Knesset Members Ezra, Ze\'evi, and Yechezkel spoke with Arutz-7 today. Likud MK Gideon Ezra, former Deputy Chief of the GSS, acknowledged a necessity of affording the Arabs of Gaza a way to make a living,
\"but at the same time I\'m not sure if we have to allow them to have a bus at their disposal…\" When pressed to give recommendations that would strike at the core of the problem, he said, \"An emergency unity government must be established today, without waiting for an agreement on exact guidelines, and the first thing it must do is demand that Yasser Arafat publicly call on the Palestinians to stop the violence. Secondly, we must make it clear to Arafat that whoever continues incitement over the Palestinian media, we will see as responsible for the perpetration of attacks. Third, we must fight terrorism all the time, whether or not there was a terrorist attack that day; we have no other choice…\" He then backtracked a bit, saying that he would not advise Sharon to take strong action unless there was a terrorist attack, \"because we know what the world is saying about Sharon…\"
MK Rehavam (Gandi) Ze\'evi (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu), former O.C. Central Command and Rabin\'s security advisor:
\"We must first of all learn from what happened. The Egged Bus Company takes its orders regarding security guidelines from the police, and it appears that we - the police - fell asleep at the post, because after yesterday\'s successful liquidation of Ayad, it should have been assumed that revenge would be attempted, and therefore no entry from Gaza should have been allowed today at all. Secondly, it was once talked about having concrete barriers at the bus stops where soldiers congregate and present a perfect target - yet this was not done… These are defensive measures. Offensively, I would have reacted immediately by declaring the PA leaders as wanted fugitives, as their hands are filled with Jewish blood - and in the future, maybe even to actually arrest them… Of course, the bottom line is that which I always call for: [what used to be called \'transfer\'] - total separation, i.e., \'they\'re there, and we\'re here.\' Of course, the question is where is there and where is here [Barak says Yesha is \'there\' while Gandi says it is \'here.\']\"
MK Avi Yechezkel (Labor) said, \"In a word, I\'m in favor of smashing them. I have two hands - one on the left to open for true peace, for whoever wants, and one on the right that I can easily clench into an iron fist to hit those who want war.
Arutz-7\'s Ariel Kahane: \"So what happened four months ago?\"
Yechezkel: You want to go back in history?
AK: \"Four months is not so far…\"
Yechezkel: I said at the time that we are all right-wing... I am very pragmatic and realistic. If we get war, we\'ll give war…
AK: \"And you\'re in favor of this, even at the expense of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority?\"
Yechezkel: Aaaah, thank you for asking that important question. [sighs] Even though I am left-wing, as time goes on, I begin to reach the conclusion that it could very well be that there is simply no solution to this problem. I mean, if Arafat didn\'t take what Barak offered him, then he certainly won\'t take what Sharon will offer him. [If] he wants everything - the Right of Return, and the Temple Mount, etc. - then it could be that we will all come to the public and say that there is no solution…\"
\"but at the same time I\'m not sure if we have to allow them to have a bus at their disposal…\" When pressed to give recommendations that would strike at the core of the problem, he said, \"An emergency unity government must be established today, without waiting for an agreement on exact guidelines, and the first thing it must do is demand that Yasser Arafat publicly call on the Palestinians to stop the violence. Secondly, we must make it clear to Arafat that whoever continues incitement over the Palestinian media, we will see as responsible for the perpetration of attacks. Third, we must fight terrorism all the time, whether or not there was a terrorist attack that day; we have no other choice…\" He then backtracked a bit, saying that he would not advise Sharon to take strong action unless there was a terrorist attack, \"because we know what the world is saying about Sharon…\"
MK Rehavam (Gandi) Ze\'evi (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu), former O.C. Central Command and Rabin\'s security advisor:
\"We must first of all learn from what happened. The Egged Bus Company takes its orders regarding security guidelines from the police, and it appears that we - the police - fell asleep at the post, because after yesterday\'s successful liquidation of Ayad, it should have been assumed that revenge would be attempted, and therefore no entry from Gaza should have been allowed today at all. Secondly, it was once talked about having concrete barriers at the bus stops where soldiers congregate and present a perfect target - yet this was not done… These are defensive measures. Offensively, I would have reacted immediately by declaring the PA leaders as wanted fugitives, as their hands are filled with Jewish blood - and in the future, maybe even to actually arrest them… Of course, the bottom line is that which I always call for: [what used to be called \'transfer\'] - total separation, i.e., \'they\'re there, and we\'re here.\' Of course, the question is where is there and where is here [Barak says Yesha is \'there\' while Gandi says it is \'here.\']\"
MK Avi Yechezkel (Labor) said, \"In a word, I\'m in favor of smashing them. I have two hands - one on the left to open for true peace, for whoever wants, and one on the right that I can easily clench into an iron fist to hit those who want war.
Arutz-7\'s Ariel Kahane: \"So what happened four months ago?\"
Yechezkel: You want to go back in history?
AK: \"Four months is not so far…\"
Yechezkel: I said at the time that we are all right-wing... I am very pragmatic and realistic. If we get war, we\'ll give war…
AK: \"And you\'re in favor of this, even at the expense of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority?\"
Yechezkel: Aaaah, thank you for asking that important question. [sighs] Even though I am left-wing, as time goes on, I begin to reach the conclusion that it could very well be that there is simply no solution to this problem. I mean, if Arafat didn\'t take what Barak offered him, then he certainly won\'t take what Sharon will offer him. [If] he wants everything - the Right of Return, and the Temple Mount, etc. - then it could be that we will all come to the public and say that there is no solution…\"