[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA:
"Sometimes the army needs to show determination, to put pressure on
extremists, to put pressure on these terrorists, in order for the
Palestinians to
understand this is not something that is tolerable, that this is something
that also affects their life," said Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign
minister.
How about instead: "since others are not stopping those attacking Israel,
our army has to stop them. The IDF isn't trying to kill Palestinians for
PR - its trying to kill people who are actively engaged in trying to murder
Israelis" ]
====
Israel considers giving Fatah military support
By Carolynne Wheeler in Tel Aviv
The Daily Telegraph (UK)Last Updated: 2:23am BST 19/05/2007
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/19/wmid19.xml
Israel is considering giving military support to the moderate Palestinian
faction Fatah in its power struggle with radical rival Hamas.
Even though Fatah is closely connected to Palestinian militants with a long
record of attacks against Israel, the Jewish state is coming round to
embracing the movement as a more pragmatic bulwark against Hamas, which they
believe receives military aid from Iran.
The fighting between the two factions in the Palestinian Authority
government has cost almost 50 lives since Sunday and brought Gaza to the
brink of civil war.
"We believe that time is working against the moderates," said a member of
the Israeli cabinet yesterday.
"Time is of the essence when it comes to the influence of Hamas in the Gaza
Strip - to sit and do nothing, not even while we're being attacked but
afterward, is something we cannot afford." The week's third attempt at a
truce, declared on Wednesday, appears to have calmed much of the fighting,
but gun battles were reported outside a government building and the Islamic
University in Gaza yesterday.
The toll from Israeli air strikes is also mounting, with Palestinian
authorities reporting 17 dead in 10 separate strikes since Wednesday
morning. Nearly all have been aimed at Hamas targets - cars carrying
militants and military-style bases - although civilians have also been
killed.
Israel took military action only after Hamas started rocket attacks. An
estimated 95 rockets have been launched at Israel since Wednesday, injuring
seven, one
seriously.
Tanks and troops remained just inside northern Gaza yesterday, with
artillery batteries lined up outside the border.
Israel's cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss a further response. Foreign
diplomats were yesterday summoned to a government briefing to garner
international support for what seems increasingly likely to be another
bloody summer.
"Sometimes the army needs to show determination, to put pressure on
extremists, to put pressure on these terrorists, in order for the
Palestinians to
understand this is not something that is tolerable, that this is something
that also affects their life," said Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign
minister.
Diplomats were told by senior foreign ministry and military sources that the
smuggling of arms and money to Hamas from Syria and Iran is continuing, and
that Israel fears Hamas will advance to longer-range rockets if they do not
take action now. Rockets have landed on the southern reaches of the Israeli
city of Ashkelon but have not yet struck residential areas. Most alarming,
the sources said, is the increasing determination and power of Hamas.
"The bottom line of the confrontations is, you can see most of the
casualties are from Fatah," a military source said. Options for Israel
include air strikes, limited ground operations, or a large-scale operation
that could take "months".
Assistance to Fatah-loyal security services in Gaza is not new. Trainers
from the UN and Western nations have worked closely with Fatah guards at
Gaza's only cargo terminal at the Karni crossing, which came under assault
from Hamas forces on Wednesday.
Also this week, 500 policemen who had been training in Egypt were permitted
to return through the Rafah pedestrian crossing into Gaza, which would have
required the permission of Israeli officials.
But there are fears that Israeli interference to bolster Fatah may backfire.
"Practically, what they do strengthens Hamas, because they are attacking
Hamas and they are the occupying force," said the Palestinian information
minister, Mustafa Barghouti. "This makes Hamas more popular on the
Palestinian street,"
he said. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, postponed
plans to travel to Gaza for a second day.
The Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, appealed for unity, saying:
"All members of the security services should abide by the instructions of
the political leadership and return to their positions and bases, and also
all gunmen should pull out of the streets."
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