Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved the entry into the country of arch-terrorist Naif Hawatmeh, head of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist group. Also reportedly approved for entry are other arch-terrorists such as the PLO's Farouk Kadoumi and Ahmed Ghanem.
Olmert specified that Hawatmeh would only be allowed in for a few days, and not to reside permanently in the Palestinian Authority-controlled territories.
Hawatmeh, who founded the PFLP and the Marxist DFLP, lives in Syria and was responsible for one of the most heinous terrorist attacks in Israel's history: The attack on a school in Maalot, in which 22 children and 2 teachers were massacred. Hawatmeh's men attacked a school building in which were sleeping dozens of children from Tzfat who were on a trip; the terrorists held them hostage for several hours before opening fire. In addition, Hawatme's DPLP also carried out the Avivim bus attack, in which nine children and three adults were murdered.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is set to convene a special session of the "Palestine National Council" (PNC), the formal governing body of the PLO. 
DFLP terrorists were involved in vicious attacks on schoolchildren in Avivim in 1970 and in Maalot in 1974.
Abbas is seeking PNC approval for a new PA government based on a mainly Fatah membership. Fatah is the terrorist group headed by Abbas and which forms the backbone of the PLO. Abbas believes that participation in the PNC meeting by veteran terrorist leaders from Fatah and from other factions will assist him in gaining legitimacy for his new government.
Hawatmeh was an outspoken critic of the PLO leadership under Yasser Arafat.
Transportation Minister Sha'ul Mofaz of Kadima, a former IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister, came out strongly against enabling Hawatmeh to enter. Calling him a "mass murderer," Mofaz said that if Hawatmeh wants to strengthen Abu Mazen, the Fatah leader should go to Hawatmeh in Syria for the purpose.
Knesset Member Uri Ariel (National Union-NRP) said Friday that the government should let Hawatmeh enter Judea and Samaria - and then arrest and try him for the Maalot and Avivim massacres. Echoing Ariel's sentiment, Likud MK Limor Livnat called on the IDF to immediately arrest Hawatmeh and other terrorists who have allegedly been given entry permits.
On Friday, an official Likud movement statement said that it would be a mistake to allow "one of the most cruel terrorists ever" - Hawatmeh - to enter Israel.
Arab affairs expert Dr. Guy Bechor says it is a "dangerous experiment" to allow Syrian-sympathizers Hawatmeh and Kadoumi into Israel. He writes that this attempt to strengthen Abu Mazen is a continuation of the mistake made in the 90's to try to strengthen Arafat.
Hamas to Hold Rival Government Meeting
Wary of the strengthening of Abu Mazen's competing rule in the PA, Hamas announced that it would be convening a rival meeting of the PA legislature. The Hamas-controlled body, however, is not recognized by Fatah, as it was ostensibly overruled and dissolved by Abu Mazen's emergency measures last month after Hamas forcibly took control of the Gaza region.
The PA parliament to be convened by Hamas in Gaza is to vote against the emergency government established by Abu Mazen and headed by Acting Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The meeting will take place Sunday, a Hamas official said, and would supersede in advance any decisions made by the PNC later this week at Abbas's Ramallah meeting.
In response, Fatah officials said they would boycott what they called the "illegal Hamas meeting."