Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharonsaid today Israel was prepared to negotiate peace withPalestinian Prime Minister Mr Ahmed Qurie as soon as he was ready.
The comments could raise faint hopes for a US-backed peaceplan tattered by violence that intended to halt three years ofbloodshed and pave the way to setting up a Palestinian state.But Palestinian officials dismissed the remarks as a ploy.
"We are maintaining dialogue with the Palestinians, althoughnot on the level of prime minister," Mr Sharon said.
"The reason talks are not on a prime ministerial level isdue to a Palestinian request to allow Prime Minister Mr Abu Ala togain strength," he added, using Mr Qurie's nomme de guerre. "We areready to start negotiations at any time."
Mr Jamal al-Shobaki, a Palestinian cabinet minister, denied arequest had been made to delay a Sharon-Qurie meeting and saidMr Sharon's statement was intended to draw attention away from thecriticism of hardline measures taken against Palestinians.
Army chief Lieutenant-General Moshe Yaalon has called someof the restrictions imposed on Palestinians counterproductive.
"We are open to hold dialogue with any Palestiniangovernment that will rule out incitement, terror and violence,"Sharon told Israeli businessmen. "I believe that we are at thebrink of a new opportunity to find the way to quiet and peace."
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat asked Mr Qurie earlier thisweek to form a permanent government before the 30-day term of aPalestinian emergency cabinet expires next week, but the primeminister first wants to resolve a dispute over security powers.