WHOSE TO BLAME?
Compiled by Brian Kerner
Who Is Responsible for the Outbreak of Violence?
A simple, compelling and important truth has somehow been lost in the recent swirl of bloody media images: the Israeli government and people desperately yearn for this violence to end. Many of our Palestinian neighbors do not. Israel wants its differences with the Palestinians to be resolved at the negotiating table. Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority have chosen - and often sung the praises of - ongoing, violent confrontation.
Yasser Arafat must be held accountable for the wave of violence still sweeping through the territories. This so-called “uprising“ is no more than a calculated, cynical effort by Arafat to achieve through violence the maximalist political aims which he failed to attain through negotiations. To that end, he has:
Used official Palestinian media to incite his people to violence against Israeli Israel and Israelis.
Authorized the Fatah militia - the Tanzim - to fire on Israelis, with guns supplied by the Palestinian Authority.
Released dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists from Palestinian prisons, thereby giving the signaling to these organizations they have a green light to launch a murderous campaign against innocent Israeli citizens. Arafat's actions have thus led to the recent car bomb attack in Jerusalem, in which two Israeli citizens were killed and many wounded.
Israel cannot accept a situation in which the Palestinians resort to organized, armed confrontations whenever their demands at the negotiating table are not met in full. Israel cannot accept a negotiating partner who claims to speak the language of peace even as it calls its people to violence and bloodshed.
Why Is This Violence Occurring?
It is no accident that this violence exploded at a time when Israel was expressing its willingness to make unprecedented, far-reaching compromises in order to reach a workable, enduring agreement. Arafat was given a real opportunity to achieve a resolution through negotiations and compromise, and to bring tangible, considerable benefits to the Palestinian people.
But Israel's olive branch was met with a hail of gunfire, rocks and firebombs. Rather than risk being labeled as weak by Palestinian extremists opposed to any form of compromise or conciliation with Israel, Arafat has preferred to cast himself as a heroic resistance fighter. And he has opted to use violence as a negotiating tool. Let there be no doubt: the visit of Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount in late September did not trigger the “uprising.“ It was just a pretext for a premeditated campaign of violence. Indeed, the present wave of disturbances dates back to mid-September, when firebombs and stones were thrown at Israeli positions at the Netzarim junction in Gaza. This was followed shortly afterwards by the killing of an Israeli soldier by a roadside bomb, at the very same place, on September 27. Two days later, an Israeli police officer was murdered by a Palestinian policeman who had served with him on a joint patrol.
At the Camp David summit, less than three months earlier, Arafat had already demonstrated his preference for violence over balanced compromise by rejecting all proposals advanced by the U.S. government. Israeli Prime Minister Barak, for his part, was willing to consider these proposals. Consequently, President Clinton placed the blame for failure of the talks squarely at Arafat's feet.
Is the IDF Using Excessive Force in its Response to the Violence?
The oft-repeated charge that Israel has used excessive force is worse than a distortion; it is the opposite of the truth. Virtually every day during the last month, Israeli soldiers and civilians have been confronted with dozens of organized, violent and life-threatening attacks by Palestinians. These attacks have included gunfire directed at residential neighborhoods, firebombings, parcel and car bombs in crowded shopping areas and violent riots. Under these difficult circumstances, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is acting with the greatest possible restraint, doing its utmost to prevent injury and the loss of life.
Israel has no interest in escalating the violence. To the contrary, Israel believes it is imperative that the Palestinians stop this violence so that both parties can return to the negotiating table. Israel maintains that a just and sustainable solution can be found only through dialogue, not armed conflict. At the same time, the IDF has a clear responsibility to protect Israeli citizens and security personnel.
The Israeli government regrets the loss of any life, whether Jewish or Arab. In the end, however, responsibility for these deaths lies with the Palestinian Authority, which initiated the violence and stubbornly refuses to implement a cease-fire. For example, Arafat would not sign an agreement which could have brought an end to the violence, after committing to do so, to American Secretary of State Madeline Albright, in his meeting with her in Paris on October 4, 2000. Nor did he live up to his commitments under the Sharm a-Sheikh understandings of October 17, 2000 including his promise to publicly call for an end to the violence, to restore security cooperation and to resume the peace talks. Indeed, to this day, Arafat has yet to issue a serious public call for an end to the violence. Israel, on the other hand, has done what it agreed to do at Sharm al-Sheikh, including redeployment of IDF forces.
Why are There More Palestinian Casualties than Israeli Casualties? The IDF has done everything in its power to act with restraint in the face of dozens of shootings, violent riots and other life-threatening acts. Given the widespread violence engulfing the territories, it has been relatively successful in keeping down the number of casualties. The main reason there are fewer Israeli casualties is that fewer Israelis are involved in the violence. Most violent incidents in the territories have involved hundreds of Palestinian rioters attacking a small handful of Israeli soldiers.
Moreover, Israel rejects the notion that justice can be determined by the relative number of casualties on either side. By way of comparison, casualty totals among the allied forces in the Desert Storm campaign in Iraq, and of the NATO forces in Yugoslavia, were much lower than the Iraqi and Serbian casualty totals -which also included innocent civilians tragically caught in the cross-fire of the conflicts.
Why are Palestinian Children Being Wounded in the Conflict?
The Palestinians send children to throw rocks and firebombs at Israeli soldiers. Armed Palestinian policemen and members of the Fatah militia, the Tanzim, often stand just behind this human shield of juvenile martyrs and fire at Israeli soldiers, knowing they can exploit the children's wounds for their propaganda purposes. These macabre operations generally have one purpose: to generate footage of Palestinian casualties in time for the evening news.
The calculated use of children as pawns in the conflict begins in the Palestinian education system. Palestinian textbooks (many of which have been recently published by the Palestinian Authority itself) openly teach hatred against Israel and Israelis. Palestinian children's television glorifies martyrdom in the struggle against Israel. Palestinian children are trained in the use of firearms in summer camps and in youth groups. These tactics, which have been extensively documented by the international media, are gross violations of all existing agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. The use of children in armed conflict is immoral and against international and even Islamic law.
What Has Happened to Jewish and Muslim Holy Sites?
The synagogue in Efrat was vandalized, the walls and holy ark covered with graffiti in Arabic - including swastikas and references to the Holocaust and to jihad, Oct 25, 2000. The Palestinians have been waging a campaign of destruction and vandalism against Jewish holy sites. The most blatant example occurred when a Palestinian mob desecrated and then burnt down Joseph's Tomb in Nablus. This was done just after the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the holy site as part of an agreement under which the Palestinian Authority undertook to protect the Jewish holy site from harm. Subsequently, there have been further Palestinian attacks on Jewish synagogues, including the ancient synagogue of Jericho, which was destroyed in an arson attack, and the synagogue in the Jewish town of Efrat.
In fact, only when the holy sites of Islam, Christianity and Judaism have been under Israeli control has freedom of worship and the sanctity of the sites been guaranteed. Even during the present wave of violence, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem has remained open for Muslim services, despite the fact that prayers there have become a platform for incitement and rioting. Muslims have even used the Temple Mount plaza as a base to hurl stones down on Jewish worshippers at the Wailing Wall below. Moreover, since Israeli security personnel do not enter the Temple Mount compound out of respect for the sanctity of the area, it has frequently been used by Palestinian rioters seeking to evade capture.
What is Israel's Position on a Unilateral Declaration of a Palestinian State?
A unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state would not only be a breach of all existing agreements between Israel and the Palestinians; it would also contribute to the escalation of the conflict, the worsening of violence and the destabilization of the entire region. The Palestinians have the option of pursuing their national aspirations through peace negotiations aimed at finding a stable, mutually-acceptable solution which will guarantee the security of Palestinians and Israelis alike. The one-sided establishment of a state that is not achieved through negotiations and mutual agreement, cannot be considered legitimate.
The establishment of a Palestinian state is acceptable, in Israeli public opinion and by most components of the Israeli political map. We would like this state to be established through agreement and peaceful means, to ensure, as far as this will be possible, that it will not be a hostile state. The step that Arafat intends to take is one that we must oppose, because it is intended to establish a Palestinian state through conflict and not through good neighborly relations. Such a proclamation would undermine regional stability.
What is the Situation in Israel Today?
Life in Israel continues today without major disruptions. Restaurants and shopping malls are full. Tourist attractions remain open. Industry and factories are working normally, without hinderancehindrance or interruption - including, of course, Israel's hi-tech sector.
In the course of the peace process, there have been many ups and downs. Whatever the political environment, the Israeli economy has continued to grow and developdevelop. Throughout, Israel has also fulfilled its financial commitments promptly and to the full. Israel has never asked for debt rescheduling or forgiveness, no matter what the prevailing political conditions in the country.
How does Israel Regard the Severing of Relations by Morocco, Tunisia and Oman?
The recent breaking off of relations with Israel by Morocco, Tunisia and Oman is extremely regrettable. Specifically aAt a time when all parties in the region should be working to contain the conflict and to restore calm to the region, it is of utmost importance to keep all possible lines of direct communication and cooperation open. In this light, the severing of relations by what these countries have done is against the interests of the region and is particularly unfortunate.
And What about Cyber-Terrorism?
In recent days, the website of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as other Israeli websites, have been victimized by cyber-terrorists. Like the book-burners of the past, these digital vandals are engaged in a reprehensible effort to block access to the truth.
What Is Israel Doing about the Attacks on Gilo?
Israel condemns in the strongest possible terms the repeated, armed attacks by Palestinians on homes of innocent Israelis in Gilo. The unprovoked and deliberate firing on civilian targets is utterly reprehensible. Gilo is a residential neighborhood of about 40,000 which lies within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem and of Israel as defined by Israeli law.
The attacks are being launched from the adjacent Christian Arab village of Beit Jala. Israel believes that they are a deliberate attempt by Palestinian militias to draw the Christian world into the conflict by provoking Israeli reprisals. As a result, Israel has done its utmost to respond to the nightly attacks on Gilo with the greatest possible restraint, pinpointing only those buildings from which the attacks have been launched.
How are the Palestinians Faring Economically?
Israel has made substantial efforts since the signing of the Oslo accords to facilitate Palestinian-Israeli economic cooperation in the context of the peace process. As a result, there was a marked expansion of Palestinian trade and employment in Israel, as well as other forms of economic cooperation from 1994 until the present outbreak of violence.
Israel, in collaboration with the Palestinian Authority, has taken a broad range of actions since 1994 in order to promote and improve the free movement of goods and labor from the Palestinian Authority into Israel. Industrial parks have also been set up in the Palestinian Authority, involving substantial Israeli investment and economic incentives. These measures have had a significant, positive impact on the Palestinian economy.
Unfortunately, the recent events have led to a sharp decline in economic activity in the area, with economic repercussions for both the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Measures taken to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens in Palestinian-controlled areas - protecting them from atrocities like the lynching in Ramallah - have had an adverse economic impact. At the same time, to prevent the spillover of violence from the territories into Israel, and to minimize the possibility of terrorist attacks, security forces are restricting entry of Palestinians from the territories. Exceptions are made for the movement of commercial goods, food, medicine, ambulances and medical crews, which continue to circulate freely. Moreover, procedures have been simplified to enable speedy delivery to the Palestinian Authority of humanitarian goods, such as medical supplies.
It must be stressed that the purpose of the closure policy is not punitive, but has become necessary to ensure the security of Israeli citizens in these trying times.
What about the Outbreak of Anti-Semitism Worldwide?
Israel is concerned by the recent, significant rise in anti-Semitism, which has targeted Jewish communities in Europe and elsewhere. These anti-Semitic attacks, which are occurring against the backdrop of the present conflict in the territories, have included bombings of synagogues, violence against Jews, desecration of Jewish cemeteries and other forms of vandalism. These incidents should arouse the deep concern of all civilized peoples.
Israel calls on the governments of countries where the plague of anti-Semitism is spreading to take all measures necessary to ensure the security of Jewish communities - and to bring the perpetrators of these cowardly attacks to justice.
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