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Sharon: "Greatest Mistake" to Ignore Palestinian Violations of Agreements

(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told a graduating ceremony at the National Security College Thursday: "Past experience teaches us that once a diplomatic agreement has been reached, the greatest mistake is to ignore seemingly minor violations in its implementation." As examples, he cited Europe's willingness to overlook Nazi Germany's violations of agreements prior to World War II, as well as Israel's own experiences. "For the past three years, we have paid a heavy price for Israel's restraint over the daily violations of the Oslo accords." "We paid for the fact that terrorist organizations were not disarmed, that illegal weapons were not collected, that the intolerable incitement against Israel in the educational system and the media never stopped." Sharon said that implementation of the first phase of the road map, including a "total cessation of violence," is beginning, but warned that Israel "will insist on the fulfillment of every obligation included in the road map. We will do this because only insisting that agreements be honored will bring the longed-for peace." He said the subsequent phases could not start until all the elements of previous stages are implemented, rejecting a Palestinian demand for a time line for carrying out the plan.
2003-08-01 00:00:00
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