Voices criticizing Mr. Arafat for his indecisiveness - his either turning a blind eye to the armed intifada or actually trying to lead it - are growing louder.

Hawashin admired Abbas's courage in criticizing the armed intifada.

The Palestinian Authority also must make "a public appeal in Arabic for an end to the armed intifada," the ministers said.

Was the armed intifada of the last four and a half years a mistake?

"We have the right to try by all means to get our rights, even an armed intifada."

"The armed intifada has reached the point where it cannot further achieve its objective, and it will be exploited against the Palestinian people and their rights."

It is an armed intifada.

He rejected the armed intifada, but he wasn't helped by the Palestinian factions, or by Fatah, or by Israel.

But he is considered by Israelis to be a man of principle who believes that the armed intifada is counterproductive, negotiates fairly and wants two states to live side by side.

Mr. Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, opposes the armed intifada against Israel that Mr. Barghouti inspired and continues to support.