Sharon Vows to Keep "Restraint" Despite Criticism

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed on Sunday that his government would keep the self- declared policy of "restraint" regarding clashes with the Palestinians.

Addressing a meeting of his Likud Party Central Committee in Tel Aviv, Sharon said that Israel would refrain from launching massive attacks against the Palestinians.

He was interrupted repeatedly by yelling and shouting from Likud members, who urged his government to take more vigorous measures against the Palestinians and "restore Israel's security."

Sharon stressed that his government has two options to deal with the violence, which has been rocking the region since last September and left more than 600 people dead, most of them Palestinians.

One of the options is to undertake a massive attack against the Palestinian National Authority, led by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, he said.

But obviously Sharon did not think that it is the "right path."

He said that "the second option is to act differently," namely fast reactions to "Palestinian attacks," active defense measures, including target killing and kidnapping of Palestinian activists, and urging Arafat to stop violence.

But observers said that the second option has few differences with the current strategy adopted by the Sharon government.

Sharon said that in his recent discussions with world leaders, he has made it clear that "in return for a genuine peace, we will be prepared to make extensive concessions, but we will never be prepared to relinquish anything with regard to the security of Israel and the security of its citizens."

Sharon's speech, televised by Israeli Channel One television, was repeatedly interrupted by Likud extremists, who urged Sharon to oust Arafat.

"Yelling and shouting would never hurt anyone, not terrorism and certainly not me ... You are shouting and I have to deal with terrorism," Sharon said, retorting the right-wing members.

Before Sharon's speech, the atmosphere at the Likud Central Committee meeting was already tense as former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched attacks against Sharon in a speech.

Netanyahu was defeated by former Labor Prime Minister Ehud Barak in the 1999 elections, after which Netanyahu left politics. Sharon succeeded Netanyahu as Likud leader and won the prime ministerial election over Barak last February. Shortly before the election, Netanyahu announced his return to politics but decided not to take part in the election.

It was the first time Sharon and Netanyahu appeared at the same stage since the February election.

In his speech, Netanyahu reminded his party colleagues that he was sceptical of the Oslo peace process with the Palestinians from the very beginning.

He claimed that he issued warnings at that time that "the Oslo Accord will create an infrastructure for terror. It will allow the Palestinians to bring mortars, anti-aircraft missiles ..."

Netanyahu severely criticized Sharon's policy of restraint, saying that "the restraint only encouraged terror and brought about more demands from the international community."

He also hinted that the national unity government, led by Sharon, is actually led by his coalition ally Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, interim leader of the left-wing Labor Party. However, he said that he supports the national unity government, "but a government with a Likud policy."

Netanyahu also expressed pessimism over a diplomatic end to the violence. "Is it possible to reduce the terror? Yes, it is possible. Is it possible to end the conflict? To my regret, apparently not," he asserted.

Although Netanyahu opened his remarks by saying that his criticism was nothing personal against Sharon, a scuffle still broke out between supporters of Sharon and Netanyahu in the Central Committee.

Netanyahu hopes that Sunday's Likud meeting would give him political strength and momentum that will greatly hasten his return to the Likud leadership and the prime minister's office.






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