Yuval Diskin, head of the SHABAK (General Security Service), told the government Sunday that Israeli security forces prevented seven suicide bombings in the last six weeks. He said that the seeming lull in Arab terrorism was simply the result of the counter terror activity by the IDF, SHABAK, police and other security arms.

Diskin told the ministers that the relatively-protracted IDF operation in Ein Beit Ilma near Shechem prevented a large scale bombing in Tel Aviv during the holidays. He said that the SHABAK is very worried by the fact that a suicide belt reached central Tel Aviv after passing undiscovered through several roadblocks.

A thorough inquiry is being conducted in order to determine how this occurred.