The Israeli government voted to declare the Palestinian
Authority "an entity that supports terror" at about 3 a.m.
Tuesday morning, after a six-hour session beginning Monday
night. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres led a walkout of Labor
ministers in protest over the decision before the Cabinet
vote.
The government also declared the Tanzim militia, which is
associated with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat's Fatah party, and the Force 17 presidential guard,
terror organizations.
The announcement published by the Cabinet read: "According to
the decision by the Ministerial Committee for National
Security of October 17, 2001, the Government has determined
that the Palestinian Authority is an entity that supports
terrorism, and must be dealt with accordingly. In the
framework of this decision, the Ministerial Committee for
National Security is authorized to decide on operational
steps (military, diplomatic, information and economic). This
determination is subject to change -- by Cabinet decision --
if the Palestinian Authority fulfills its commitments,
according to the agreements, to prevent and foil terrorism,
punish terrorists and dismantle the terrorist
infrastructure."
Peres and the other Labor ministers opposed the wording and
walked out after Sharon refused a request by the foreign
minister to delay the vote by a week. Sharon rejected all
Peres's proposals, agreeing only to exchange the words
"Palestinian Authority," for "Yasser Arafat."
The remaining ministers supported the prime minister's
proposal, aside from Dan Meridor (Center Party) who voted
against and Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit who abstained.
The Air Force destroyed three of Arafat's helicopters in Gaza
on Monday evening, as well as a police station in the West
Bank town of Jenin. IDF bulldozers also destroyed the runways
at the Palestinian Authority's airport near Rafah. The
combination of moves will severely curtail Arafat's freedom
of movement. Arafat was in the West Bank city of Ramallah at
the time.
Arafat has not used those helicopters for over a year,
instead using the helicopter of the king of Jordan to move
between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
IDF troops also entered Palestinian controlled areas in the
West Bank towns of Nablus, Ramallah and El-Bireh late Monday
night.
The moves appeared to be just the beginning of Israel's
response to Palestinian terror attacks in recent days.
One Palestinian was killed and two others critically injured
in an explosion in a Bethlehem building Monday evening,
Palestinian sources said. The IDF denied any connection to
the explosion, and said that it may have been caused by
fighting between different Palestinian factions.
In a 10-minute speech to the nation before the Cabinet
meeting -- the prime minister's first since the latest round
of terror -- Sharon said:
"Just as the United States is conducting its war against
international terror, using all its might against terror, so
will we too. . . Israel does not start wars. This war of
terror, as in the past, has been forced upon us.
". . . Arafat is responsible for everything that happens
here. Arafat has made his strategic choices: a strategy of
terrorism, in choosing to try and win political
accomplishments through murder and in choosing to allow the
ruthless killing of innocent civilians, Arafat has chosen the
path of terrorism.
"Arafat is the greatest obstacle to peace and stability in
the Middle East. We have seen this in the past, are seeing it
in the present, and will unfortunately probably continue to
see this in the future. But, Arafat will not fool this
government. This time, Arafat will not succeed in fooling
us.
"The Palestinian people must know: They are the primary
victims of the current situation brought about by Arafat."
Sharon's frontal attack on Arafat echoed a school of thought
of a senior military official, who told reporters that Arafat
has up until now not taken serious action against the
terrorists operating from his midst because he believes that
his leadership position is unshakable.
"He hears the Europeans and even the Americans saying that
maybe he is the main problem, but that he is irreplaceable,
and that in the final analysis he will be the basis of any
solution. This is why he doesn't fight terror," the official
said.
Monday's helicopter attacks, coupled with Sharon's sharply
worded speech, were aimed at sending the opposite message.
"The most dangerous thing we can do from his point of view is
to say that we will not accept him anymore as a partner. It
is the harshest measure we can take, short of shooting
him."
