Sharon Threatens Using Military Might Against Palestinians.

Israel said it will use as much military power as necessary to contain Palestinians. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon issued the warning Sunday despite fierce international criticism over Israel's use of warplanes in Friday's deadly attacks on towns in the West Bank.

In response to a huge

However, Sharon also said he is still prepared to enter into diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinians but only after they end their wave of terrorism against Israel.

His stand has been publicly supported by his Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin, who said Israel is at war and the enemy is Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat. "We are fighting terrorism. And it is very difficult for a state like Israel to fight terrorism but we are in a war and as strong as the terrorist act will be, the retaliation should be. And it has to be very well understood that those terrorism acts, which are on a daily basis against Israel, are being led by Mr. Arafat and he is the only responsible for the entire situation in the Middle East."

But in the Israeli media, Sharon was being hammered over his actions. The mass circulation Hebrew daily, Yedioth Ahronoth asked in an editorial -"This begs the question - why did you do it, to flex your muscles?" The left-wing Ha'aretz newspaper described the use of fighter aircraft as a "superfluous escalation which invites international condemnation and pressure against Israel."