Brussels, 25/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon struck a blow to the relative optimism showed by the European Union's High Representative, Javier Solana, who hoped to convince the parties to launch a second phase of the Mitchell/Tenet Plan (also see EUROPE of 24 July, p.5). At the end of their talks, Mr. Sharon reaffirmed that implementation of the Mitchell Plan would only begin "after an absolute end to violence".
In addition, an Israeli official accused the...