Posted on 03/17/2002 12:40:42 PM PST by l33t
AMALLAH, West Bank, March 17 — It is hard to find anyone here in this Palestinian center who does not believe that attacks should continue full force against Israel, even as the United States' special envoy pursues his increasingly difficult task of trying to achieve a cease-fire between the two sides.
Palestinians say that Yasir Arafat, their leader, has issued no order in recent days to stop the terror attacks and probably could not enforce one in any case. Numerous Palestinians, in interviews today, showed no remorse for the Israelis injured and killed in today's attacks. The opposite, in fact.
This suggests that, even if General Zinni succeeds in bringing about a cease-fire among the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Mr. Arafat will have a difficult time bringing along the rank and file even among his own supporters. Numerous other Palestinians, in Islamic Jihad, Hamas and other militant movements, hold no allegiance to Mr. Arafat and his agreements.
Today's attack, "boosted the morale of our people," said Iyhab, a Palestinian gunmen who declined to give his full name, echoing the sentiments of numerous people interviewed here this afternoon. He was referring to the gunman who opened fire in the central Israeli town of Kfar Saba this afternoon, killing a schoolgirl.
The gunman, a grim-faced 22-year-old, said he was an Arafat loyalist; he was walking with the aid of a metal crutch because of a gunshot wound to the leg suffered in fighting with Israeli troops here on Tuesday. He insisted that he would not accept a cease-fire now, saying, "This is the position of all the factions."
Abu Iyad, the chief of an intelligence unit in the Palestinian security force, said today's attacks were "a natural reaction to Israel's action — for every action there is a reaction."
As he strode down a Ramallah street, 20 armed men, some in uniform, walked just behind him. "Arafat is not in a position now to go to the people and ask for a cease-fire, until the Israelis end their incursion," he said.
Over the last week, Israeli troops have entered Bethlehem, Ramallah and several Palestinian refugee camps in areas that are supposed to be under Palestinian control. Most of the troops have been pulled back, but some still occupy parts of Bethlehem, where they exchanged fire with Palestinians today; the outskirts of Ramallah; and some other areas. Over the last week dozens of Palestinians have been shot to death by Israeli troops.
"Until this moment there has been no order for a cease-fire," Mr. Iyad said. "It would be a difficult thing to convince our people to stop our attacks until the other side shows us something first." By that he apparently meant complete withdrawal from Palestinian controlled areas.
This afternoon, Yasir Abed Rabbo, the Palestinian information minister, told Israel radio: "Why should we give anything in return for an invasion? An invasion should be stopped, and then we sit and talk about a cease-fire."
The Israeli foreign minister, Shimon Peres, in a news conference on Saturday night, placed a similar demand upon the Palestinians, which he said would have to be met before the rest of the troops would withdraw from Palestinian-controlled areas.
"We took a unilateral action to pull our troops back," he said, and before the rest are pulled back, "we would like to see some response from the Palestinians, an engagement to prevent terror."
There was no such engagement today. In addition to the Kfar Saba attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Jerusalem, killing himself and lightly injuring 25 Israelis.
All of that pleased the Palestinians.
"If someone attacks your house, you defend yourself," said Hamad Sulliman, who said he was a member of Tanzim, the militant wing of Mr. Arafat's Fatah movement. "I am telling you I will not listen to any instructions from the Palestinian Authority as long as Israel continues its aggression. Only then will we talk about a cease-fire."
Others said they would not accept a cease-fire under any circumstances.
"Internally we are against any kind of cease-fire," said an armed gunman named Tasir, who would not give his last name but said he was a security officer for the Palestinian Authority. Several of his armed colleagues stood by nodding as he spoke.
"We are security people, and it is our responsibility to implement orders," he said. "But we are not in a position to implement any kind of cease-fire agreement. It is in our blood, every one of us. We will continue fighting."
Why not? The strategy of terrorism works handsomely for them. They might be stupid, but they are not that stupid!
I guess it's a good thing I'm not the Isreali prime minister. First, I'm neither an Isreali nor a Jew, so it would be a bit awkward. Second, I'd blast those losers to kingdom come. They want to be martyrs, so why not let them be martyrs? I wouldn't deliberately kill civilians, but I would cast a wide net, so to speak. I wouldn't worry about killing 500 people to get the perpetrators of terrorists who killed 10, expecially since those 500 people seem to support the terrorists.
Actually, we don't know who or what those people really support since they have neither democracy nor freedom of speech. But if they were getting wiped out in large enough numbers in retaliation to terrorist strikes against Israel, maybe they would find some incentive to get democracy and free speech. Then perhaps they could find leaders who are not terrorists.
You are so very wrong!
The Palis have 100% freedom of speech!
Provided it is hate speech against Israel!
Anyway, I see things getting a lot worse -- much much much much worse -- before they get better. In a few months Israel might be at war with the entire Arab world. I can see Iraq launching chemical weapons at Israel, Israel nuking Iraq, and Jordan's King Abdullah being thrown out on the street.
Does the press believe that anyone is still stupid enough to be buying this lame statement? How many times are they going to repeat the same rediculous a$$$$$certion that Arafat is not behind these attacks, is not very much in control of these attacks, and expect people to buy into it?
They simply have to lose, not because of the justice or injustice of their cause, but because of the way they have chosen to fight.
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