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Posted on 01/16/2005 12:46:43 PM PST by deaconjim
JERUSALEM - A top PLO decision-making body called on Palestinian militants Sunday to halt attacks against Israel, charging that the violence gives Israel an excuse to carry out military operations.
The PLO Executive Committee issued its statement in Ramallah. It followed a militant attack late Thursday at the Karni crossing between Gaza and Israel that left six Israeli civilians dead, setting off Israeli reprisal raids in Gaza.
After the attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Sharon cut off contacts with the regime of Mahmoud Abbas, sworn in Saturday as Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s successor as head of the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites).
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, downplayed the Palestinian statement, saying the Palestinians will be judged by their deeds and not their words.
In its statement, the PLO body called on militants to "stop all the military action that might harm our national goals and give the Israelis an excuse to obstruct Palestinian stability."
Abbas has spoken out against Palestinian violence but has rejected Israeli demands to confront the militant groups, preferring to negotiate a truce instead.
On Sunday, Sharon said he had ordered Israeli forces to intensify efforts to stop Palestinian attacks, adding that the military would act without restrictions until Palestinian leaders take action against militants themselves.
On Saturday, the Israeli military launched a broad raid into Gaza that killed five Palestinians. Three more Palestinians were killed in separate incidents.
For their part, militants fired homemade rockets Saturday at the Israeli town of Sderot, critically wounding a teenage girl. Hamas militants fired two more rockets at Sderot on Sunday. In the last two weeks, attacks in Gaza increased from 40 a week to 100, the military said.
"The army and the security forces have been instructed to increase operational activity to stop terrorism and they will continue to do so without restrictions — I emphasize without restrictions — so long as the Palestinians don't lift a finger," Sharon said. "The operational level has been instructed to take any step necessary to stop the terrorism."
Senior military officials said on condition of anonymity that the army was considering either a major raid into Gaza or several small operations against militants. The military prefers the second option, fearing a broad operation would ruin Abbas' chances for success, the officials said.
On Sunday night, a large explosion was heard in northern Gaza, residents said, but its cause was not immediately known. The Israeli military had no comment.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath condemned the threatened military action.
"At the same time that Abu Mazen says he will work hard to return to the peace track, Sharon declares a military escalation," Shaath said, referring to Abbas by his nickname. "I'm afraid Sharon will say that Abu Mazen is following Arafat's path and so they will not deal with Abu Mazen."
The new violence may reflect militants' desire to prove their strength and compel Abbas to take them into account as he begins his tenure.
In his inaugural speech Saturday, Abbas condemned the violence, urged an immediate cease-fire and said he was extending Israel his hand in peace.
Israeli officials said the speech was disappointing because Abbas did not say how he planned to stop attacks — making only a vague mention of how he would deal with the violent groups — and many wondered whether the window of opportunity created by Arafat's death was already closing.
"Despite the change in Palestinian leadership, we see that at the top they have not started any activity to stop the terrorism," Sharon said Sunday. "This situation cannot continue."
Some in Israel criticized Sharon's decision to cut ties with Abbas, saying he did not give the new Palestinian leader a chance to prove himself.
"He hasn't been in power long enough to crack down on terrorism," said Israeli Environment Minister Shalom Simhon, a member of the Labor Party.
The violence was only one of the serious challenges facing Abbas. As he was inaugurated, 46 election officials resigned, accusing his ruling Fatah (news - web sites) party and intelligence officials of pressuring them to abruptly change procedures on election day — including keeping polls open longer and allowing voters to cast ballots in any location.
The new rules gave Abbas supporters more opportunities to vote but did not fundamentally affect the final tally, they said.
The officials said they wanted to warn that such actions could be easily repeated during July's parliamentary elections.
"I was personally threatened and pressured," said Ammar Dwaik, the commission's deputy chairman. "I am therefore announcing my resignation publicly, so that everyone knows that in the upcoming legislative election, this could happen again."
Hamas demanded an immediate inquiry into the allegations and insisted that whoever is responsible be held accountable.
"These mass resignations put a big question mark on the credibility of the voter turnout and the results," Hamas said in a statement Sunday.
At a four-hour meeting late Saturday between Islamic Jihad and Fatah leaders in Gaza, the militants refused to even discuss a truce.
"The issue of cease-fire cannot be discussed while the Israelis are escalating their attacks against our people, while the atmosphere is tense," said Nafez Azzam, a senior Islamic Jihad leader at the talks.
Other militant leaders, including Mousa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, also reserved the right to continue attacks, though some indicated they might be ready to reach a deal.
Palestinians will be judged by their deeds and not their words.
It's obligatory for them to say this after Sharon gives the order for the IDF to raze Gaza. Why didn't they mention this before?
Note the language used (same as they always use): "gives an excuse to..."
Not, if we kill Israelis they have just cause to attack us. No, they say if we kill them, it gives them an excuse to attack us.
And people really think that the Palestinians will ever make peace with Israel, regardless of who is leading them?
WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
Ragheads are like our demwits,they just do not get it.
Not an excuse. A damn good reason.
The more things change..the more they stay the same. Same ole..Same ole. This is probably a speech taken straight from Arafat's files.
Careful, one of them might be offended by that remark. Wouldn't want that to happen now, would we?
The PLO is so predictable it is downright laughable.
One would think that after 60 years their mindset would have changed a little.
Yeah, right. These psychos will never change.
More succinctly:
Actions speak louder than words.
Yes, I caught that, too. I guess in their minds, "reason" = "excuse".
should be translated into Arabic and distributed widely throughout the Holy Land.
Yasser used to mouth similar platitudes whenever Palis murdered Jews, forcing Israel to retaliate. Abbas is Yasser-lite.
Give it to the demons!
You are NOT WORTHY.
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