Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided Wednesday that Israel will undertake military action in response to the Jerusalem suicide bombing which killed 20 people on Tuesday, if the Palestinian Authority fails to take action against Hamas.
Sharon held a meeting Wednesday morning with security chiefs, in which it was decided that Israel will give the diplomatic process a chance in the long run, but in the short term will attack the perpetrators of the attack.
Participants in the meeting said that it was decided not to expel Yasser Arafat from his Ramallah headquarters.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Islamists Wednesday called upon Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) to return to dialogue following his announcement that he cuts ties with these factions. The faction leaders have also expressed their concerns to Al Bawaba about possible punitive action by the Palestinian security service against Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders and activists.
Islamic Jihad leader Mohammad al Hindi reiterated that his movement has not received anything official from the Palestinian government about Abu Mazen’s intention to boycott the Islamic factions. “All we know of this issue has come to us from the media,” adding “I don’t believe there will be a ‘break’ between us and Abu Mazen’s government.”
On his part, Ismaeel Abu Shanab, a prominent Hamas leader - whose movement claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s Jerusalem bombing - told Al Bawaba, “there will be no ‘divorce’ between us and the Palestinian government… those who talk about this issue just want to create a rift among the Palestinian people.”
He added that his movement was preparing for talks with Abu Mazen following a request from officials in his government. Abu Shanab confirmed that this request did not mention anything about a boycott or a halt to dialogue between them. Moreover, he also asserted that there are no indications of an ‘end to talks’ between the Islamists and the Palestinian government.
Earlier on Wednesday, news reports cited Palestinian officials as saying that Abu Mazen has made the decision to cut all communication and dialogue with Palestinian Islamists, and has vowed to go after the suicide bombers.
Abbas' move has come after Israel, in response to last night’s attacks, stopped negotiations with the Palestinians regarding the handover of four West Bank cities that Israel reoccupied in the past few months.
Prior to the Jerusalem attack on Tuesday, Abu Mazen met with representatives from the Islamic Jihad. Al Hindi, who took part in the meeting, described its atmosphere as normal and warm saying “The meeting was about several issues including the situation in the region and Abu Mazen’s recent tour [of the Gulf region], in addition to Israel’s ongoing violations against the Palestinian land and its people”. He added, “It also addressed the Israeli delay in withdrawing its forces and releasing the Palestinian prisoners, however we did not about extending the truce in any way.”
“At the meeting, the Islamic Jihad reaffirmed its compliance and commitment to the truce, as well as its serious concerns over the Israeli violations and their own lack of commitment to the truce,” said al Hindi.
When asked about leaked reports regarding orders Abu Mazen has given his Security Minister - Mohammad Dahlan – for the necessary actions to be taken against the masterminds of Jerusalem attack, al Hindi reiterated that “the dialogue among the Palestinians is the basis for solving all our internal problems. I don’t think anybody from the PA or the opposition wants to see any internal fighting.”
A Palestinian security source has said that the PA “would soon take harsh security measures against Hamas and Islamic Jihad members.” However, it is not yet apparent how Abu Mazen will be implementing his promises to the Israelis, particularly in view of the fact that the Palestinian security force in the West Bank has become ineffective following Israel’s attacks against Palestinian activists.
Abu Shanab reiterated to Al Bawaba his movement’s commitment to the announced truce with Israel; however, he did state that Israel needed to do its part as well.
“Israel has to comply with the truce, otherwise we will respond to any of its violations [to the truce]. This is now the position of our movement as we are fed up with Israel’s repeated violations to the so-called ‘truce’ between us.”
On June 29, 2003, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad declared a ceasefire with Israel for a period of three months under which military and civilian attacks by Palestinians against Israel would be halted. In return, Israel was to cease its arrests and assassination attempts against Palestinian activists.
Since then, the Islamic movements in particular and the PA to a far lesser extent, have accused Israel of more than 1,000 violations to the truce, some of which have included the assassination and arrest of several commanders from the Islamic Jihad, in addition to Israeli incursions into Jenin and Rafah and the demolition of many Palestinian homes. This is in addition to the confiscation of Palestinian land for the building of the security wall between Israel and the West Bank.
By announcing the truce, the Islamic movements have attempted to prevent Europe, the US and Israel from enrolling them on the list of worldwide terror organizations, and hence, safeguard their money from confiscation and their members from being pursued.
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
