The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, has told the United Nations that he sees peace with the Palestinians as his primary mission for the coming years.
Addressing the UN's 60th anniversary summit in New York, Mr Sharon said Israel accepted that there had to be concessions for peace and that the Palestinians were entitled to freedom.
However, he also demanded stronger action from the Palestinian leadership against the threat of militant violence.
The Palestinian Minister for Planning, Ghassan Khatib, described the speech as disappointing and called for a resumption of talks between the two sides.
