Posted on 02/28/2005 5:29:08 AM PST by SJackson
Palestinians Slam Israeli Threats as Counterproductive Shaath: Sharon's Measures Would Sabotage Truce
28/02/2005 Palestine Media Center - PMC [Official PA website]
www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=810
The Palestine National Authority (PNA) has slammed as counterproductive and "a recipe for more violence" the Israeli Prime Minister's threats to escalate military actions against the Palestinian people, resume extra-judicial killings of anti-occupation activists, freeze peace contacts, and suspend the agreed upon confidence-building measures, including withdrawal from five Palestinian towns and releasing more detainees.
Ariel Sharon said Sunday that peace efforts with the Palestinians would be frozen and "there will be no progress politically, and I repeat no political progress," if they don't "carry out a determined campaign to destroy" what he described as "the terrorist groups and their infrastructure."
He also said that Israel would be escalating military measures as his "defense" minister Shaul Mofaz announced the resumption of extra-judicial killing of Islamic Jihad activists.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has insisted that inter-Palestinian dialogue is the only way to reach a national consensus on how to protect national interests and repeatedly rejected Israeli dictates to crack down on Palestinian factions as a recipe for infighting and civil war.
Inter-Palestinian dialogue that was scheduled in Cairo for March 5 was postponed to March 15, Egypt's official news agency MENA reported Sunday.
Speaking after Palestinian security forces had arrested at least three men in the West Bank in the hunt for those behind the Tel Aviv bombing on Friday, Abbas said he remained committed to a truce with Israel and was exchanging information with Israel, the US and Europe.
Abbas said Saturday that a "third party" was responsible for Tel Aviv bombing.
Qurei Dismisses Sharon's Warnings
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei dismissed Sharon's warnings.
"If Israel wants to cut off contacts with the Palestinians, it will be its own decision and we will not cry," Qurei told reporters. "But we say that there is an opportunity begun in Sharm el-Sheikh and we want to develop this effort," referring to the Abbas-Sharon summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort where the truce was declared on February 8.
On Saturday, Qurei also slammed Israel's decision to continue building the illegal Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land as proof that Israel was not serious about achieving peace.
The Palestinian premier said the Palestinians would not agree to an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip "at the expense of the West Bank and Jerusalem."
He said his Israeli counterpart's basic objective was to "swallow the West Bank and annex Jerusalem, fooling the world, destroying the peace process and preventing the establishment of a viable Palestinian state."
Israel's decision to build hundreds of settlers' units in Jerusalem "confirms the Israeli government is not serious in achieving a just and durable peace" in the region, he added.
Qurei criticized the international community's "hurry to applaud the strategy of Ariel Sharon," insisting the latter was proposing a "unilateral solution that he wants and does not include the references of international legitimacy."
Shaath: Israel Reverting to Policy of Pretexts
On his part, Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information Nabil Shaath said Monday that the PNA is in contact on different levels with Israel and international parties in order to avert the collapse of Sharm el-Sheikh understandings and to protect the truce.
Responding to Israel's decision to suspend withdrawing its occupation forces from Palestinian towns and reverting to extra-judicial killings, Shaath said that, "these measures would sabotage the results of Sharm el-Sheikh," he told Al-Ayyam daily.
The Israelis are using "what happened in Tel Aviv as a pretext to torpedo all what we agreed upon in Sharm el-Sheikh. Should they revert to assassinations they will ignite the whole cycle of violence again," he added.
Shaath indicated that the Israeli "frantic escalation of settlement activity" and the Israeli "procrastination" on withdrawal from Palestinian towns "preceded the Tel Aviv bombing" on Friday.
An Israeli Recipe for More Violence, Says Khatib
Separately, Palestinian Planning Minister Ghassan Khatib told Reuters that Sharon's threats on Sunday "would be a recipe for more violence."
Khatib added that Israeli reactions were "punishable towards the Palestinian side (and) prove from previous experience that they are more harmful."
Israel's suspension of transferring security control of Palestinian towns to the PNA would not serve Israeli or Palestinian interests, Khatib told Voice of Palestine Radio.
Khatib also denied the PNA had accused Lebanon's Hizbullah guerilla group of involvement in Tel Aviv bombing, saying the media "should be careful not to take news related to the Palestinian side from Israeli sources."
Israeli Dictates
The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday delivered a litany of dictates to the PNA.
Addressing his cabinet in forceful tones, Sharon said that President Mahmoud Abbas' "immediate test" was to act against Islamic Jihad, which reportedly claimed responsibility for the first deadly Palestinian attack in Israel since November.
"Recently, Israel has been showing restraint in order to facilitate progress. However, it is clear that if the Palestinians do not begin to take vigorous action against terrorism, Israel will be compelled to step up military activity that is designed to protect the lives of Israeli citizens," Sharon said.
At the Israeli cabinet meeting Sunday, Israel decided to suspend a plan to turn control of five West Bank towns over to the Palestinians and free 400 more detainees in the jails of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). Those confidence-building gestures were agreed upon by Abbas and Sharon in Sharm el-Sheikh.
"Defense" Minister Shaul Mofaz told the cabinet that Israel had handed Abbas a list of Palestinians it expected to be arrested.
"Justice" Minister Tzipi Livni said plans to release another 400 could be halted unless Abbas moved against the anti-occupation factions.
"It was agreed (with the Palestinians) that the release of the 400 other prisoners would be linked with their action" against what she described as "militants," she told Israeli public television. "It's time we reminded them of that," she added.
All cease fires are Hudnas. These people believe all Jews must convert or die. Christian Pallies and Egyptians could tell you.
Enough already!!! Just carpet-bomb the place and be done with it! Nobody wants this craphole, and the world will be better off.
But why be so public about his intentions? Why not just let Mossad do some of it's magic? Or just turn loose some DISGUISED Special Forces on the Palestinian murderers?
Abbas, Arafat's after-birth sprung to life, says "third-party" figures, third-party figures no one seems to be able to name, were responsible for the senseless slaughter.
Fine, Israel should use the same tactics as Her enemies. Kill all those who would do Her harm, remain mum about it . . . or use the "third-party" excuse . . . and keep up the public pretense as Abbas and the Palli-pukes do.
Who's going to prove Sharon wrong? The media whores who report the action from the safety of their hotel bars?
No need to announce to the whole world what your intentions are. When you're at war with Gutter Rats . . . play by Gutter Rules.
When the Palli-Pukes realize they can no longer cry to the media . . . when the Pukes realize their action or IN-action, whichever the case may be, results in serious repercussions . . . when the Pukes' terrorist sons start falling like Democrats in FAIR elections, they'll change their tune.
Pali-fubars blather again - Ping!
This is good news. Abbas has to prove he can control the terror before he is given more responsibility over territory. Israeli reassertion of control of those West Bank towns was a hard battle in military/life costs and in PR. Israel should not relinquish it again without knowing that terror will not ensue.
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