JERUSALEM – Israel will continue to push forward with the unilateral disengagement plan regardless of the deterioration in the health of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, but at the same time is hoping to renew road map talks with a new, responsible Palestinian leadership that carries out its primary obligation to dismantle the Palestinian Arab terror infrastructure, Prime Minister Sharon said yesterday.

Speaking at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Mr. Sharon added Israel anticipates a new, serious, and responsible Palestinian Arab leadership that proves itself capable through actions and not words. Mr. Sharon added that Israel would not interfere in internal Palestinian Arab affairs.

“As long as there will be no partner, we will push forward with the disengagement plan that was approved by the government and the Knesset,” he said.

Despite pleas from several hard-line Cabinet ministers to renege on his promise, Mr. Sharon reiterated yesterday that Mr. Arafat would be allowed back. But he ruled out a Jerusalem burial for the Palestinian Arab leader. “As long as I am prime minister, Arafat will not be buried in Jerusalem,” Mr. Sharon added.

Giving a security briefing at the Cabinet, the Shin Bet chief, Avi Dichter, said Israel should be wary of reports coming out of Paris, saying that “Suha Arafat is in charge of the flow of reports” coming out of the hospital.

Military Intelligence chief Major General Aharon Zeevi Farakash said that in theory, his assessment is that Mr. Arafat’s departure from the scene could usher in “the potential, not to put an end to the conflict, but a potential to end the current round of violence that began in September 2000.”

General Farakash added that he expected international pressure on Israel to turn the unilateral disengagement into a more coordinated move.

On the downside, military intelligence believes the power and influence of the “Palestinian street” will increase with Mr. Arafat’s absence, and hard-line countries such as Iran and Syria will seek to increase their influence in Palestinian Arab affairs in order to encourage violence against Israel, General Farakash said.

The MI chief added that he thinks the current Palestinian Arab leadership will form around Abu Mazen, and will take the form of a collective leadership including people such as Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan, former West Bank security chief Jibril Rajoub, and possible Marwan Barghouti, currently serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail for his part in funding and orchestrating the intifada.

General Farakash added that even though Israeli intelligence knows the results of the blood tests conducted on Mr. Arafat, it still has no idea what is ailing the PA chairman.

Mr. Arafat may make a full recovery or he could die, General Farakash said, emphasizing that Israel knows about as much as anybody does at this stage.

Some Cabinet ministers cynically said that they too could come up with a similar intelligence assessment.

West Bank security chief Jibril Rajoub said that Mr. Arafat spoke on the telephone yesterday with the PA finance minister, Salam Fayad, and ordered him to pay the salaries of PA officials and employees. Mr. Rajoub added that Mr. Arafat was “feeling better” and was in high spirits.

Prime Minister Qurei convened a meeting of the PA’s National Security Council in Ramallah yesterday afternoon. Among other issues, the council discussed ways to rein in the state of anarchy in the territories, notably in the Gaza Strip, which has been the scene of a spate of kidnappings of PA officials and foreigners, seizures of PA buildings, and shooting attacks.