Peres: Don't expect Abu Mazen to fight terror, Sharon should give him
concessions

Aaron Lerner Date: 18 May 2003

Less than two hours after 7 Israelis were murdered in a bus attack in
Jerusalem and the morning after two were murdered in Hebron and a foiled
terrorist attack in Shaarei Tikva, Labor MK Shimon Peres told Israel Radio
in a live interview that PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) cannot
be expected to fight Palestinian terrorists. Instead, Peres suggested,
Israel should offer concession to Abu Mazen so that Abu Mazen can show the
terrorists that more can be gained via negotiations than terror.

Peres criticized Sharon, saying that Abu Mazen would have been strengthened
if Sharon had given him concessions during the meeting last night.

With regards to the "problem" of terror, Peres said that the problem was not
terror but suicide bombers. It should be noted that according to the IDF
Spokesperson, of those killed 29 September 2000 and 11 May 2003, 288
civilians (54.1%) and 30 security forces (12.7.0%) were murdered by suicide
bombers. The foiled Shaarei Tikva attack was not a suicide bombing.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6106666 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il