Sharon was never an advocate of peace all through his career

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, June 13 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Two-thirds of Israelis want a halt to Israel's practice of "targeted killings" of Palestinian activists, which escalated in recent days, according to a poll published Friday, June 13, as Israeli press blasted Premier Ariel Sharon over ‘the same policy’.

The poll, published in the daily Yediot Aharonot, showed that of the two-thirds, 58 percent of those interviewed said the assassinations should be "provisionally suspended" to give new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas time to assert his authority. Nine percent want them stopped altogether.

In contrast, 30 percent favored continuing the campaign to kill senior Palestinian leaders, such as the helicopter attacks this week on leaders of the resistance group Hamas. Three percent had no opinion.

Twenty-four Palestinians have died in five Israeli helicopter missile attacks this week, including a failed attempt Tuesday to kill Hamas political leader Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi that triggered strong protests in the Arab world.

U.S. President George W. Bush, who is pushing efforts to revive the peace process, said he was "troubled" by the raid.

The poll showed that 75 percent of Israelis expected Bush to put pressure on Israel to implement the roadmap for peace that provides for confidence-building measures ahead of establishment of a Palestinian state in 2005.

Twenty-two percent thought Bush would not put pressure on the Jewish state and three percent had no opinion.

The poll was conducted by the Dahaf Institute, which interviewed a sample of 500 Israelis. The margin of error was 4.5 percentage points.   

Sharon Under Fire

Tight security does not prevent bombings

On Wednesday, June 11, the Israeli press was very critical of the helicopter raid that targeted Rantissi and charged that all it achieved was to weaken the position of Abbas, who has promised to put an end to the armed Intifada.

"When the talks are renewed, what remains of these partners' ability is questionable. Is this what we want?", Yediot asked.

Maariv bluntly described Tuesday's operation as a fiasco.

"Israel was reprimanded, predictably enough. Abu Mazen was pushed into a corner and Hamas came out looking like great heroes," the daily said.

However, a poll – published Wednesday - revealed that a majority of Israelis supported the strike, while only 33 percent disapproved of its timing and less than 10 percent even questioned such ‘killings’ in principle.

The press and opposition politicians echoed a rare U.S. rebuke over the timing of Tuesday's strike against Rantissi.

However, Sharon Wednesday stood by his hard line stance and said the army would seek out what he termed “radical militants” threatening the country's security wherever they are.

An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian civilian, is there a peaceful solution in sight?

"Our policy has not changed - we will continue to fight terrorism everywhere," he was quoted as saying during Wednesday morning's cabinet meeting.

"I told (U.S. President George W.) Bush and Abu Mazen (Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas) that I am willing to walk a long path of compromise-making for the sake of a settlement, but on one issue there will be no compromises: harm to Israelis," the Yediot Aharonot quoted him as saying.

Sharon remained defiant despite being criticized by Bush, who said he was "troubled" by the recent Israeli helicopter gunship attacks.

"I'm concerned that the attacks will make it more difficult for the Palestinian leadership to fight off terrorist attacks. I also don't believe the attacks help the Israelis' security," Bush said.

The strike on Rantissi was a violation of the roadmap for peace, which both Israel and the Palestinians accepted. The surge in violence has dashed hopes that the summits Bush convened early last week in Egypt and Jordan might put the peace process back on track.