FROM THE DESK OF SAGIV ROTHENBERG, SPOKESMAN FOR MINISTER ELON

15 October 2003

MINISTER BENNY ELON ISSUES CONDEMNATION OF BOMBING OF AMERICAN CONVOY IN
GAZA
--Calls Upon U.S. To Join Israel In Actions Against Palestinian Authority -

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL OCTOBER 15, 2003 - Benny Elon, A Cabinet Member of the
Israeli Government, and member of the Israeli Parliament issued the
following statement today regarding the bombing of an American convoy in
Gaza today, and is available from Jerusalem for further interviews:

"Our sympathies today go out to the families of the victims of brutal
terrorism, and we share the pain felt by the American peoples. Our prayers
and thoughts are with them."

"After 10 years of suffering through the Oslo peace process, Wye peace
accords and the "road map", the time has come that both we, the Israelis,
and the American government realize that the Palestinian Authority is a
brutal terrorist organization that is a partner of Al Qaeda, and peace cant
be made with these gangsters, regardless of whether Yasser Arafat or Abu
Mazen, or Abu Ala (aka Ahmed Qurei) is in charge. Consistently replacing
one Abu with another Abu simply isnt the answer - there are a lot of Abu's
in the world, but what we need is something to replace this failed Oslo
program. The entire leadership must be expelled, including Abu Ala (Ahmed
Qurei) and Arafat, or even killed, and we call upon the American government
to join us in these actions which will benefit peace in the entire region,"
stated Minister Elon.

"We call upon the world to recognize that the people who hate Israel are the
same people who hate America, and the ones blowing up American convoys
today, whether in Gaza today or Baghdad tomorrow are the same ones killing
Israel. There can be no double standard - Just as America confronted Iraq,
so too we must stand together and confront terrorists without limits.
During times such as these, our friends in the U.S. understand that we
cannot reward terrorism. We will not remove settlements or make concessions
as our stay in Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) is not temporary, and we
will not permit the creation of a terrorist state in our biblical
heartland," said Minister Elon.

For contact in the United States, please contact Ronn Torossian at
212-999-5585.