Military

DATE=11/14/2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=SHARON / CHICAGO (L)

NUMBER=2-2691239

BYLINE=MICHAEL LELAND

DATELINE=CHICAGO

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon says he might call for early elections to unseat Prime Minister Ehud Barak. In a speech (Tuesday) in Chicago, Mr. Sharon said Israel needs a government that will take a harder line against Palestinians. VOA's Michael Leland has more.

TEXT: Mr. Sharon is not saying when elections should be held, but says he is confident he could be elected to represent the Likud party over former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Sharon says he has fought in every major Israeli war since independence in 1947, and understands peace better than politicians without that experience do.

He says it is time to look at what has happened so far in the peace process with the Palestinians, and consider a different approach.

/// SHARON ACT ///

By now it is clear that the Palestinian

Authority and its chairman, Yasser Arafat, have

taken a strategic decision to launch a long war

of attrition against Israel and its citizens.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Sharon says there can be no peace negotiations with the Palestinians until there is a total cease-fire. He proposes a long-term interim peace agreement that includes shared security, economic and peace efforts with the Palestinians.

Mr. Sharon was speaking to the annual meeting of the United Jewish Communities, the largest annual gathering of Jews in the United States.

Outside the convention hotel, several dozen protesters spoke out against Mr. Sharon. Ali Alarabi of the Coalition for Peace and Justice in Palestine says Mr. Sharon is responsible for starting the latest wave of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

/// ALARABI ACT ///

He is responsible for a lot of bloodshed of

Israeli citizens as well as a lot of

Palestinians. In our view, he resembles the

epitome of violence against the Palestinian

people.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Sharon has been blamed for provoking the latest unrest by visiting a temple sacred to both Jews and Palestinians in September. Mr. Sharon accuses Palestinians of using that visit as a poor excuse to renew violence against Israel. (Signed)

NEB/MJL/TVM/PT