So
Far, So Bad
by Chuck Chriss
President, JIA
The so-called Road Map was formally released on
April 30, 2003, less than 3 weeks ago. Reading from the official
document on the US State Dept. web site, we find the key requirements
for Palestinian compliance in Phase I under the caption “Security”.
That reads, in part:
“Palestinians declare an unequivocal end to violence
and terrorism and undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest,
disrupt, and restrain individuals and groups conducting and planning
violent attacks on Israelis anywhere.”
As anyone familiar with the history of Israel and
the region knows, Israel’s security has been and continues to be
the real issue. There has never been a time when Israel could relax
its guard and assume that its neighbors had benign intentions. Quite
the opposite, of course. So it is of utmost importance that the
new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas show Israel, and the
world, that things have changed, that his government can be trusted
in a way previous Arab governments could not be. That is why Phase
I calls for these moves to ensure Israel’s security and that is
why the Sharon government has resisted making any commitment to
the Road Map unless and until the Palestinian Arabs show their changes
are in fact underway.
So what has happened since April 30th? The Israel
Insider web site has a convenient map that lists, day by day,
security incidents in Israel. Here is some of what they report:
- 4/30 Armed Palestinian killed as he approached
IDF border post
- 4/30 Two armed Palestinians killed as they tried
to infiltrate Givat Sakali
- 4/30 3 killed, 55 injured by bombing at Mike’s
Place in Tel Aviv
- 5/1 Palestinian killed after opening fire on
Hermesh
- 5/2 Bomb discovered and exploded by IDF in Gaza,
mortars fired at Gaza settlements
- 5/3 IDF soldier wounded by attacker in Jenin
- 5/5 Gideon Lichterman killed, others wounded
by gunfire in Shvut Rachel
- 5/6 Mortars fired at Neve Dekalim during holiday
celebrations
- 5/8 Terrorist killed by own car bomb in Kfar
Darom
- 5/9 Young Israeli girl injured by Kassam rocket
fire in Sderot
- 5/10 3-yr old girl injured by stones thrown at
children playing in Hebron
- 5/10 Two Israeli girls wounded when Kassam rockets
fired at Neve Dekalim
- 5/11 Zion David killed in Ofra by terrorist ambush
- 5/12 Two Palestinians killed as they plant a
bomb in Rafia
- 5/13 Mortar fire in Gush Katif injures 10 IDF
soldiers
- 5/13 IDF soldier stabbed by Palestinian approaching
outpost in Gush Katif
- 5/13 Sderot factory set on fire by Kassam rocket,
seveal Israels injured
- 5/13 Israeli woman injured by thrown stones in
Halhoul
- 5/14 IDF soldiers killed three armed Palestinians
as they approached an army outpost near Netzarim
- 5/14 Two wanted Fatah members killed near Nablus
after firing on IDF troops
- 5/15 IDF enters Beit Hanoun to suppress Kassam
rocket attacks from there; 5 Palestinians killed resisting IDF
- 5/16 Israeli woman wounded by terrorist gunfire
near Obed
- 5/16 IDF soldier injured when bomb explodes near
tank in Beit Hanoun
- 5/17 Gunfight against terrorist infiltrators
at Shaarei Tikva; one Israeli man injured, two terrorists killed
- 5/17 Hamas terrorist explodes bomb in Hebron
killing Gadi and Dina Levy
- 5/18 Seven killed and 20 injured by homicide
bomber on bus in Jerusalem; second bomber kills only self at checkpoint
The above is not an exhaustive list; it only includes
incidents where Israelis were injured or killed, or where an armed
attack was repelled. There are many other incidents where terrorists
are apprehended, illegal weapons confiscated, or plots detected
and stopped.
Although such a terrorist activity level would probably
paralyze the US or any European country, these incidents are not
unusual for Israel. The very ordinary-ness is exactly the point
— nothing has changed for Israel since the Road Map, since Mahmoud
Abbas. The intolerable continues.
So are you reassured by the record so far? In real
countries, with real governments, armed bands of terrorists are
hunted down like rabid animals. There are no excuses about “rogue
elements” or “we can’t control them”. That’s all window dressing
for those who want any excuse to weaken and ultimately destroy Israel.
If Abbas is serious about peace, then we must see Palestinian Arab
security forces hunting down Hamas et al. like the rabid dogs they
are, jailing them forever or killing them. Nothing else will do.
Not pronouncements, not negotiations, not intentions.
The only justification for the “Road Map” is the
assumption that the “new” Palestinian Arab government of Mahmoud
Abbas will provide reasonable guarantees of security for Israel.
Without that, there is nothing. But I put the word “new” in quotes
because there is very little new. The dismal record of the last
few weeks is exactly what to expect from Palestinian Arab leadership
that is still tied to and controlled by Yassir Arafat and his “Tunisian
Mafia” cronies. Don’t expect any changes unless and until truly
new leaders arise, if that can ever happen.
In one way the current situation is actually good.
It is good because the worst thing for Israel would be a temporary
halt to terrorist violence leading to intolerable pressure on Israel
to make a very bad deal with the Palestinian Arabs. Since the Palestinian
Arabs continue to reveal the evil nature of their leadership, the
danger to Israel is actually lessened.
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