High-level Israeli and Palestinian security officials, including GSS head Avi Dichter, met for over three hours last night to discuss ways to reduce the level of warfare. During the meeting, which reporters described as showing some signs of Palestinian readiness to clamp down on terrorism, a Palestinian mortar shell was fired towards Netzarim. (It was later ascertained that the shell fell in PA-controlled territory.) The meeting continued despite this, and Israeli officials later described it as \"good and serious.\"
During the meeting, Israel offered a series of restriction-relaxing gestures - but no concurrent demand for a total cessation of PA violence was made. \"This demand is still in force, of course,\" reported Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman today, \"but Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer is anxious to ease some of the restrictions currently limiting the Arab population.\" Huberman reports that within 48 hours, Israel is likely to begin removing some of the restrictions, despite today\'s terrorist strike. \"These include allowing additional Gaza workers to cross into Israel-proper for work, expanding Arab fishing rights, and the removal of checkpoints in certain areas. However, the Dahaniye airport in Gaza will still not be opened, because this is something that does not affect the population as a whole.\"
Following today\'s attack, Likud MK Yuval Shteinitz called upon the government to cease all forms of dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. \"Israel must demand an immediate and absolute halt to the violence before any negotiations resume in any form,\" he said. Former Transportation and Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, head of the National Republic Party, had sharp words for Prime Minister Sharon: “He promised not to hold negotiations with the Palestinians under fire. But the reality shows that diplomatic talks are in fact being held under fire - a clear breach of his vow.” MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu): \"The murderous urges of Arafat and his cronies did not come to an end with his declarations about capturing mortar-cell gangs. We are dealing with a murderer, and as long as we don\'t fight war with war, we will be perceived as weak.\"
During the meeting, Israel offered a series of restriction-relaxing gestures - but no concurrent demand for a total cessation of PA violence was made. \"This demand is still in force, of course,\" reported Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman today, \"but Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer is anxious to ease some of the restrictions currently limiting the Arab population.\" Huberman reports that within 48 hours, Israel is likely to begin removing some of the restrictions, despite today\'s terrorist strike. \"These include allowing additional Gaza workers to cross into Israel-proper for work, expanding Arab fishing rights, and the removal of checkpoints in certain areas. However, the Dahaniye airport in Gaza will still not be opened, because this is something that does not affect the population as a whole.\"
Following today\'s attack, Likud MK Yuval Shteinitz called upon the government to cease all forms of dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. \"Israel must demand an immediate and absolute halt to the violence before any negotiations resume in any form,\" he said. Former Transportation and Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, head of the National Republic Party, had sharp words for Prime Minister Sharon: “He promised not to hold negotiations with the Palestinians under fire. But the reality shows that diplomatic talks are in fact being held under fire - a clear breach of his vow.” MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu): \"The murderous urges of Arafat and his cronies did not come to an end with his declarations about capturing mortar-cell gangs. We are dealing with a murderer, and as long as we don\'t fight war with war, we will be perceived as weak.\"