Leftist Activists Attempt to Smuggle Wanted Terrorists
(IsraelNN.com) Chief Operations Officer of the IDF General Staff, Major General Giora Island, stated that a delegation of Western leftist activists and reporters, who had entered Ramallah to show their support for the isolated PLO leader, attempted to smuggle 20 wanted terrorists out of Arafat’s headquarters. The terrorists had found sanctuary in the Ramallah offices of the Palestinian Authority leader, but tried to escape undetected by intermingling with the leftist activists as they exited the compound. However, as the delegation of forty foreign activists and reporters, along with the 20 wanted terrorists, exited the Muk’ata compound, they were taken into custody by Israeli soldiers.
The IDF Central Command had declared Ramallah a closed military zone, making the very presence of civilians in the city a violation of security measures. The reporters among the group are expected to face sanctions on their future work in Israel. The IDF Spokesman’s office stated that the delegation endangered their own lives and the lives of IDF soldiers by their effrontery.
The European activists and reporters marched into Ramallah today, ignoring the warning shots fired by IDF soldiers and the declaration of Ramallah as a closed military zone. They met with Arafat, posed for photographs and presented the PLO leader with a t-shirt. A French member of the group stated that “if IDF soldiers shoot, they must be aware that they are also shooting at European citizens.” They next attempted to smuggle out wanted PLO terrorists, but were, as reported, apprehended.
In light of the serious incident, the Minister of the Interior, Eli Yishai, intends to forbid the entry of foreign leftist activists into Israel.