Sharon Reasserts Conditions for Diplomacy With PalestiniansIsraeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reasserted on Monday that the Jewish state will not take part in any diplomatic process with the Palestinians unless its three conditions are met.Israel demands that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) ensure "the complete cessation of terrorism", disband "terrorist" organizations and extradite the assassins of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. Sharon said in a statement that Israel "has no intention of taking part in any process until these three conditions are met." The prime minister refused to say when the army troops will withdraw from the Palestinian-controlled West Bank towns, but said that if the PNA does not arrest those involved in terrorist attacks against Israel, Israel will do it in the PNA's stead. He also told a meeting of his right-wing Likud on Monday that the Israeli troops had made some progress in the arrests. Israel sent its troops into six Palestinian towns after Ze'evi's killing on Wednesday by extremist Palestinians. Nearly 30 Palestinians have been killed ever since and a number of Palestinian installations destroyed. The Palestinians are calling for international intervention in the Israeli invasions and, particularly, urging the United States to pressure Israel to pull out of its forces. |
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