Israel's new Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted today as saying he would not react to the Palestinian uprising by re-occupying parts of the West Bank or Gaza.
The option has been mooted by some hardliners in Israel, but Mr Sharon, who was sworn in last week, said in a joint interview with
Newsweek
and the
Washington Post
that he did not favor it.
"Areas that were given to the Palestinians - there, I think the situation is irreversible and I don't think we have to re-enter", he said.
"That doesn't mean Israel will not take steps against people who find shelter there", he added.
Asked if he had plans to meet Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Mr Sharon repeated his position that the five-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation had to end before peace talks resumed.
"I'm ready to meet and negotiate with him but that cannot be done under pressure of terror or violence, he said. "That is the difference between this government and (Ehud) Barak's. Making those concessions weakened Israel".
Mr Arafat yesterday called on the Israeli government to resume peace talks on the basis of understandins reached with the Barak administration. "We are ready to immediately resume the negotiations which we had started with the previous government", Mr Arafat said in a speech to the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza.
A senior Palestinian official said efforts were under way to arrange a meeting between the two men before Mr Sharon goes to Washington for meetings beginning on March 19th.
But Israeli Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin said there would have to be concrete measures to reduce violence first.
Mr Sharon said in the interview that one of his priorities was to encourage Jewish immigration to Israel." want to bring another million Jews in the coming 10, 12 years. By the year 2020, I hope the majority of Jews will be living here in Israel", he said.
.