The ironies of the situation increase...Arafat seems to be reaching his Altalena moment:
Palestinians ask for Israeli riot control help, suspend Gaza police chief
The Palestinian Authority, as rioting raged in Gaza Monday evening, issued an urgent request to Israel to supply it with equipment for controlling riots, such as tear gas, Israel television reported this evening. This was interpreted as a sign of the seriousness of the situation in the West Bank and Gaza. There a state of emergency was declared, and schools and universities closed, after two days of protests in favor of Osama bin Laden, and against the American attack on the Taliban. Palestinian police shot and killed three people, including a 13-year-old. Over two hundred were injured, including many police.
...
"Better late than never," said Gissin. The Islamic militants, he asserted, "did what they wanted like a state within a state. Arafat tried to say it was Israel's problem, but now it's his problem and that's why he's taking action. It's a matter of survival for him."
israelinsider.com |
