Israel losing patience with Abbas by Herb Keinon Jerusalem Post December 28, 2004 Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom sharply criticized PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas Monday for recent maximalist statements, giving voice to a growing feeling in Jerusalem that Abbas may not be what Israel had hoped for. Responding to a Saturday speech in which he called for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Israel, a complete withdrawal to 1967 lines, including Jerusalem, and the release of all prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, Shalom said that "this speech does not bode well, and it is impossible to accept it as just another campaign speech." Abbas also said that he would not employ force against terror groups. Until now, officials in both the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office have responded to Abbas's comments rather apologetically, saying they must be seen within the context of the election, and that what he says before the election is not all that significant. "There is no doubt that in many circles in Jerusalem there is now some sobering of the euphoria about what to expect from the new leadership," one senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said. He said that not only is Abbas sounding like Yasser Arafat, but he is also not taking any steps to combat the violence. One such step Israel would like to see him take even before the election is to deploy some of the 30,000 policemen in the Gaza Strip in areas from where mortars are being fired at Gush Katif. Shalom, in an Israel Radio interview, likened Abbas's speech to a very aggressive and extreme speech Yasser Arafat gave at the signing of the Camp David Accords in Washington. "At that time, the government spokesmen all said that this is just Arafat's opening position," he said. "But he kept to those opening positions all along the way, and even made them more extreme." Shalom said previous Abbas remarks were more moderate than his recent speech. "Since he took over this position [PLO chairman] he has spoken about preserving Arafat's legacy, which for us is a legacy of terror. He said that they will never give up the return of refugees, and in his speech on Saturday he expanded on this. "It is impossible to ignore these comments. We will do everything at this time to enable them to hold elections, but we expect that the day after they will begin truly working against incitement and against terror. Otherwise things will be more or less like they were under Arafat, and I hope that is not what will happen."