Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will invite his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, for talks once he has been sworn in, the Israeli leader said in an interview published Wednesday.


However, Sharon said that if Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, is not granted broad authority it would hurt chances of reaching a peace deal. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat should not be the one still "pulling the strings," said Sharon, who has been leading a campaign to sideline Arafat.


"After Abu Mazen forms his government I plan to begin talks with him. I will not wait for any mediators," Sharon said in an interview with the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot.

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In the interview, Sharon reiterated that as part of a peace deal, he would dismantle some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In his three decades in politics, Sharon has been a leading champion of settlement expansion.


"In my opinion, real peace, peace for generations, peace that does not give birth to suicide bombers and terrorist organizations, requires concessions. It is likely that there will be settlements that we will have to dismantle," Sharon said.


The US-led victory over Saddam Hussein has opened a new opportunity for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, he added.