PARIS: A senior Israeli political figure, Yossi Beilin, one of the architects of the Oslo peace accords, has said that both the United States and Israel have accepted “in a few months” to provide Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas with the means of “eliminating” the extremists in his ranks who say they’re adamantly opposed to a new US-brokered peace plan for the Middle East.

Mr Beilin, interviewed by French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, says that “Mahmoud Abbas may at the moment not have the means to put an end to the activities of his ‘extremists,’ but that is to change in the future.” But in a few months, the Americans as well as the Israelis will come to his rescue.

The Leftist Israeli political leader, a respected commentator of the political life of his country, also predicts that once the joint US-Israeli operation neutralizes the various groups who are considered to be an obstacle to a peace — among them the Hamas, FPLP, FDLP and Fatah, all of whom called on Saturday for the continuation of the Intifada.

He predicted that at that time Ariel Sharon would certainly back down and not keep his promise with regard to creation of a full-fledged Palestinian State.

“A major problem for implementing an eventual peace will concern the second phase of the process, for once Sharon is able to obtain the neutralization of the Palestinian extremists, he’ll accept at most creation of a small Palestinian State, but will stop there. He will do absolutely nothing to install in a permanent fashion a larger Palestinian entity,” Beilin remarked.