Daily Alert Archives

Helping the Chick Grow Its Feathers

(Ha'aretz) Uzi Benziman - Israel intends to propose to the new Palestinian leadership to take over security responsibility for the cities of the West Bank, and to impose law and order in them. Sharon intends to grab the opportunity offered with the election of Abu Mazen and not wait for Abu Mazen the chick to grow its feathers. The starting point is that Abu Mazen was elected on a platform that expressed his intent to end the terror and impose law and order in the PA. The prevailing view in the Israeli defense establishment is that Abu Mazen should be pressed to strike while the iron is hot, and start dismantling the armed organizations. The assessments are that Abu Mazen is in favor and understands it is his first priority, but he refuses to use force to achieve the goal. In Jerusalem they fear that his approach, no matter how understandable from his point of view, will expose him to domestic difficulties that will foil his intentions. And in the Israeli power centers they say that if Abu Mazen is not quick to impose his will on the terror organizations, there will be major terror attacks that will send the conflict back into the cycle of bloodshed.
2005-01-14 00:00:00
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