Israel has started the violence and worked on escalating it
Egypt-Israel, Politics, 1/16/2002

In a symposium screened on Egyptian TV, Presidential advisor Osama al Baz called on the US to be fair and frank with the Palestinian authority and as open with it as it is with Israel.

"It is just not right that Israel enjoys this advantage, the American party must be a fair mediator and open to both parties he said.

The Israeli government speaks of peace with reluctance, its main obsession is the realization of security and its prime minister Ariel Sharon has no clear program or strategy for peace or negotiations, he said.

Israel has started the violence, worked on maintaining and escalating it, and is using it excessively, he added.

Israel has carried out mass killings and punishment of Palestinians, shattered their homes and ignored Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's bold initiative on December 16 to halt the violence, Baz said.

The whole world praised him for it, but Israel ignored it and used it as a pretext to avoid entering into negotiations, he added.

However some Israelis, albeit a slight minority, reject Sharon's policies, he said.

Baz spoke of the statement released at the close of the Palestinian Israeli talks in south Africa, and cast doubt on the Israeli government's acceptance of the points that were agreed upon.

On the issue of the smuggled arms shipment that Israel holds the PA responsible for, he said "we are still unable to learn the details behind the ship that Israel claims was carrying Palestinian arms, because first they said it was sailing from Iran to Hizbullah in Lebanon, SNA officials in the US supported this claim, then they said it was sailing towards the shores of the Gaza strip.

Baz refused classify terrorism on the basis of religion saying it would be a grave mistake. "There is no such thing as Islamic or Jewish terrorism, it is a terrorism of individual" he added.

Previous Stories:
  Baz denies Egyptians were aboard arms ship   (1/10/2002)
  Mubarak, Al Baz, US Jewish organizations discuss peace between Palestinians, Israelis   (1/10/2002)
  Beilin, Sarid call for Palestinian state, return of refugees   (1/7/2002)

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