The IDF has established a new observation post above the Tunnels Highway checkpoint, outside Beit Jala. The new point is located below the homes of Beit Jala from where Palestinian terrorists have been sporadically shooting at cars for the past several months.
Israel destroyed eight of ten buildings in the headquarters of PA General Intelligence Chief Tawfiq Tirawi two days ago. At least 17 terrorists were reported wounded when the buildings were set ablaze by Israeli tank shells. The attack came as a result of continuing terrorist attacks on Israeli targets in the Jordan Valley.
Yesterday\'s quick IDF penetration into Palestinian-controlled Beit Jala has led to newspaper headlines blaring that the IDF now has a green light to act in Area A [under full Palestinian control]. \"Is this in fact Israel\'s new policy?\" asked Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal of former Defense Minister and current Likud MK Moshe Arens today. Arens:
\"This is not the first time that the IDF is entering Area A, and it\'s obvious that we cannot wage a war if the other side knows that there is an imaginary line behind which he can run and be totally safe. Picture the War of Independence: if Israel had set itself a rule not to cross the lines set by the Partition Plan of 1947, the war would have gone on until today - it would have been impossible to ever end it!...\"
Asked about the feasibility of toppling Arafat\'s regime, Arens said, \"Two things are clear: One, Arafat is responsible for the terrorist attacks and all the latest victims, and two, we will not reach any agreement with Arafat at the head of the PA. I don\'t know if we\'ll reach an agreement with the PA after Arafat, but certainly not with him.\"
Arens was asked for his opinion on the government\'s Judea and Samaria policy of \"natural-growth construction only.\" Arens first said that this issue is a prime example of Israel not always falling in line with American demands: \"I don\'t think we ever received America\'s blessing for building settlements in Yesha, but we did it because we felt that it was important for the State of Israel... I don\'t see a great need to build new settlements at this time, and the natural-increase idea is therefore very reasonable and correct. What is very important is to double the Jewish population in the Golan - this is something that we can do.\"
Israel destroyed eight of ten buildings in the headquarters of PA General Intelligence Chief Tawfiq Tirawi two days ago. At least 17 terrorists were reported wounded when the buildings were set ablaze by Israeli tank shells. The attack came as a result of continuing terrorist attacks on Israeli targets in the Jordan Valley.
Yesterday\'s quick IDF penetration into Palestinian-controlled Beit Jala has led to newspaper headlines blaring that the IDF now has a green light to act in Area A [under full Palestinian control]. \"Is this in fact Israel\'s new policy?\" asked Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal of former Defense Minister and current Likud MK Moshe Arens today. Arens:
\"This is not the first time that the IDF is entering Area A, and it\'s obvious that we cannot wage a war if the other side knows that there is an imaginary line behind which he can run and be totally safe. Picture the War of Independence: if Israel had set itself a rule not to cross the lines set by the Partition Plan of 1947, the war would have gone on until today - it would have been impossible to ever end it!...\"
Asked about the feasibility of toppling Arafat\'s regime, Arens said, \"Two things are clear: One, Arafat is responsible for the terrorist attacks and all the latest victims, and two, we will not reach any agreement with Arafat at the head of the PA. I don\'t know if we\'ll reach an agreement with the PA after Arafat, but certainly not with him.\"
Arens was asked for his opinion on the government\'s Judea and Samaria policy of \"natural-growth construction only.\" Arens first said that this issue is a prime example of Israel not always falling in line with American demands: \"I don\'t think we ever received America\'s blessing for building settlements in Yesha, but we did it because we felt that it was important for the State of Israel... I don\'t see a great need to build new settlements at this time, and the natural-increase idea is therefore very reasonable and correct. What is very important is to double the Jewish population in the Golan - this is something that we can do.\"