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Peace is Up to the Palestinians

(IDF Spokesperson/IMRA) IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon - The IDF Chief of Staff told the Foreign Press Association on Tuesday: Today, we are nearly four and a half years into the conflict, and the alerts for attacks - including suicide attacks within Israel - continue. Israel has seen many wars since the founding of the state, but no conflict has been as intense, as long, and as close to home, as the present conflict with the Palestinians. The number of Israeli dead - 1,012 to date - is similar to the losses we knew in previous wars - but two-thirds of the dead are civilians. If, in the past, protecting the State of Israel meant patrolling the borders against enemy tanks and planes, today it means arresting wanted terrorists in their homes and checking the personal belongings of people at checkpoints. Let us be clear: It was only the sustained military effort, starting with Operation Defensive Shield in the spring of 2002, which brought the reduction in terror. The reduction in terror has also helped the Palestinians. The economic situation in West Bank cities is much more stable than it was two years ago. Just as in wars past, we will not give up on our moral standard in the name of combat. We see a picture of a man playing his violin at a checkpoint, and then we find that the soldiers - as they must - asked the man to open the violin case. But they did not ask him to play. In fact, they asked him to stop playing. If there are ethical questions and dilemmas that arise from our operational activity, we will struggle with them and discuss them. That is a source of strength for us, not weakness. It is up to the Palestinians. If they stop terror, if they stop incitement, we will be able to move to the Roadmap. We will also help facilitate the elections for the PA, and do our share to allow freedom of movement on election day.
2004-12-08 00:00:00
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