Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday told a Likud Party convention in in Tel Aviv that his plan to disengage from the Palestinians was the best plan for Israel from a security standpoint and that he would get it approved.
"My disengagement plan is the best security plan," he told the crowd. "It is my plan and I will get it passed!"
Earlier in the speech, which was broadcast live by Israeli TV channels, Sharon said, "If it turns out that there is no partner on the Palestinian side, we will cut ourselves off from them both politically and physically."
"We endeavor to implement the road map, along with Israel's 14 objections" to the peace plan, the Israeli leader also said.
Sharon stated that if the Palestinians dismantle the "terror infrastructure," Israel "is ready to give, and to give a lot." "The test will be in deeds, not words," Sharon said in regard to the Palestinians.
"No prize will be given to terror," the israeli prime minister declared.
Sharon added that all of his diplomatic actions were being done in coordination with the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush.
Sharon was booed by members of his party when he said Israel would withdraw from some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
For his part, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei said Monday he has ceased trying to schedule a summit with Sharon aimed at restarting peace talks.
Qurei's move came after a week in which Israeli soldiers have killed eight Palestinians, five in the West Bank city of Nablus and three of them teenagers. One victim died of wounds received during a funeral for three compatriots.
The latest death came a few hours before Sharon's speech, when Israeli troops shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian in Nablus. The family of Taj Saif, 17, said he was a junk collector shot while returning from a junk-collecting trip.
"I am sorry to say destruction continues, aggression continues, bombardment continues and I don't think that in this situation that any (summit) meeting will have significant results," Qurei told reporters, according to The AP.
"We are not looking for a meeting that is a photo opportunity. We are looking for a meeting that will open a political horizon for our people in order to achieve a just solution for our people's problems," he said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
