It is not too far-fetched to even suggest that should they get the excuse and be able to maneuver Washington behind-the-scenes, the Israelis could in fact strike both near and far -- they have been wanting, and at times threatening, to take out weapons of mass destruction as far away as Iraq and Iran, even Pakistan if they could possibly get their Indian ally to seize the moment. And if the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan should in the end rise from the smoke and ashes to find itself transformed into a Palestinian State, that would in fact be the fulfillment of Ariel Sharon's long ambition to force the Palestinians out and force them to find political expression elsewhere.

JERUSALEM (June 4) - The IAF launched a major air exercise yesterday, and apologized to the public for expected supersonic booms over the next few days.

The exercise, held every few years, puts nearly the entire IAF in the sky in a simulated war scenario, military sources said.

Aircraft, among them fighters, transport aircraft, and helicopters are testing their readiness for battle.

The IDF Spokesman said the exercise would take place "for the next few days" in the skies over the country.

"During the exercise many aircraft will fly, and there are certain to be sonic booms," an IDF statement said. "We apologize for the unpleasantness that may be caused by the noise, and are convinced that this will be accepted with understanding."

There were reports that the Palestinians had heard the sonic booms and had feared it was the Israeli retaliation for Friday's suicide bombing.

While the exercise is planned years in advance, its proximity to the rising tensions in the region are sure to put neighboring states on alert.

The air exercise also includes various target placements on the ground, and the public may observe bizarre convoys of military trucks that appear to be towing surface-to-surface missiles.

The Guardian - Monday, 4 June: In the immediate aftermath of a shattering explosion comes a moment of silence, before the screaming begins. Those who have experienced it say it is akin to being stunned, muted and deafened, to being mentally and physically immobilised. For a few split-seconds, the shocking awfulness of what has occurred seems to stop the world in its tracks. Then the momentary pause ends, sound and fury return in a torrent, and reaction, both rational and irrational, ensues.

So it is now in the Middle East, following Friday night's terrible suicide bombing outside a Tel Aviv nightclub. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict teeters momentarily in suspension between action and counteraction, between one vicious, pitiless gesture of revenge and a probably even more destructive and violent response. Those in Syria and elsewhere who in the past 48 hours have attempted to justify this latest massacre of innocents deserve only contempt. Those in Israel who cry "Death to the Arabs!" and demand a "decisive" vengeance are every bit as repulsive. Both are the victims of the same hate-fed delusion.

Once more we say: there is no victory, no decision, and no honour for Palestine to be had in the random butchering of teenage Jewish girls. There is no security, no solace, and no future for Israel to be found in endless iniquities in the Occupied Territories or in the current ratio of almost five dead Palestinians to each dead Israeli. Just how many times has this been said before? And just how much longer before the majority for peace and justice, on both sides of the divide, is heard?

Perhaps now, at this moment of stunned silence, in the fleeting vacuum after the blast, amid a horror that repels and appals all humanity, these voices will be listened to. Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, known as a man of violence and elected on a vow to give no quarter, has shown uncharacteristic restraint so far. No doubt a swingeing Israeli military reprisal is planned; it could come at any time. But it awaits Mr Sharon's order and, rightly, that order has not yet been given. Israel must hold back - because the blood of yet more innocents will not strengthen its cause; because with US diplomacy finally re-engaged, there is just a glimmer of a way forward; and most of all, because Israel's greater strength gives it a greater responsibility.

Yasser Arafat, too, must stop, pause and listen, or risk the destruction of all his dreams. He has rightly, if belatedly, proscribed further attacks inside Israel. He pledges to "exert our utmost efforts ... to do all that is needed to achieve an immediate and unconditional, real and effective ceasefire". He must realise that this may be his last chance. If he can calm his people, he will finally rebut those who claim he is not really in charge - and vitally boost the Mitchell process on which so much now rests. If he cannot deliver this time, his credibility will be shredded and his plans for statehood exploded, perhaps permanently.

Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, the UN's Kofi Annan, Russia's Igor Ivanov, and the EU's Javier Solana spent much of the weekend sending the same message to Mr Sharon and Mr Arafat: stop shooting, start talking. That unanimity of purpose, too, is welcome. Now the world waits to see if the line oh-so-shakily drawn between these two furious nations can hold. If not, the extremists on the fringes of both camps will slam shut the window that has briefly opened in the past fortnight and shattering the lull, and all faint hope of peace, will fill the air once more with the screams of the maimed and dying and the bitter laments of those who love them.

JERUSALEM (June 4) - Security forces continue to maintain a high state of alert, focusing on the Green Line border and crowded urban areas in Israel.

Yesterday morning, the international border crossings at the Allenby Bridge and Rafah were closed until further notice, in addition to the closing of the Dahaniye Airport and the seaport in the Gaza Strip, and the general closure on Judea, Samaria and Gaza Strip, that remain in effect. The IDF has also barred Palestinian vehicles from travelling on Judea and Samaria roads and highways, and has tightened its grip on Palestinian towns and villages in the West Bank, increased road patrols, and set up additional roadblocks. IDF officials noted yesterday that the restrictions would not apply to humanitarian assistance.

The IDF, Border Police, and police have beefed up their presence along the Green Line in order to enforce the closure and thwart Palestinian terrorist attempts to cross into Israel. Since Friday night's suicide-bomb attack in Tel Aviv, police have arrested scores of Palestinian workers from the territories, and have taken action against their Israeli employers.

In order to ensure that law and order prevails, police yesterday deployed forces to guard mosques in Tel Aviv and Jaffa to prevent any possible confrontations. After coming under heavy criticism regarding the handling of demonstrators at the Hassan Bek Mosque on Saturday, Tel Aviv police chief Cmdr. Yossi Sedbon said he was satisfied with how forces had handled the situation, noting that the increased police presence remained.

"Tel Aviv police, assisted by forces from other districts, are patrolling the areas and guarding the mosques, securing the funerals of the suicide-bomb attack victims, and cracking down on Palestinians found inside Israel," he said.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said that Israel had its "finger on the trigger," but for the moment was giving the Palestinians more time to impose a cease-fire on all groups in the territories.

Nevertheless, reports have surfaced that the IDF has begun operations against Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.

The Islamic Jihad claimed yesterday that Israel had attempted to assassinate former Hamas member Ahmed Mohammed Bisharat in the village of Tamoun in the West Bank, saying that a remote-controlled bomb exploded along the road as he drove past. Bisharat, who was freed from a Palestinian Authority prison eight months ago, was unhurt. It was the first reported attack on an Islamic Jihad member since Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire 11 days ago.

Ben-Eliezer said yesterday that since then, 34 Israelis have been killed and over 100 injured. He said that the Palestinians have fired hundreds of mortars and carried out numerous roadside shootings.

So far, Israel is holding off acting on its announced decision to retaliate for Friday night's suicide bombing by a Hamas terrorist in Tel Aviv, in which 19 Israelis, mostly teenage girls, were killed.

"From the moment of the [Friday attack] we have to put our finger on the trigger to ensure the security and safety of every Israeli citizen," Ben-Eliezer said. "If we must open fire, we will immediately." But up until now, the IDF has been kept from pulling the trigger, as it appears that the Palestinians are drastically reducing their shooting attacks.

"I think it is too early to judge. You need time to realize and understand that [PA Chairman Yasser Arafat] is imposing it," Ben-Eliezer said.

Speaking during a tour of Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood yesterday, Ben-Eliezer said he expects clear orders to be issued to all Palestinian groups, including the Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Force 17, the Tanzim, and the Palestinian Preventive Security Service.

He also said he was waiting to see a reduction in incitement, as well as arrest of terrorists. "That is the test," Ben-Eliezer said.

Various proposals for the Green Line are being examined by security officials. Channel 1 reported last night that Ben-Eliezer is considering declaring the area a closed military zone, stationing a permanent IDF battalion there and increasing security patrols.