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real enemy of the Palestinian people is not the Israelis but Hamas, Islamic
Jihad, the Al Aqsa Brigade and Yasser Arafat.
The first stage
of the peace
plan calls on the Palestinians to "undertake visible efforts
on the ground to arrest, disrupt, and restrain individuals and groups
conducting and planning violent attacks on Israelis anywhere."
But U.S. Secretary
of State Colin Powell said in remarks published that the U.S. would
"not be satisfied" until the terrorist organizations were
dismantled for good.
"We must ensure
that the Palestinians understand that we will not be satisfied until
terror has been eliminated, not just momentarily, not only for a hudna,
but permanently,"
Powell told the Ma'ariv newspaper.
Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon said that
"Israel's
biggest mistake in the past had been its restraint in responding to
violations of previous agreements with the Palestinians. "
"Past experience
teaches us that once a diplomatic agreement has been reached, the greatest
mistake is to ignore seemingly minor violations in its implementation,"he
said at a graduation ceremony at the National Security College, near
Tel Aviv.
As examples, he cited
Europe's willingness to overlook Nazi Germany's violations of agreements
prior to World War II, as well as Israel's own experiences.
"For the past
three years, we have paid a heavy price for Israel's restraint over
the daily violations of the Oslo accords," he said.
"We paid for
the fact that terrorist organizations were not disarmed, that illegal
weapons were not collected, that the intolerable incitement against
Israel in the educational system and the media never stopped."
Sharon said that implementation
of the first phase of the U.S.-backed road map to Middle East peace, including
a
"total cessation
of violence," is beginning, but warned that Israel "will insist
on the fulfillment of every obligation included in the road map. We
will do this because only insisting that agreements be honored will
bring the longed-for peace."
He said the subsequent
phases could not start until all the elements of previous stages are implemented,
rejecting a Palestinian demand for a time line for carrying out the plan.
Ariel Sharon speaking during a visit to the National Defense College near
Tel Aviv on Thursday. (AP)
The first stage
the U.S. would "not be satisfied" until the terrorist organizations
were dismantled for good that we will not be satisfied until terror
has been eliminated, not just momentarily, not only for a hudna, but
permanently that Israel's biggest mistake greatest mistake is to ignore
seemingly minor violations Europe's willingness to overlook Nazi Germany's
violations of agreements prior to World War II, as well as Israel's
own experiences. the Oslo accords Israel "will insist on the fulfillment
of every obligation included in the road map" the subsequent phases
could not start until all the elements of previous stages are implemented.
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