What did the mini-security cabinet decide last night? An announcement following last night\'s 3.5-hour meeting stated that the army was instructed to \"intensify\" its military pressure on the Palestinian Authority. According to Labor and Welfare Minister Shlomo Benizri, however, the decision amounts to nothing. He said that he does not believe that Prime Minister Sharon is giving the IDF as free a hand as he claims. \"If the army really has no constraints and this is all it can do,\" he said, \"then there\'s no choice other than to recite Psalms and wait for a miracle.\" Benizri said that he and others were not given an opportunity to express their opinions at the meeting. An unnamed senior government source said, on the other hand, that this is the last chance for the PA, and \"we are close to making a decision to capture the Palestinian Authority.\"
The idea of targeting and killing Tanzim leader Marwan Bargouti was apparently discussed and rejected. Security sources say that Bargouti has become a symbol almost on the level of Arafat, and that he is therefore \"immune to a targeted killing.\" Prime Minister Sharon was in favor of redeploying tanks around Arafat\'s office following the slaughters of Saturday night and Sunday, but Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer convinced him not to, saying that it would lead to more unrest.
The idea of targeting and killing Tanzim leader Marwan Bargouti was apparently discussed and rejected. Security sources say that Bargouti has become a symbol almost on the level of Arafat, and that he is therefore \"immune to a targeted killing.\" Prime Minister Sharon was in favor of redeploying tanks around Arafat\'s office following the slaughters of Saturday night and Sunday, but Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer convinced him not to, saying that it would lead to more unrest.