speech to the winter session of the Israeli parliament which opened Monday.

Arafat has sabotaged all peace efforts and is to blame for the latest upsurging of attacks on Israelis, Sharon asserted. During his speech to the law makers, Sharon reaffirmed that the US-sponsored roadmap peace plan is the only way to achieve peace.

"The plan represents the only hope of achieving a real breakthrough on the way to peace with the Palestinians," Sharon said, adding that "only a complete renouncement of terror can lead to a new age of peace for the peoples of the region."

He also mentioned the non-governmental Geneva Accords signed recently by a group of Israeli left-wing figures and officials with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, saying it is a deviation from the roadmap peace plan.

"It is a shame there are people in Israel who are ready to help them (the terrorists)," said Sharon, adding that the initiators of the accord provided he Palestinians with an excuse to escape its formal understandings with the Israeli government.

"Every Palestinian deviation from the roadmap is a boost for the terrorist organizations," he said, "but it is no wonder that they are trying to evade its implementation. There are those in Israel who are also ready to deviate from this plan through all kinds of other schemes."

Speaking on the security fence, Sharon vowed that Israel would accelerate its construction and promised to complete it within a year.

Questions?Comments? Click here

News analysis: Is Arafat seriously ill or not?

US and Israel's accusation against Arafat untenable

OIC urges Israel to desist decision against Arafat

High-speed rail from Shanghai to Beijing reconsidered ( 3 Messages)

China's central bank governor on exchange rate of RMB ( 3 Messages)

Japan to pay China 300m yen for lethal gas leak incident ( 4 Messages)

Chinese, US presidents to meet in Bangkok ( 21 Messages)

Bush: China's manned space mission is not a threat ( 5 Messages)