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Mofaz: Israel May Boycott Abu Ala as "Arafat Lackey"

(Ha'aretz) Gideon Alon - Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday that "we will not cooperate with an Arafat lackey. We expect an independent government that is not umbilically tied to Arafat, which will dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, continue to implement reforms, and end incitement against Israel." General Yossi Kuperwasser, head of Military Intelligence's research division, told the committee that Ahmed Qurei [Abu Ala] accepts Arafat's leadership absolutely. "If Abu Ala establishes a government under the conditions being demanded of him, speaking with him will be like [speaking with] Arafat." Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry's political department, also said that Qurei is in Arafat's shadow and has no intention of either fighting terror or implementing reforms. Mofaz also told the committee that recent events had made it clear that the Islamic terrorist organizations are stronger than the Palestinian government, and in light of this, Israel has adopted a new policy. First, since the PA will not act against the terrorist organizations, Israel will wage all-out war against them, including continual attacks on their leaders as well as their operatives. Second, though Israel remains committed to President Bush's peace plan, the diplomatic process will be frozen until the PA begins a real war on terror.
2003-09-10 00:00:00
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