Speaking to a forum of frontline community leaders in Maalot Tarshicha yesterday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz stated that in the event of a Hizbullah attack from Lebanon, even during an American offensive against Iraq, Israel would not be able to show restraint. “If we find ourselves in a situation where Hizbullah opens a second front and uses long-range missiles, Israel will have no choice but to fulfill its responsibility to defend its citizens,” he said, adding that Hizbullah has several hundred long-range missiles. Such missiles, it is feared, could effectively cover northern Israel - from the Lebanese border to Haifa.
Regarding terrorism emanating from the Palestinian Authority, the Defense Minister said that the recent attack in Tel Aviv proves that PLO leader Yasser Arafat and his PA continue to promote terrorism. Therefore, Mofaz said, there is no real difference between Fatah - Arafat’s gang and the group that took responsibility for Sunday’s bombing - and Hamas or the Islamic Jihad. All of the gangs are trying very hard to carry out terrorist attacks, he said, and to that end they cooperate with outsiders, like al-Qaeda, Iraq and Iran, while Islamic Jihad and Hamas leaders in Damascus continue to hand down orders to their local cadres. At the same time, however, Defense Minister Mofaz said that he expects a change for the better this year, as both the Arabs and the world community now understand, better than ever, that no negotiations are possible as along as Arafat heads the PA. He made the remarks yesterday, after leaving a meeting of the Security and Foreign Affairs Committee.
Regarding terrorism emanating from the Palestinian Authority, the Defense Minister said that the recent attack in Tel Aviv proves that PLO leader Yasser Arafat and his PA continue to promote terrorism. Therefore, Mofaz said, there is no real difference between Fatah - Arafat’s gang and the group that took responsibility for Sunday’s bombing - and Hamas or the Islamic Jihad. All of the gangs are trying very hard to carry out terrorist attacks, he said, and to that end they cooperate with outsiders, like al-Qaeda, Iraq and Iran, while Islamic Jihad and Hamas leaders in Damascus continue to hand down orders to their local cadres. At the same time, however, Defense Minister Mofaz said that he expects a change for the better this year, as both the Arabs and the world community now understand, better than ever, that no negotiations are possible as along as Arafat heads the PA. He made the remarks yesterday, after leaving a meeting of the Security and Foreign Affairs Committee.