Sharon dismisses Arafat plea

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday dismissed an appeal by Yasser Arafat for a halt to attacks on Israeli civilians, calling it a ploy to boost the chances of Mr Sharon’s challenger in January 28 elections.

A Palestinian Cabinet statement on Saturday condemned “all acts of violence that target Palestinian and Israeli civilians” and added: “As the Israeli election date gets closer, we appeal to all our people to practise self-restraint.”

Analysts say a pre-election period of calm could increase the vote for Israeli Labour party chief Amram Mitzna who, unlike Mr Sharon, wants to reopen talks on a Palestinian state frozen since a Palestinian uprising erupted in September 2000.