IDF Chief of Planning Major General Giora Eiland stated that a delegation of western leftist activists and reporters, who had entered Ramallah to show their support for the isolated PLO leader, attempted to smuggle 20 wanted terrorists out of Arafat’s headquarters. The terrorists had found sanctuary in Arafat\'s Ramallah headquarters, and tried to escape undetected by intermingling with the leftist activists as they departed. The entire group was taken into custody by Israeli soldiers.
The IDF Central Command had declared Ramallah a closed military zone, making the very presence of civilians in the city a violation of security measures. The reporters among the group are expected to face sanctions on their future work in Israel. The IDF Spokesman’s office stated that the delegation endangered their own lives and the lives of IDF soldiers by their effrontery. Director of the Government Press Office Danny Seaman said that the army closed Ramallah to journalists for their own safety, and also because their presence had led soldiers, in some cases, to hesitate before shooting.
The European activists and reporters met with Arafat, posed for photographs and presented the PLO leader with a t-shirt. One Israeli woman joined the group. She is married to a local Arab.
In light of the grave incident, Minister of the Interior Eli Yishai intends to forbid the entry of foreign leftist activists into Israel whose purpose is to get in the way of Israel\'s War on Terror.
The IDF Central Command had declared Ramallah a closed military zone, making the very presence of civilians in the city a violation of security measures. The reporters among the group are expected to face sanctions on their future work in Israel. The IDF Spokesman’s office stated that the delegation endangered their own lives and the lives of IDF soldiers by their effrontery. Director of the Government Press Office Danny Seaman said that the army closed Ramallah to journalists for their own safety, and also because their presence had led soldiers, in some cases, to hesitate before shooting.
The European activists and reporters met with Arafat, posed for photographs and presented the PLO leader with a t-shirt. One Israeli woman joined the group. She is married to a local Arab.
In light of the grave incident, Minister of the Interior Eli Yishai intends to forbid the entry of foreign leftist activists into Israel whose purpose is to get in the way of Israel\'s War on Terror.