Arabs have carried out fewer attacks over the last two weeks than over the same period in previous months. In today\'s cabinet session, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon attributed the decrease in violence to the IDF\'s extensive counter-terror operations which have targeted numerous terror cells. Sharon further said that there is heavy international pressure on Arafat to stop the attacks. A senior IDF official told Arutz Sheva\'s Haggai Huberman, \"The fact that IDF tanks are positioned 400 meters away from Arafat\'s Ramallah offices, and there is no world outcry, is bothersome to Arafat and is forcing him to limit terrorist activity.\"
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Saturday night that the PLO is busy training suicide bombers and preparing car bombings as part of an \"infrastructure for war.\" He told an audience in Holon, \"From their standpoint, the Arabs are engaged in all-out war with us, even though it is difficult for us to consider this a full-scale war. If they had tanks and warplanes, they would undoubtedly use them against us.\"
Nevertheless, Ben-Eliezer said that if the Palestinian Authority starts arresting wanted terrorists and thwarting attacks by Arabs against Jews, then Israel will \"start implementing the Mitchell plan\", referring to the resumption of Israeli concessions in exchange for cessation of attacks, based on an outline put together by an international commission lead by former US senator George Mitchell.
Ben-Eliezer said over the weekend that a Palestinian state would be established one day, adding that the timetable was totally dependent on the PLO. He supports the meetings that Foreign Minister Peres has been holding with PLO official Abu Ala, reasoning that diplomatic talks should not be neglected even during times of violence.
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat telephoned Ben-Eliezer on Thursday night to congratulate him on winning the Labor party election. The Defense Minister told Arafat that he must do more to rein in terror groups.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Saturday night that the PLO is busy training suicide bombers and preparing car bombings as part of an \"infrastructure for war.\" He told an audience in Holon, \"From their standpoint, the Arabs are engaged in all-out war with us, even though it is difficult for us to consider this a full-scale war. If they had tanks and warplanes, they would undoubtedly use them against us.\"
Nevertheless, Ben-Eliezer said that if the Palestinian Authority starts arresting wanted terrorists and thwarting attacks by Arabs against Jews, then Israel will \"start implementing the Mitchell plan\", referring to the resumption of Israeli concessions in exchange for cessation of attacks, based on an outline put together by an international commission lead by former US senator George Mitchell.
Ben-Eliezer said over the weekend that a Palestinian state would be established one day, adding that the timetable was totally dependent on the PLO. He supports the meetings that Foreign Minister Peres has been holding with PLO official Abu Ala, reasoning that diplomatic talks should not be neglected even during times of violence.
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat telephoned Ben-Eliezer on Thursday night to congratulate him on winning the Labor party election. The Defense Minister told Arafat that he must do more to rein in terror groups.