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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Ministers Discuss Threat of Hizbullah Takeover in Lebanon |
| 2006-12-03 |
| by Hillel Fendel Various Cabinet sessions are discussing the possible Hizbullah coup in Lebanon, as well as the demand for a "ceasefire" - an end to Israel's anti-terror activities - in Judea and Samaria. Following the morning Cabinet session dealing mainly with the threat of a Hizbullah takeover in Lebanon, the security mini-cabinet will convene and discuss the security situation in more detail. Regarding the possible Hizbullah toppling of the Lebanese government, most ministers feel that Israel need not take a public stand. "Israel should not intervene," said former intelligence officer Rafi Eitan, Minister of Pensioners' Affairs, "because most of the time it turns out the opposite of what we want... This is a job for the United States." Another Cabinet member said that any Israeli support for the moderate Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora would only weaken him. The Kiss Of Death. Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) said that a takeover by Iranian/Syrian-backed Hizbullah is a very worrisome prospect, while Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) said that Israel must be prepared for just such an eventuality. Former IDF Intelligence Chief Gen. (ret.) Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash said today that if the present Lebanese government resigns and does not call new elections, "this will increase the chance of another war next summer." The meetings today will also deal with the ceasefire in Gaza - violated thus far by nearly 15 Kassam rockets - and its possible expansion into Judea and Samaria (Yesha). Ceasefire = Return to Murderous Terrorism in Israel A ceasefire in Yesha means, according to Palestinian Authority demands, that Israel remove all checkpoints and stop anti-terror measures. For Israel, a ceasefire means an end to the thwarting of terror attacks and a return to weekly or daily reports of murdered Israelis. This is the conclusion drawn from the statistics the IDF will present today at the security mini-cabinet meeting. The leading statistic to be presented: The IDF has thwarted this year over 130 attacks and/or arms-smuggling attempts at one checkpoint alone - the Hawara checkpoint south of Shechem. Since January 2006, Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports, IDF troops at Hawara have caught Arabs trying to smuggle into Israeli-controlled territory 28 bombs, 10 guns, 25 Molotov cocktails and 60 knives. Four pipe-bombs, between four and six inches long each, were caught in the past week alone, and blown up in controlled explosions by Israeli Border Guard sappers. In July, for instance, 32 knife-bearing Arabs were stopped, in September, three firebombs were caught, and in November, three bombs were found on persons trying to cross through the checkpoint. On Oct. 9, a Palestinian terrorist ran towards soldiers with a knife and tried to stab one; another soldier shot him, and though soldiers and Red Crescent workers administered first aid, he died. "Israel's military history teaches us," Huberman writes, "that every time there was a ceasefire without a clear IDF victory, it served only to help the Arabs rearm and regroup for the next round. This is what occurred in the ceasefire with Egypt ending the War of Attrition in 1970 [preparing the way for the Yom Kippur War in 1973], and with the PLO in 1981, leading to the war in Lebanon [a year later]. In addition, the Oslo Agreement [of 1993] saved the PLO from total collapse at the time that the original intifada [that began in] 1987 was dying out, and this was what happened in the hudna, etc. Each time, the cease fire was merely a time-out before the next round." U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who met separately with Prime Minister Olmert and PA leader Abu Mazen last week, has often called for Israel to give up checkpoints, often associating them with the “daily humiliation of occupation.” Even Olmert, in his famous speech at Ben-Gurion's grave last week, said that if the PA establishes a unity government and stops terrorism, "We will significantly diminish the number of roadblocks, increase freedom of movement in the territories, facilitate movement of people and goods in both directions..." IDF officers such as Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, Central Commander Gen. Yair Naveh, Planning Division Chief Gen. Ido Nehushtan, and Operations Chief Gen. Tal Russo all agree that Israel must not agree to give up the checkpoints. Army chiefs feel that the current number of checkpoints, following the removal of some, is the "red line" minimum required to maintain a semblance of security for Israel. The PA side, however, continues to demand a "ceasefire" in Yesha - interpreting it to mean that if Israel harms an Arab in the course of anti-terror activities, it will be within its rights to respond by firing rockets. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |