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Sharon No Longer Bound by Pledge Not to Harm Arafat
Fri Apr 23, 2004 04:39 PM ET
By Corinne Heller
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Friday he no longer felt bound by a pledge he had given to President Bush not to harm Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
But the United States told its close ally in blunt terms it must abide by the promise it made three years ago.
"We have made it entirely clear to the Israeli government that we would oppose any such action and have done so again in the wake of these remarks," a senior Bush administration official said in Washington.
"We consider a pledge a pledge."
With Sharon struggling to halt an erosion in support for his Gaza withdrawal plan, such a thinly veiled threat against Arafat could go down well among members of his right-wing Likud Party. The party will vote on the initiative May 2 and media polls suggest the result will be close.
"I said (to Bush) in our first meeting about three years ago that I accepted his request not to harm Arafat physically," Sharon told Israel's Channel 2. "But I am released from this commitment. I release myself from this commitment regarding Arafat."
Sharon gave no indication any move against Arafat was imminent.
Sharon said he informed Bush of his decision about Arafat during a meeting at the White House last week, where he received U.S. approval for his plan to unilaterally evacuate all settlements from the Gaza Strip and some in the West Bank.
Ahmed Tibi, an Israeli-Arab member of Israel's parliament said Arafat told him by telephone: "I am a believer. I am not afraid of Sharon's threats. He has a history of attempting to target me."
Tibi said Arafat told him the feeling in the Palestinian Authority was that Sharon's comments "should be taken seriously."
Israel has already assassinated leaders of Palestinian militant groups, most recently Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Sharon has said all militant leaders involved in planning attacks on Israelis are marked for death.
Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rdainah said Sharon's statement was an "escalation" that would "lead to increased tensions."
"We reject Sharon's statement and demand clarification from Mr. Bush on such a statement and hold Sharon responsible for such a dangerous statement," he said.
Israel accuses Arafat of fomenting violence, an accusation he denies. Hundreds of Israelis have been killed in attacks planned and carried out by militant groups, including the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Arafat's Fatah faction.
REJECTION OF GAZA PLAN IS 'VICTORY FOR ARAFAT'
Mindful of opposition within Likud's pro-settler ranks, Sharon has signaled he will likely press ahead with his Gaza disengagement proposal even if his party votes it down.
"I'm not even trying to think for a moment what will happen if this plan does not pass," Sharon said. "First, I would see that as a huge victory for Arafat and Hamas. Second, it would darken our relationship with the United States."
In the West Bank, troops shot and killed five Palestinians, bringing to 27 the number killed since Israel assassinated Rantissi in a helicopter attack last week in Gaza.
Sharon's disengagement plan also calls for retaining some large settlement blocs in the West Bank, built on land Palestinians want as part of a future state and bans Palestinian refugees from returning to homes in what is now Israel.
Bush's break with decades of U.S. policy enraged Palestinians, who see it as a ruse to hold on to large tracts of land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Arafat has said it would turn Gaza into a prison. (Additional reporting by Wafa Amr in Ramallah)
Original Story
Fri Apr 23, 2004 04:39 PM ET
By Corinne Heller
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Friday he no longer felt bound by a pledge he had given to President Bush not to harm Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
But the United States told its close ally in blunt terms it must abide by the promise it made three years ago.
"We have made it entirely clear to the Israeli government that we would oppose any such action and have done so again in the wake of these remarks," a senior Bush administration official said in Washington.
"We consider a pledge a pledge."
With Sharon struggling to halt an erosion in support for his Gaza withdrawal plan, such a thinly veiled threat against Arafat could go down well among members of his right-wing Likud Party. The party will vote on the initiative May 2 and media polls suggest the result will be close.
"I said (to Bush) in our first meeting about three years ago that I accepted his request not to harm Arafat physically," Sharon told Israel's Channel 2. "But I am released from this commitment. I release myself from this commitment regarding Arafat."
Sharon gave no indication any move against Arafat was imminent.
Sharon said he informed Bush of his decision about Arafat during a meeting at the White House last week, where he received U.S. approval for his plan to unilaterally evacuate all settlements from the Gaza Strip and some in the West Bank.
Ahmed Tibi, an Israeli-Arab member of Israel's parliament said Arafat told him by telephone: "I am a believer. I am not afraid of Sharon's threats. He has a history of attempting to target me."
Tibi said Arafat told him the feeling in the Palestinian Authority was that Sharon's comments "should be taken seriously."
Israel has already assassinated leaders of Palestinian militant groups, most recently Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Sharon has said all militant leaders involved in planning attacks on Israelis are marked for death.
Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rdainah said Sharon's statement was an "escalation" that would "lead to increased tensions."
"We reject Sharon's statement and demand clarification from Mr. Bush on such a statement and hold Sharon responsible for such a dangerous statement," he said.
Israel accuses Arafat of fomenting violence, an accusation he denies. Hundreds of Israelis have been killed in attacks planned and carried out by militant groups, including the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Arafat's Fatah faction.
REJECTION OF GAZA PLAN IS 'VICTORY FOR ARAFAT'
Mindful of opposition within Likud's pro-settler ranks, Sharon has signaled he will likely press ahead with his Gaza disengagement proposal even if his party votes it down.
"I'm not even trying to think for a moment what will happen if this plan does not pass," Sharon said. "First, I would see that as a huge victory for Arafat and Hamas. Second, it would darken our relationship with the United States."
In the West Bank, troops shot and killed five Palestinians, bringing to 27 the number killed since Israel assassinated Rantissi in a helicopter attack last week in Gaza.
Sharon's disengagement plan also calls for retaining some large settlement blocs in the West Bank, built on land Palestinians want as part of a future state and bans Palestinian refugees from returning to homes in what is now Israel.
Bush's break with decades of U.S. policy enraged Palestinians, who see it as a ruse to hold on to large tracts of land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Arafat has said it would turn Gaza into a prison. (Additional reporting by Wafa Amr in Ramallah)
Original Story