Lethal Gestures (JCPA-JERUSALEM CENTER FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS) JERUSALEM ISSUE BRIEF Vol. 3, No. 11 Dan Diker 12/18/03)
Source: http://www.jcpa.org/brief/brief3-11.htm
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Despite increasing Palestinian terror, U.S. Middle East envoy
David Satterfield "slammed" Israel on December 11 for
continued "restrictions on the movement" of Palestinian civilians,
according to a report in Ha´aretz. In addition, Secretary of State
Colin Powell urged Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on December 12 to
do more to alleviate Palestinian hardship, according to the
Washington Post.
Israel continues to pay a high price if it automatically accedes
to American pressure in this regard. On December 3, at the last
minute, Israeli security forces prevented two Palestinian suicide
attacks in Israel by Islamic Jihad terrorists, one against a school
in Yokneam and another in Beit She´an. Since the unilaterally
announced Palestinian hudna (cease-fire) of June 29, 2003, 85
Israelis have been killed and 417 wounded in Palestinian terror
attacks.
Among those killed in the Cafe Hillel attack in Jerusalem on
September 9, 2003, were Rabbi Dr. David Appelbaum, head of Shaare
Tzedek Hospital´s emergency room, and his daughter Nava, who was to
have been married the following day. Dr. Appelbaum´s death was a
particularly profound loss for the Jewish state since he was widely
recognized as a global authority on emergency medicine and had
personally cared for thousands of victims of Palestinian terror since
1981. Appelbaum was murdered by a Palestinian who had been released
from detention on February 2, 2003, as a "gesture."
Despite Israel´s repeated goodwill gestures and the prime
minister´s recent public statements indicating his intention to take
unilateral steps to improve the humanitarian situation among the
Palestinians, senior Israeli security officials warn that such moves
could create a terrorist "wonderland," enabling them to "rest, rearm,
and upgrade."
Israeli gestures in the absence of Palestinian security measures
have had proven lethal consequences for Israeli civilians and
soldiers alike. Improving the economic situation of the Palestinians
is important, but the precipitous removal of security measures can
cost lives. This point should be remembered before Israel is asked
again to undertake similar risks in the future.
On December 14, 2003, Palestinian terrorists launched twenty mortars
and seven anti-tank missiles at Jewish communities in the Gaza
district.1 This followed a Palestinian shooting attack that wounded
seven Jewish worshippers returning from prayer at Joseph´s Tomb in
Nablus on December 12. While security officials report receiving 52
separate warnings of impending terror attacks as of December 17,2 the
IDF announced it would continue to ease restrictions on the movement
of Palestinians throughout the West Bank.
The Israeli moves followed sharp criticism by U.S. Middle East envoy
David Satterfield who on December 11 "slammed" Israel for
continued "restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians"
and "the consistent failure to issue permits to Palestinians
identified as critical to the success of the reform effort,"
according to the Israeli daily Ha´aretz.3 In addition, Secretary of
State Colin Powell urged Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on December
12 to do more to alleviate Palestinian hardship, the Washington Post
reported.4
The Lethal Cost of Premature Gestures
Israel continues to pay a high price for acceding to American
pressure to ease West Bank restrictions. On December 3, at the last
minute, Israeli security forces prevented two Palestinian suicide
attacks in Israel by Islamic Jihad terrorists, one against a public
school in Yokneam and another in Beit She´an. According to news
reports, the terrorists, under the direction of Islamic Jihad
headquarters in Damascus, sought to enter Israel through the northern
Jordan Valley after the easing of security restrictions.5 Because of
Israel´s new security fence that separates Yokneam from the
terrorists´ staging area in Jenin, they were forced to travel a much
longer route around the fence to the Jordan Valley, providing the IDF
with critically needed time to learn of their plan and thwart it.
While the security fence has already repeatedly proven its utility,
U.S. officials continue to express their reservations about the
entire project.
On November 18, IDF sergeants Shlomo Belski and Shaul Lahav were shot
and killed at close range by a Palestinian terrorist as they stood
guard at a checkpoint near Bethlehem on the tunnel road linking
Jerusalem to the Gush Etzion communities south of the capital. The
attack was carried out by Jabbar al-Ahmad, 21, a member of the
Palestinian security services as well as the Al Aksa Martyrs
Brigades, a Fatah terror group under the direct control of Yasser
Arafat. According to IDF sources, this attack was only the latest in
a series of Palestinian terror actions against Israeli targets in the
area since Israel turned over full security control of Bethlehem to
the Palestinian Authority on July 1, 2003, as a goodwill gesture to
former PA prime minister Abu Mazen in exchange for promises that the
PA would combat terrorism and maintain security control.6 On October
24, a Fatah terror cell originating in Bethlehem opened fire at IDF
soldiers guarding the same checkpoint. Samir Amir, an officer in the
Palestinian military intelligence, was later arrested by the IDF for
participating in the attack.7 According to Israeli security
sources, "In the five months since the IDF turned over security
control of the Bethlehem area, Palestinian security agencies have yet
to prevent terror activities emanating from the area, despite PA
statements to the contrary."8
In the first three weeks of November 2003 alone, Israeli security
sources recorded 203 terror attacks against Israelis throughout the
West Bank, as well as four Kassam rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli
towns within pre-1967 Israel.
Since the unilaterally announced Palestinian hudna (cease-fire) of
June 29, 2003, 85 Israelis have been killed and 417 wounded in
Palestinian terror attacks, as of December 16, 2003.9 The hudna came
to a violent end on August 19 when a Hamas suicide bomber blew up a
Jerusalem city bus, murdering 23 Orthodox Jewish worshippers
returning from evening prayers at the Western Wall, many of them
children, and wounding nearly 150. One Israeli official noted
immediately following the attack that the bomber had "first looked
into the eyes of his victims before detonating his explosive belt."
Unilateral Gestures Have Cost Israel Some of its Most Treasured
Citizens
On September 9, 2003, Hamas terrorists struck twice more, murdering
16 people and wounding over 80 in two suicide bombings within the
space of six hours. Ihab Abdel Kader Salim, 19, killed nine Israeli
soldiers and wounded scores of others at a soldiers´ hitchhiking post
near Tel Aviv. Israeli security sources confirmed that Salim had been
released from Israeli administrative detention on March 3, 2003.10
That same evening, Ramez Fahmi Az Aldin Salim, 22, detonated an
explosive belt that killed seven Israelis and wounded 50 others at
Cafe Hillel in Jerusalem. The bomber had been released from IDF
administrative detention on February 2, 2003.11 Among those killed in
this attack were Rabbi Dr. David Appelbaum, head of Shaare Tzedek
Hospital´s emergency room, and his daughter Nava, who was to have
been married the following day. Dr. Appelbaum´s death was a
particularly profound loss for the Jewish state as he was widely
recognized as a global authority on emergency medicine and had
personally cared for thousands of victims of Palestinian terror since
1981.
Israel is Still Taking Risks for Peace
Despite Israel´s repeated goodwill gestures and the widespread easing
of travel restrictions on Palestinians, as well as the prime
minister´s recent public statements indicating his intention to take
unilateral steps to improve the humanitarian situation of the
Palestinians, senior Israeli security officials warn that such moves
could create a terrorist "wonderland," enabling them to "rest, rearm,
and upgrade."12 With Yasser Arafat once again in control of the PA´s
armed forces and his encouragement of numerous splinter terror
groups, there is little doubt that additional gestures Israel may be
compelled to make could have a lethal impact on Israeli citizens in
the future.
It is easy to conclude a U.S.-Israeli diplomatic meeting with a call
for seemly innocuous gestures on the part of Israel intended to
improve the everyday life of Palestinians. The betterment of
Palestinian living standards is an important goal. However, Israeli
gestures in the absence of Palestinian security measures have had
proven lethal consequences for Israeli civilians and soldiers alike.
This point should be remembered before Israel is asked again to
undertake similar risks in the future.
Notes
1. Ha´aretz, December 14, 2003.
2. Margot Dudkevitch, "IDF Forces Unscathed from Powerful Bomb Blast
Near Rafah," Jerusalem Post, December 17, 2003.
3. Nathan Guttman, "U.S. Envoy Meets Qurea, Calls for Sides to Resume
Talks," Ha´aretz, December 13, 2003.
4. Peter Slevin, "U.S. Urges Israel to Ease Burdens," Washington
Post, December 13, 2003.
5. Margot Dudkevitch, "IDF Not Surprised by Failed Cairo Talks,"
Jerusalem Post, December 9, 2003.
6. Margot Dudkevitch, "Two Soldiers Killed at Gush Etzion Tunnel
Roadblock," Jerusalem Post, November 18, 2003.
7. Israeli security sources, November 18, 2003.
8. IDF sources, November 18, 2003.
9. IDF website, December 16, 2003.
10. Israeli security sources, November 22, 2003.
11. Israeli security sources, November 22, 2003; see also Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0nra0
12. Mathew Gutman, "Analysis: Another ´Hudna´?" Jerusalem Post,
November 18, 2003.
Dan Diker is a Knesset and economic affairs reporter for Israel
Broadcasting Authority´s English News. He is also media affairs
consultant at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs/Institute for
Contemporary Affairs, founded jointly with the Wechsler Family
Foundation.
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