The reactions to Mr Ariel Sharon's victory in the Israeli elections in February 2001 were contradictory. Washington repeated that United States would promote stability in Middle-East. Russia and the EU urged Sharon to continue peace talks and to end violence towards Palestinians. Jordan and Egypt considered Sharon's elections internal Israeli matter. But the Arab world rejected the victory of the man who had been general in the Israeli army and who was responsible for bloody episodes in the war in Lebanon.
Yasser Arafat was pessimistic, but said he hoped that day, destructive wars would be eradicated from the region.
