Mid-East Realitieswww.middleeast.org

SHARON Coming To US Again To Coordinate War Plans

June 19, 2001

"The Moment of Truth Is Approaching"
Israeli Cabinet Minister

MID-EAST REALITIES © - www.MiddleEast.Org - Washington - 6/19: Sharon is coming to the States again next week. Only a firm "absolutely not" from the Americans is likely now to prevent much further brutal subjugation of the Palestinians; quite possibly the exiling again of Yasser Arafat. As for the still-muted threats of regional war, now that is what really does concern the Americans, and that they will prevent through their leverage on the Egyptians and the Saudis. That in fact is why the CIA and the American military are more involved in the region than ever before in history.

Of course in public the Americans will play their game of "intermediary", "peace-making", etc. It's all a public drama rather well-choreographed at this point. Surprisingly it is still largely effective in deflecting blame and responsibility from the Americans; and as long as the key Arab regimes are forced to play along and remain in power the Americans are likely to be able to weather the coming storms in the region and retain their imperial control.

Publicly Sharon is coming to meet with George W at the White House. But he and his entourage will be primarily co-ordinating with the Pentagon and Langley, also stopping of course to see former Joint Chief's Chairman General Powell, now heading up the State Department. Also very importantly Sharon and his still nearly omnipotent Israeli-Jewish lobby forces will make sure they have Capitol Hill on board, most of the press at least neutralized, and organized American Jewry in their corner, for the "day of reckoning", for the "moment of truth", that lies ahead.

ISRAEL THREATENS TO RECONSIDER TRUCE
By MARK LAVIE
JERUSALEM (AP - Tuesday - 6/19) - Israel warned Tuesday that it will reconsider its commitment to a cease-fire if the Palestinians do not prevent attacks like those on West Bank roads a day earlier that killed two Israelis.

A cooling-off period that was supposed to lead to peace talks will not begin Wednesday as planned due to the ongoing violence, Israeli officials insisted.

Early Tuesday, an Israeli 15-year-old injured in a suicide bombing at a Tel Aviv disco on June 1 died of her wounds, bringing the total number of Israelis killed in the attack to 21. Israel had resisted retaliating for the bombing following Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's call a day after for a cease-fire.

A meeting Monday between security commanders of the two sides, who had resumed cooperation in recent days, ended with no agreement on a timetable for the truce negotiated last week by CIA director George Tenet.

The Palestinians rejected the Israeli condition that six weeks of quiet proceed any resumption of negotiations, Israeli Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin said.

Palestinian security commander Jibril Rajoub said no new ground was broken, but another meeting was set for Wednesday.

The two sides charged each other with numerous cease-fire violations, and the death toll increased to 499 people on the Palestinian side and 114 on the Israeli side since fighting erupted Sept. 28.

In Gaza, a 16-year-old Palestinian wounded in a clash over the weekend died Monday in a Khan Younis hospital, doctors said. He was to be buried Tuesday.

One Israeli was killed and another lightly injured when Palestinian gunmen fired at their car on a West Bank road. After nightfall, another Israeli was killed when a Palestinian fired shots at several cars in the West Bank.

In response, Israeli forces reimposed a blockade around Tulkarem. The roadblocks had been lifted only a day earlier as part of the cease-fire deal.

``There should be no doubt that, if the Palestinians don't act to prevent terror attacks, we will reconsider the situation and the actions Israel will take to protect its citizens,'' Israeli Cabinet Minister Danny Naveh told Israel radio Tuesday.

Though he was critical of the Palestinians, Sharon fended off calls from his own nationalist camp to hit back militarily for the attacks.

``I am not willing to accept calls ... saying I have to take this nation to war,'' Sharon said, aiming his remarks at settlers, who have been on the front lines of the fighting and have held signs reading ``War now'' at demonstrations.

The truce gives the two sides a week to carry out their basic commitments before the cooling-off period goes into effect.

Rivlin reiterated on Tuesday Sharon's insistence that the counting of the quiet period would not begin until all violence stopped.

In Amman, Jordan, Arafat accused Israel of breaking all its international commitments and violating the cease-fire deal. Arafat said Israeli forces continued to demolish houses, attack Palestinian areas and maintain blockades of Gaza and West Bank territories.

The plan calls for an immediate end to violence. Israeli forces are to pull back from the edges of Palestinian areas and end travel bans. Israel has taken some steps, but the Palestinians say most roadblocks and restrictions are still in effect.

Outgoing U.S. ambassador Martin Indyk said some progress has been made in implementing the cease-fire, but not enough.

``We need to see those clashes reduced more, but the process is working, and I hope we will see more quiet in the coming days,'' he said during a farewell meeting with Israeli President Moshe Katsav.

ISRAELI RESPONSE DELAYED MOSTLY DUE PM SHARON'S
USA VISIT NEXT WEEK

"The Moment Of Truth Is Approaching"

[IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis - 19 June 2001]: Israel Radio diplomatic correspondent Yoni Ben Menachem reported this morning that, according to sources in the Prime Minister's office, the main reason Israel is not reacting to the continuous Palestinian violence is that Prime Minister Sharon will be visiting the USA next week and meeting with President Bush.

Minister without portfolio Danny Naveh (Likud) said on the same program that he did not think the delay in reaction was because of the trip but instead that Israel was waiting to see if the Palestinians would honor the Tenet plan.

News anchor Arieh Golan asked Naveh how many attacks and/or Israeli deaths would be required in order to determine that the Palestinians have failed the "test".

Naveh explained that Israel will see what the Palestinians do in the "coming days" and that if the Palestinians continue with the violence that it would "force us to re-evaluate the situation."

Golan noted that the Palestinians have already sated that the Tenet plan only limits them from striking Israel from within Area A (total Palestinian control) and that the Palestinians are now following through on this interpretation by attacking targets outside of Area A (IMRA:: There are no Israeli targets in Area A - at most the restriction is on terrorists going DIRECTLY from Area A to attack).

Naveh responded that "the moment of truth is approaching".

Golan asked again how many attacks it would take for Israel reach the "moment of truth" and Naveh responded that "it is not a question of quantity", that Israel accepted the Tenet plan and is now seeing if the Palestinian will also honor it.

It is noteworthy that Arieh Golan, whose dovish views are frequently reflected in his handling of interviews, took a very different stance this morning.

He started his 6:00 AM to 8:00 news program by comparing Yasser Arafat to Mark Twain. Mark Twain once said "To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did; I ought to know because I have done it a thousand times." "Yasser Arafat has made cease fires a thousand times," Golan said, "sometimes for a day, sometimes for a few hours. Sometimes he ends them by shooting mortars, sometimes by a shooting."

PM SHARON TO US JEWISH LEADERS:
CEASE-FIRE VIOLATIONS AND MURDEROUS ATTACKS
ARE CREATING AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser) Monday, June 18, 2001 Jerusalem

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met today (Monday), 18.6.2001, with Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations leaders Mortimer Zuckerman, Ronald Lauder and Malcolm Hoenlein and thanked them for the US Jewish community's support, assistance and shows of solidarity, especially at this difficult time when Israel is facing serious challenges and struggles. The Prime Minister insisted that it was a primary national mission to bring one million Jews to Israel in the next decade.

Prime Minister Sharon briefed his guests on the diplomatic and security situation in the wake of Israel's decision to implement the Mitchell report, according to its outline, and the Tenet plan for a cease-fire.

Prime Minister Sharon made it clear that he will not countenance any attempt to push Israel into negotiating under pressure of violence, terrorism and incitement and emphasized that the violations of the cease-fire and the murderous attacks are creating an unacceptable situation that will not allow Israel to maintain its current approach indefinitely.

"Pressure must be placed on Arafat in order to bring about a complete cessation of the violence, terrorism and incitement and lead to the implementation of his commitments according to the agreements that he has signed and as per the Tenet document. This includes a halt to the incitement and the re-imprisonment of the terrorist leaders who have been released and who are behind the continued attacks," Prime Minister Sharon said.

"Today, any concession on the issue of the Palestinian Authority's honoring of agreements is liable to have serious repercussions regarding the honoring of our agreements with other Arab countries," Prime Minister Sharon stressed.
Mid-East Realitieswww.middleeast.org

Source: http://www.middleeast.org/articles/2001/6/248.htm