Appointing Sharon as foreign minister for Israeli makes things worse

Newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon announced that he will never change his opposition stance of the US proposal for Israeli withdrawal from 13% of the West Bank.

Sharon told Israeli television that he also would not change his objection to shake the hand of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

Sharon was appointed to head the Israeli negotiating team a few days before the vital summit in Washington DC.

Sharon is 70 years old and was the one who ordered the Israeli Army's invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

He stepped aside when investigation results showed that he was indirectly responsible for the Sabra and Shatila camp massacres, were large numbers of Palestinian civillian refugees in Lebanon were killed.

After the announcement that Sharon, who had been serving as minister of infrastructure, was appointed as foreign minister, the Palestinians expressed their anxiety toward this appointment, diplomatic sources in Cairo said.

Palestinian Minister of International Cooperation Nabil Shaath said the reputation of Sharon is very bad, referring to Sharon's role in the massacres at Shatila and Sabra.