JERUSALEM (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel set out sweeping security conditions on Tuesday for the potential recognition of a Palestinian state and said he would lead any future peace talks.Sharon's remarks followed strong expressions of support for a Palestinian state made by the United States and Britain earlier this month as they sought a solution to the Middle East conflict to help win Arab backing for an anti-terror campaign.
Earlier on Tuesday, a Palestinian Resistance leader was killed in an unexplained explosion in the Gaza Strip, drawing vows of revenge from the Islamic Resistance group Hamas for the deaths of three of its members in the past three days. (Read photo caption below)
The new death indicated the fragility of a renewed truce drive between the sides to end more than a year of a Palestinian uprising agaisnt Israeli ocupation and return to the negotiating table, which depends on both sides implementing a U.S.-backed truce-to-talks plan.
Sharon told members of his right-wing Likud party that a Palestinian state would have to be created as part of a treaty that fulfils ``all of our security demands.''
``We are talking about a demilitarized state, a state with a police force, a state where we will deploy (forces) on its external borders,'' Sharon said.
He added that the terms of a Palestinian state would also include a ban on signing agreements with countries hostile to Israel and preservation of Israeli overflight rights. Israel would also keep Jerusalem as its declared capital.
Sharon has said in the past he would accept a Palestinian state as the eventual outcome of a peace deal, but indicated borders that Palestinians say fall far short of their demands -- including their claim on Arab East Jerusalem for a capital.
Palestinian cabinet minister Hassan Asfour told Reuters Sharon's latest remarks ignored the Palestinians' internationally recognized right to independence.
``Sharon's statements are irresponsible and show that he is not aware of the changes and developments that are taking place regionally and internationally,'' Asfour said. ``A Palestinian state is not a gift from Sharon and is not negotiable.''
PHOTO CAPTION:
An Israeli occupation soldier(L) shouts at Palestinian men preventing them from passing at a checkpoint at the southern entrance to the West Bank city of Nablus, October 16, 2001. A Palestinian Resistance leader was killed in an explosion in the Gaza Strip, drawing vows of revenge by the Resistance Islamic group Hamas for the deaths of three of its members in the past three days. (Abed Omar Qusini/Reuters)