Israeli Prime Minister-elect Mr Ariel Sharon sent Palestinian President Mr Yasser Arafat a letter saying he would pursue peace talks based on UN resolutions for resolving a 52-year-old conflict, officials said today.
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One person was hurt in today's car bomb blast in Jerusalem
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But he stipulated that violence must end first.
"Israel will strive to achieve peace and security on the basis of the principle of solving disputes in peaceful ways and in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338", a senior Israeli political official quoted the letter as saying.
The UN resolutions call for an Israeli withdrawal from lands occupied in the 1967 Middle East War in exchange for peace. Israel and the Palestinians differ over the scope of the withdrawal called for by the resolutions.
A senior Palestinian official confirmed the content of the letter and said the Palestinian Authority was pleased by the message, which was a response to a congratulatory message Mr Arafat passed on to Mr Sharon after the right-winger won an Israeli leadership election by a landslide over Mr Ehud Barak on Tuesday.
Mr Sharon told reporters his missive to Mr Arafat said Israel has an interest in carrying out peace talks and in advancing the peace process but that this depends on a complete end to acts of terror.
He made the remarks after a car bomb exploded in a religious Jewish neighbourhood of Jerusalem, injuring one person.
Palestinians revile Mr Sharon for orchestrating Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, which led to the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians by Israeli-allied Lebanese Christians in two refugee camps near Beirut. An Israeli commission found Mr Sharon indirectly responsible for the killings.
Reuters