(Ha'aretz) The young woman terrorist negotiated with the Border Policemen and appealed to their compassion. She presented herself as an ailing invalid and burst into tears, imploring the security men to let her through. The Erez checkpoint is the sole crossing point for Palestinians from Gaza who want to enter Israel to work. The checkpoint represents the front line of Israel's effort to draw a distinction between military activities against terrorists, and a readiness to allow innocent people to earn their daily bread. The PA cannot pretend that it is not implicated. The weak, tepid sentiments - in fact the condoning - in PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's response to the attack, plus Fatah's joint responsibility for it, cannot be squared with a claim that lack of progress in diplomatic negotiations is the sole reason for the continuing violence. The terror strike will probably oblige the security forces to develop more stringent inspections that will further burden entry procedures to Israel. This is what happens when terror organizations strike at sites that have tried to make life easier for the innocent civilian population.
2004-01-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive