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Sharon vows to remove Palestinians' 'terrorist leadership'
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Sunday his new government would seek to remove what he called the Palestinians' "terrorist leadership." But Sharon, who met Wednesday with a senior Palestinian official, did not directly call for the removal of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. "The new government will have to complete the campaign against terror, remove the terrorist leadership and create conditions for the emergence of a new Palestinian leadership, with which it will be possible to make real peace," Sharon said Sunday as he formally accepted Israeli President Moshe Katsav's offer to form a new government. Sharon's Likud party won the largest share of seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in elections nearly two weeks ago. He now has six weeks to form a government. CNN has learned that Sharon told Katsav his new government would quickly move to adopt President Bush's plan for peace in the region. That plan, outlined last June, calls for a Palestinian state under reformed leadership that will co-exist peacefully with Israel. But chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Sharon's statement Sunday means the Israeli leader is not serious about peace efforts. "This indicates once again that, irrespective of the composition of the next Israeli government, its main feature will be the continuation of the frozen peace process, settlement activities and undermining efforts to revive peace efforts," Erakat said. "Once again we call upon the Quartet and especially the United States to immediately introduce the road maps for peace." Erakat said Saturday that the Mideast Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- has decided to put off introducing its "road map" until after a new Israeli government is formed and the U.S. standoff with Iraq is resolved. (Full story) Erakat said the decision "will mean a political vacuum and further escalation on the ground." Sharon met Wednesday with Ahmed Qurei, chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council, to discuss the possibility of a new cease-fire, Israeli diplomatic sources said. Sharon's senior aide, Dov Weisglass, said the talks were aimed at convincing the Palestinian Authority to fight determinedly to stop terrorist attacks as it has done in Gaza. He said Israel would change its military deployment and improve the Palestinians' economic and humanitarian conditions. Weisglass said the direct talks started long before the recent Israeli elections and will continue in the coming week. CNN Correspondent Jerrold Kessel contributed to this report.
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