(Jerusalem Post) - Margot Dudkevitch Israel had hoped to see changes on the ground and witness Palestinian security officials cracking down on the terrorist organizations and thwarting attacks against Israel. So far nothing has changed and despite the new cabinet, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat continues to remain in control, holding all the strings, handing down instructions to his cohorts in Fatah, and advising them when to escalate resistance operations against Israel. Terrorist elements on the ground perceive Arafat's orders as a green light to continue with their strategy of using violence as a means to gain their political aspirations. The recent escalation against Israeli communities and IDF positions in the Gaza Strip is also because the hard-core terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have opted to continue resistance against Israel, believing that Abbas's call to halt violence will lead to their downfall and humiliation. The Palestinians' failure to quell the terror has forced Israel to take the initiative and operate intensively to thwart terrorist activities under extremely complex conditions.
2003-05-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive