The IDF withdrew its forces during the night from the PA-controlled areas of Jenin. The move was made possible following not only an intelligence evaluation in the field, but also as a gesture in honor of the arrival of the Zinni-Burns mediating team in the Middle East. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has come under some criticism for the decision to withdraw the forces, in the face of continuing terrorist warnings. Ben-Eliezer responded that the decision was reviewed by all the security agencies, and that in any event the city of Jenin remains encircled by IDF forces.
The army originally entered Jenin and five other PA-controlled areas over five weeks ago, in response to the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi. It withdrew from the other areas earlier this month.
Following today\'s murders in Afula, Interior Minister Eli Yeshai (Shas) said, \"I thank G-d and the security forces for all the attacks that have been thwarted over the past few weeks, but at the same time we see that there has been no change in the Palestinian policy of violence, and it is important for the Americans and Europeans to see this; the previous attack in Afula [in which three Israelis were murdered] was carried out by none other than Palestinian Authority policemen.\"
Environment Minister Tzachi HaNegbi (Likud) told Arutz-7, \"It\'s very hard to be optimistic when we see not only [American mediator Gen. Anthony] Zinni, but many other world leaders making pilgrimages to Arafat and begging him to stop the violence, and all they hear in response is more violence and fantasies of Israeli uranium plots. We simply have no one to speak with - we never had - and the only choice is to go back to what the Prime Minister said a few months ago, which is to rely only on ourselves and to fight terrorism with whatever tools we have at our disposal.\" HaNegbi said that the present violence should not be called the Al-Aksa War, but rather the Oslo War.
The army originally entered Jenin and five other PA-controlled areas over five weeks ago, in response to the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi. It withdrew from the other areas earlier this month.
Following today\'s murders in Afula, Interior Minister Eli Yeshai (Shas) said, \"I thank G-d and the security forces for all the attacks that have been thwarted over the past few weeks, but at the same time we see that there has been no change in the Palestinian policy of violence, and it is important for the Americans and Europeans to see this; the previous attack in Afula [in which three Israelis were murdered] was carried out by none other than Palestinian Authority policemen.\"
Environment Minister Tzachi HaNegbi (Likud) told Arutz-7, \"It\'s very hard to be optimistic when we see not only [American mediator Gen. Anthony] Zinni, but many other world leaders making pilgrimages to Arafat and begging him to stop the violence, and all they hear in response is more violence and fantasies of Israeli uranium plots. We simply have no one to speak with - we never had - and the only choice is to go back to what the Prime Minister said a few months ago, which is to rely only on ourselves and to fight terrorism with whatever tools we have at our disposal.\" HaNegbi said that the present violence should not be called the Al-Aksa War, but rather the Oslo War.