Posted on 04/28/2005 11:34:46 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
JERUSALEM - In his toughest warning to militants, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday threatened to strike with an "iron fist" anyone who violates a truce with Israel and pledged quiet during Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements this summer.
Meanwhile, about 10,000 Israelis streamed into one of the West Bank settlements slated for evacuation to protest the pullout. The rally, far smaller than organizers had expected, followed a protest in a Gaza settlement bloc Wednesday that also was smaller than planned.
Abbas has been under heavy pressure from Israel and the United States to crack down on militants, who had a relatively free hand under Abbas' predecessor, the late Yasser Arafat. Abbas has preferred to negotiate with the militants, who are viewed as resistance heroes by many Palestinians.
Most of the militant groups have agreed to a truce with Israel, declared in February. While violence has dropped sharply, militants have fired salvos of rockets and homemade missiles at Jewish settlements in Gaza in recent weeks as part of an effort to prove they are driving Israel out under fire.
Militants fired an anti-tank missile at a Gaza settlement on Thursday and attacked army posts with gunfire and a mortar shell, causing no injuries, the army said.
In a speech to Palestinian police, Abbas said such violence cannot be tolerated.
"Whoever wants to sabotage (the truce) with rocket fire or shooting must be stopped by us, even if that requires using force," Abbas said, according to a summary of the speech published Thursday by the Palestinian government news agency WAFA. "There is a national consensus regarding the calm, and whoever leaves this consensus will be struck by an iron fist."
No one has claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, although a tiny group, the Popular Resistance Committees, has said it opposes the cease-fire and is suspected by Israel of being behind some of the violence.
The biggest militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have largely honored the truce. Hamas appears to be focusing on Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for July.
Israeli military commanders fear Gaza militants will step up attacks as the pullout approaches, though Abbas said Palestinian security would work to prevent violence.
"We have to give them a calm departure," he said.
Though polls show a strong majority of Israelis supporting the withdrawal, settlers and their sympathizers have worked to torpedo the pullout.
On Thursday, armored buses packed with 10,000 demonstrators streamed into the tiny hilltop settlement of Homesh in the northern West Bank, a community of 55 families slated for evacuation.
Etti Rosenblatt, a Homesh spokeswoman, said she is begrudgingly coming to terms with the withdrawal.
"I'm happy that all of the people have come today. But really it's too late," she said.
Settler leader Bentsi Lieberman told protesters they would receive hand-delivered letters telling them how to resist the pullout. Israeli authorities have said they feared opposition to the withdrawal could turn violent.
Far-right lawmaker Arieh Eldad called for civil disobedience.
"You can stop everything in this country — buses, trains, electricity. We will stop this country," he told the crowd.
Similar comments by Eldad Wednesday at a rally of 40,000 people in Gaza's Gush Katif settlement bloc drew widespread condemnation, with officials accusing the legislator of incitement and encouraging violence.
In the West Bank village of Bilin, Israeli troops clashed with hundreds at a joint Israeli-Palestinian protest against the West Bank separation barrier. Israel recently began construction of the barrier at the site. More than 20 people were slightly wounded, including an Arab-Israeli lawmaker and an AP photographer. Witnesses said two Palestinians and three Israeli protesters were arrested.
The army said it had opened fire with "non-lethal" means to disperse the crowd after they ignored orders to break up the demonstration.
Did he say this with a straight face?
Thanks!
New generation of shallow threats......film at 11.
Stay safe Norm !
Did he say it in Arabic? In that culture, English is the language of lies and the truth is only told in Arabic.
"Boy oh boy. I'm gonna be super-duper, 150-percent major angry with anyone of you knuckleheads who breaks the big truce with the devil-loving Zionists!!!! Or my name isn't Larry, er, Mac Abbas."
Iron Fist? What's in it? Reese's Pieces?
Good for Abbas, I hope he carries through with it.
Yeah, what did he say in Arabic later in the day?
He doesn't HAVE an Iron Fist.
Whatever you say Abbas...
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats a GOOD one!
Abbas to get tough with militants!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm dying!~}
"Abbas Vows 'Iron Fist' Against Militants"
In other news, the world is flat, the moon is made of green cheese, and Bill Clinton did not have sex with "that woman!"
Yeah, all except for the suicide bombers they captured, weapons imported through tunnels, shots fired at civilians on the freeways, bombs and bomber belts captured, and the mad mullahs screaming death to the Jews, its been a real break in the action...
Did he say this with a straight face?
Abbas faces a very tough future. I wish himn luck, but we have heard these words before.
Ditto. The problem for Abbas is that it's virtually impossible for him to prevent the nut jobs from killing people. There are too many of them, and it only takes one moron with a bomb jacket to screw things up.
Meanwhile, the people Abbas relies on to enforce his "iron fist" policy have made it abundantly clear that they have no interest in shooting at their fellow Palestinians -- terrorists or not.
So if this plan actually works, it will be a bona fide miracle, and I ain't holding my breath.
The Middle East is like a movie theater: all it takes is just one jerk with a cell phone to ruin the show.
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