Missiles, call from Sharon greet Abbas

Abbas’s predecessor Yasser Arafat last spoke to Sharon by telephone in February 2001 to congratulate him on his election victory. With a Palestinian uprising raging, Sharon subsequently boycotted Arafat, calling him an ‘‘arch-terrorist’’.

Sharon’s office said he spoke with Abbas for 10 minutes and welcomed his landslide election victory on a platform of non-violence. ‘‘He wished him success and the two agreed they would talk again soon,’’ it said.

A government official quoted Sharon as telling Abbas: ‘‘I am offering you our cooperation.’’ He said Sharon and Abbas spoke about a meeting in general terms but no date was set.

Earlier Sharon told his cabinet he would seek coordination on security matters based on a Palestinian effort to ‘‘stop terrorism’’ against Israelis and added: ‘‘I believe there will be a meeting between us soon’’.

Maher Shalabi, an adviser to Abbas, said the leaders talked about “ways to revive the peace process and about a meeting, which will be set up in the next few days”.

A senior Israeli security source said Sharon was ready to turn over most occupied territory to Palestinian policing —— a halt to Army raids and removal of checkpoints —— if Abbas demonstrated ‘‘a 100 per cent effort’’ to subdue militants.

Militants groups like Hamas boycotted Sunday’s vote and refused to suspend attacks on Israel. They wasted no time subjecting the new president to his first test, firing seven rockets and mortar bombs into Jewish enclaves in Gaza and one rocket into an Israeli border town, causing damage but no casualties. —Reuters