Sharon: Palestinians must oust 'despotic' leaders

Sharon smiles at the opening of the Knesset session Monday.

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon urged Palestinians to change what he called their "despotic" leaders in an address Monday opening the Knesset's winter session.

"Your terrible suffering is needless," Sharon said in remarks directed at Palestinians. "Blood is being spilled for nothing. Change the despotic regime that is leading you from failure to failure, from tragedy to tragedy."

Sharon added that he saw a "real possibility that the coming year will be a turning point. I believe that our Palestinian neighbors will themselves reach a moment of change in their attitude toward Israel. I promise that [my] government will be alert to any sign of change ... to make peace."

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat called Sharon's statement "a broken record of an arrogant nature. The last thing the Palestinians need to hear from Sharon is a broken record."

The Israeli leader is intent on destroying the Palestinian Authority and the peace process with it, Erakat said.

"Palestinians need Sharon to stop the war crimes and massacres committed against them on a daily basis," Erakat said. "What we saw today reflects his true intention to destroy the Palestinian Authority and the peace process, as a prelude to Israel's reoccupation of the whole West Bank and Gaza."

Sharon left Israel on Monday night on a flight to the United States. He is scheduled to meet Wednesday with President Bush.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Dahlan, who had quit earlier as the Palestinian Authority's Gaza security chief, also turned in his resignation as Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's chief security adviser.

Dahlan offered his resignation three days ago, but Arafat so far has not accepted it, Palestinian sources said.

In his resignation letter, Dahlan accused the Palestinian security command of failing to carry out reforms in security operations.

"I don't want to be in a Palestinian Authority position," Dahlan said Monday when questioned about stepping down.

Asked if Arafat was going to accept his resignation, Dahlan said, "Ask him."

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