Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: "President Bush said that leaders compromised by terror cannot be partners for peace… Not only has the PA failed to fight terrorism, but Arafat's own Fatah and Tanzim forces proudly took credit for yesterday's savage attack, and for many other atrocities over the last two years. The Palestinian leadership does not need to meet abroad in order to close down suicide kindergarten camps, to stop incitement to murder and to fight terrorism. This they can do in Ramallah and Gaza - right here, right now. Until the Palestinian leadership does so, it must be given no quarter and no legitimacy in the free world."
National Religious Party leader Brig.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam told Arutz-7 this morning: "Four things must be done now: Sharon must make it unambiguously clear that a Palestinian state will not arise; there must be a military defeat of all those involved in terrorism; our government must stop transferring funds to the PA - funds that fuel the terrorism; and all Arab incitement preparing the next generation to continue the war must be stopped."
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal spoke with National Union party leader Avigdor Lieberman today, and asked him: "Following the security cabinet meeting last night, a senior security source said that another Operation Defensive Shield is not in the offing. In other words, he was saying, 'We've tried everything already, and there's nothing more to do.' Do you accept this?"
Lieberman: "This is just their way of escaping responsibility, and a continuation of the defeatism that has long been emanating from the Prime Minister's office… Prime Minister Sharon says that Arafat is responsible. If this is so, then Arafat must pay the price, period. No bombing of empty buildings, and no pyrotechnics - nothing but making him pay the price."
A-7: "But the Americans say that punishing Arafat now will sabotage the American attack on Iraq...?"
Lieberman: "I'm not talking about the precise timing. Sharon had plenty of opportunities to do it until now - after the Park Hotel, or after other attacks, and he did not do so, even when Iraq was not an issue. Without a decision to expel the man who is responsible, nothing will change. The U.S. put a price on Bin-Laden's head, and we can expel our Bin-Laden... Arafat must pay the same price as any other terrorist, with no special considerations given."
A-7: "You don't assume that if Arafat is gone, terrorism will just disappear by itself, do you?"
Lieberman: "The PLO leaders must first understand that we are reinstating our power of deterrence, and that they will all pay the price. After all, what really drives them? They fear for their own lives, their power, and their bank accounts. We should be declaring an all-out war against them, and instead Sharon is still planning to give them 2 billion shekels after the elections... Someone who can't stand up to the [U.S.] pressures shouldn't try to be Prime Minister…"
Labor MK Chaim Ramon, on the other hand, said that it is in Israel's interest to keep Arafat here: "At present, he is essentially imprisoned in Ramallah. If we were to expel him, he would be free to travel around the world, and do even more damage that way."
Oslo architect Shimon Peres said this morning, "We must ask ourselves in a true manner what brings hundreds of Palestinians to kill themselves." Peres said that he is not a pacifist, and that he believes in force against terrorists, but that this must be accompanied by diplomatic negotiations. He added that the claim that the guns his government gave the Arabs are to blame is "nonsense," and he demands an immediate dismantling of the Jewish communities in Gaza and the total withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza.
National Religious Party leader Brig.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam told Arutz-7 this morning: "Four things must be done now: Sharon must make it unambiguously clear that a Palestinian state will not arise; there must be a military defeat of all those involved in terrorism; our government must stop transferring funds to the PA - funds that fuel the terrorism; and all Arab incitement preparing the next generation to continue the war must be stopped."
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal spoke with National Union party leader Avigdor Lieberman today, and asked him: "Following the security cabinet meeting last night, a senior security source said that another Operation Defensive Shield is not in the offing. In other words, he was saying, 'We've tried everything already, and there's nothing more to do.' Do you accept this?"
Lieberman: "This is just their way of escaping responsibility, and a continuation of the defeatism that has long been emanating from the Prime Minister's office… Prime Minister Sharon says that Arafat is responsible. If this is so, then Arafat must pay the price, period. No bombing of empty buildings, and no pyrotechnics - nothing but making him pay the price."
A-7: "But the Americans say that punishing Arafat now will sabotage the American attack on Iraq...?"
Lieberman: "I'm not talking about the precise timing. Sharon had plenty of opportunities to do it until now - after the Park Hotel, or after other attacks, and he did not do so, even when Iraq was not an issue. Without a decision to expel the man who is responsible, nothing will change. The U.S. put a price on Bin-Laden's head, and we can expel our Bin-Laden... Arafat must pay the same price as any other terrorist, with no special considerations given."
A-7: "You don't assume that if Arafat is gone, terrorism will just disappear by itself, do you?"
Lieberman: "The PLO leaders must first understand that we are reinstating our power of deterrence, and that they will all pay the price. After all, what really drives them? They fear for their own lives, their power, and their bank accounts. We should be declaring an all-out war against them, and instead Sharon is still planning to give them 2 billion shekels after the elections... Someone who can't stand up to the [U.S.] pressures shouldn't try to be Prime Minister…"
Labor MK Chaim Ramon, on the other hand, said that it is in Israel's interest to keep Arafat here: "At present, he is essentially imprisoned in Ramallah. If we were to expel him, he would be free to travel around the world, and do even more damage that way."
Oslo architect Shimon Peres said this morning, "We must ask ourselves in a true manner what brings hundreds of Palestinians to kill themselves." Peres said that he is not a pacifist, and that he believes in force against terrorists, but that this must be accompanied by diplomatic negotiations. He added that the claim that the guns his government gave the Arabs are to blame is "nonsense," and he demands an immediate dismantling of the Jewish communities in Gaza and the total withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza.