Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reiterated this week that he did not feel bound by his earlier promise not to kill Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Senior Palestinian diplomat Saeb Erekat said Palestinians were taking the threat seriously. Sharon’s hope, Erekat said, was to push the Palestinian Authority toward anarchy, and then claim he had nobody credible to negotiate with. But Sharon’s spokesman, Raanan Gissin, said there were no immediate plans to move on Arafat. Sharon’s comment, Gissin said, was “more of a deterrent measure than an operational message.” Israel was on high alert for Passover, and police told all licensed gun owners to carry their weapons during the weeklong holiday.
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