Israeli press review

Commentators in Friday's Israeli press focus on the many difficulties facing new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas - also known as Abu Mazen - in the face of what many see as Israel's hardline stance on implementing the US-sponsored "roadmap" peace plan.

Some papers accuse Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of using "delaying tactics" to frustrate peace efforts. Others are not so sure.

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Two weeks after his appointment, Abu Mazen has not won any gesture from Israel... they were saying in Ramallah this week that a strange coalition has been created between Sharon and Arafat: in statements and speeches both talk about a new future with Abu Mazen, but in fact they are trying to trip him up.

Roni Shaked in Yediot Aharonot

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Since Mahmoud Abbas assumed office as Palestinian prime minister, Israel has hardened its official stances and has made it clear it will not take any steps to strengthen his position until he begins fighting terror. Sharon's stance arouses the suspicion that the prime minister is once again using delaying tactics.

Editorial in Haaretz

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It is easy to talk about painful concessions; difficult to make them. The litmus paper of Sharon's real intentions is the treatment of illegal [settlement] outposts. Their dispersion makes the political and human process entailed in evacuating settlements a mission impossible.

Nahum Barnea in Yediot Aharonot

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Despite the repeated directives to evacuate outposts and the alleged evacuations.. the number of such sites increased during the period of May 2001-May 2003 from 66 to 90-100. All of this means... the issue has involved the spreading of one of the State of Israel's biggest lies.

Ze'ev Schiff in Ha'aretz

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In the land of overkill and "rolling operations" we never knew when to stop winning and start capitalising on the victory for strategic profit.

Doron Rosenblum in Ha'aretz

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Sharon has put his finger on a critical truth that anyone who is serious about peace should embrace: If the Palestinians are not willing to give up "returning" [of refugees] to Israel, there's nothing to talk about.

Saul Singer in the Jerusalem Post

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Sharon's reservation [about talks with Syria] is right for now, but he was never keen on negotiations with Syria.

Dan Margalit in Maariv

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A tragic Oslo peace process is now returning as a farcical roadmap. Sadly, more time will be wasted and more lives will be lost before we set out on a genuine road toward peace.

Ron Dermer in the Jerusalem Post

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BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.