Sharon Calls on Palestinians to Overthrow LeadersOctober 14, 2002
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, heading to Washington for a meeting with President Bush, called on Palestinians to overthrow their leadership and predicted Monday that the coming year could bring a turning point in the Mideast conflict.
"Your terrible suffering is needless," Sharon said, addressing his comments to the Palestinians during a speech that inaugurated the winter session of Israel's parliament. "Blood is being spilled for nothing. Change the despotic regime that is leading you from failure to failure, from tragedy to tragedy."
Bush, in a June speech, also called on Palestinians to change leaders. The Palestinians have tentatively scheduled general elections in January -- but Israel's occupation of West Bank cities has raised questions about whether voting can take place.
No serious challenger has arisen to take on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who has been confined for months to his battered headquarters compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Sharon charged that "murderous terror gangs" have taken over the Palestinian territories with Arafat's encouragement and consent.
However, he added: "I assess that there is a real possibility that the coming year will be a turning point. I believe that our Palestinian neighbors will themselves reach a moment of change in their attitude toward Israel."
Sharon said his government would be "alert to any sign of change ... to make peace."
The prime minister was to leave Israel later Monday for a visit to Washington. He was scheduled to meet with Bush on Wednesday.
The United States, while supporting Israel in the Mideast conflict, has criticized some Israeli military operations and called for an easing of the blockades and curfews imposed on many Palestinian cities and towns.
Meanwhile on Monday, Palestinians buried a militant killed by a booby-trapped telephone in Bethlehem, and Palestinian officials accused Israel of trying to stir up trouble in a town that has been quiet since the Israel's army withdrew in August.
Palestinians blamed Israel for the Sunday night death of Mohammed Abayat, a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is affiliated with Arafat's Fatah movement.
Israel neither confirmed or denied its involvement. In the past, militants sought by Israel have been killed by booby-trapped phones. And in the last two years, two other members of the Abayat clan were killed in operations blamed on Israel by Palestinians.
Mohammed Abayat "belongs to a family of criminals," said Raanan Gissin, an Israeli government spokesman. "Terrorism is the family business."
However, Israeli authorities haven't accused Abayat of any specific act of violence. Palestinians said that while he was a member of the Al Aqsa militia, he didn't hold a ranking position.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said Israel may have been attempting to kill one of Abayat's cousins, Nasser Abayat, a local Al Aqsa leader in Bethlehem.
Israeli troops pulled out of Bethlehem in August, turning over security to the Palestinians. Since then, the Bethlehem area, which is just south of Jerusalem, has been quiet. Palestinians said they've maintained peace there, but charged that Israel was trying to incite violence with Abayat's killing.
"Bethlehem has been a very quiet town, and the Palestinian security services have succeeded in controlling the situation," said Bethlehem Gov. Mohammed Madni.
Madni said Abayat's death "may escalate the situation. But the Palestinian Authority will exert all its best efforts to calm down the situation."
A few hundred people, mostly family and clan members, attended Abayat's funeral. Unlike many funerals for Palestinian militants, there were no cries for revenge or gunmen shooting in the air at Abayat's funeral.
Mohammed Abayat was the third member of his clan killed in an apparent Israeli army operation. Atef Abayat, died when his car exploded in October 2001. Hussein Abayat was killed in an Israeli rocket attack in November 2000. Israel accused both men of killing Israelis.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Israel was considering returning all the southern West Bank to Palestinian control.
Peres said the towns in the region, including Bethlehem, Jericho and Hebron, have been relatively quiet for several weeks. Bethlehem and Jericho are already under Palestinian control, while Israeli troops remain in Hebron and other parts of the southern West Bank.
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