The winter Knesset session opened with an address by Prime
Minister about security issues. In the background was the
announcement that a vote for Knesset approval of ministerial
appointments that Sharon made and were approved by the
Cabinet, was postponed for a week.
Calling for a return to the road map, Sharon said that the
Palestinian Authority must dismantle terror groups. He also
affirmed his commitment to the construction of the separation
fence.
"Israel will continue to protect itself and hurt the
terrorists," said Sharon. "We have no choice. We will
continue to build the security fence with no political,
practical, or budgetary problems."
Sharon praised the UN for standing against extremist
countries like Iran and Syria that threatened the region.
"In the last few days we received a reminder of the reality
in our region, which is saturated with a hatred of Israel.
The President of Iran's call to wipe Israel off the map,
expresses what many in this region wish, but are afraid to
explicitly utter," Sharon said. "Their murderous intentions
are expressed daily by heinous attacks, such as the ones
directed at us during the past week. The dispatchers of
terror in Iran and Damascus, in Gaza and Jenin, in Tul Karem
or Kabatia, in Hebron and Bethlehem, do not require reasons
or excuses — they merely require opportunities."
Sharon also discussed domestic issues, mentioning a new plan
to fight poverty that he intends to launch alongside Vice
Prime Minister Shimon Peres and acting Finance Minister Ehud
Olmert.
While Sharon spoke about the plan, a Shas MK interrupted his
speech by asking whether or not Sharon thought his government
would be around long enough to carry it out.
"Don't you worry about it," Sharon answered, drawing a laugh
from the plenum. "Not only will I begin in this government,
but I will carry on in the next."
During the session, the Knesset also voted down three no-
confidence measures, the first from Shinui over the general
performance of the government, the second from National Union
over the government's role in the disengagement, and the
final one from Meretz over social, political and financial
issues.
Sharon noted an international first: "Today, for the first
time since the establishment of the State, the U.N. Security
Council will discuss a motion presented by Israel. The
purpose of the motion is to commemorate the Holocaust around
the world, by fixing a date for a memorial day . . .
Approval of this motion would constitute an additional
example for the normalization of Israel's position in the
U.N. and for the improvement of Israel's position around the
world. We must thank our Minister of Foreign Affairs and the
ministry employees for their efforts in this regard."
In the night between Monday and Tuesday, the IDF continued
its pressure on Palestinian terrorists. On a raid in Jenin
and the nearby town of Kabatia, 12 Islamic Jihad fugitives
were arrested. IDF operations in the Jenin and Tul Karem
areas are expected to continue for several days, including an
intense search for Iyad Abu-Roub, believed to have taken over
command of the Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank since
the assassination of the Jihad's former military chief a week
ago. Since the Hadera bombing, the IDF and Shin Bet have been
focusing on the Islamic Jihad network in Jenin and adjacent
Kabatia that was behind the attack.
In a separate operation in a village near Bethlehem, eight
men suspected of belonging to Hamas were arrested.
On Tuesday the Cabinet also approved a proposal for European
Union personnel to operate the Rafah border crossing between
the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The EU personnel are to enforce
security procedures stipulated by Israel. The approval is
conditioned on the EU personnel having substantial
enforcement capabilities and not just being observers.
Israel is supposed to have closed circuit observation cameras
at the crossing and the Palestinian border control
information system.
This is the first time that Israel has ever agreed to have
security issues handled by anyone other than itself. However
one analyst suggested that Israel now views the entire Gaza
enclave as being outside of its security envelope, so that
the EU personnel are really being introduced in a Palestinian
area and not in an Israeli area. In any case it is clear that
Israel could have no direct involvement in security
procedures at that location.
