Israeli opposition leader, Shimon Peres, is worried that Jewish extremists may try to kill the country's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Peres said the divisive political climate reminds him of nearly a decade ago when then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by an ultra-nationalist for his peace deal with the Palestinians.

Sharon is facing intense opposition to his "unilateral disengagement", which would remove thousands of settlers from their homes in Gaza and the northern West Bank.

However next week, the Israeli parliament is to vote on the disengagement plan. And Sharon is expected to win the vote with the help of the moderate Labor Party, headed by Peres.

Peres says the hostility towards Sharon reminds him of the time before the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.

Leader of Israeli Labor Party Shimon Peres said, "There are similarities but it is not the climate that kills persons, there is a person that kills persons."

Israel says it will never allow such a tragedy to happen again.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said, "We had enough a decade ago, there is no way we can allow ourselves to experience the same trauma again. There were always threats against Prime Ministers, from all sides, from all directions and I think that we need at this time, at this hour, to call for a pause."

In recent days, posters have appeared across the country showing a picture of Sharon, the word "crazy" and three question marks written across his forehead. Some accuse Sharon of "tearing the nation apart."

Extreme Right Wing Activist Baruch Ben Yosef said, "The Prime Minister is a traitor, he has committed treason against the foundation of Zionism which is settlements and his acts are treasonous and he should be put on trial and thrown into jail."

Jewish settlers say they feel betrayed by Sharon, who for decades was the main force behind settlement expansion in the West Bank and Gaza.

Source: CCTV.com