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Terror alert in Jerusalem after Sharon fires ministers
As has happened repeatedly over the past 11 years, radical efforts by Israelâs leadership to move ahead in the direction of a "land-for-peace" agreement with the Palestinian Arabs have been rapidly followed by a surge in terror alerts. Israeli security forces were placing roadblocks at entrances to Jerusalem Friday, following multiple warnings that Arab terrorists planned to carry out an attack in the capital. The alert spiked just hours after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon took the unprecedented step of firing two of his ministers in order to secure a slim majority in Sundayâs scheduled vote on his Gaza retreat plan. By dismissing National Union ministers Benny Elon and Avigdor Lieberman, Sharon signaled his growing disregard for the concerns many Israelis have about making concessions that could lead to the establishment of a "Palestinian" state. The way now appears open for Sharon to pass his plan, which aims to uproot thousands of Jews from their homes in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. Such an act would amount to a de facto reversal of the restoration of Jews to their biblical homeland that came about as a result of the 1967 Six Day War. Bible-believing Jews and Christians believe that, having brought that land back under Jewish control in accordance with biblical prophesy, the God of Israel is wholly committed to securing His ancient peopleâs presence there. Right wing Israelis reacted with disbelief and anger to the news late Thursday that Sharon had decided on the unprecedented step of firing two cabinet ministers in order to railroad his plan to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip and parts of Samaria of their Jews. Speaking on Israeli television, Sharon told the country he was relieving Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Tourism Minister Benny Elon of their posts because they were committed to opposing his plan. The prime minister said he had fired the men because "I need a majority on Sunday" when he brings his plan to the cabinet. The move had been made necessary, he said, because three Likud ministers - Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Education Minister Limor Livnat and Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom - had indicated they would vote against the plan. Earlier this week, Sharon declared his conviction that the plan, aimed at paving the way for the establishment of a State of Palestine on Jewish lands in accordance with the demands of the international community, would be fully implemented by the end of 2005. On hearing that he was being given the boot, Lieberman noted that Sharonâs plan had never been approved by the government, and was in fact rejected by the ruling Likud Party, meaning he had absolutely no obligation whatsoever to support it as a member of the cabinet. "Iâm being fired for disagreeing with the prime minister," he told Israel Radio. Housing Minister Effie Eitam (National Religious Party) said that Sharonâs firing of Elon and Lieberman was an "immoral and undemocratic act." NRP MK Shaul Yahalom called Sharonâs actions unprecedented and said that, under Sharon, Israel was closer to a dictatorship than a democracy. On Friday morning, hours after Sharon announced his intention to fire the ministers, and shortly after he sent couriers to serve written dismissal notices on Elon and Lieberman, Israelâs police and military forces went on high alert for a terrorist attack. As the nation prepared for the start of the Sabbath, Israeli media reported roadblocks were being set up around the capital, patrols inside the city had been beefed up, and suspicious looking vehicles and individuals were being searched and questioned. While many terror attacks have been thwarted during the past years, often in apparently miraculous ways, Jerusalem Newswire staff note that concerted efforts by Israelâs leaders to move the land-for-peace process forward have often been followed by successful acts of terrorism, costing Israelis their lives. Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-06-04 |
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