Maj.-Gen. Amos Gilad, Coordinator of Government Activities in Yesha, said last night that the Palestinian Authority has more control over the terrorists than it has acknowledged. He said that though the PA has claimed that it is unable to control or prevent terror attacks, it "understood that the launching of Kassam missiles would cause it damage and not advance its goals, and so it suddenly acted."
Gilad thus confirmed recent reports that the Kassam rockets launched at Sderot and environs last months were stopped by resolute PA action. Hamodia reported that the PA was scared into taking action by strong warnings from the European Union, while Haggai Huberman noted in HaTzofeh that the PA's WAFA news agency recently editorialized strongly against the firing of Kassam rockets at Israeli areas. "These foolish actions [of firing Kassams] are carried out by people who feel no responsibility towards their compatriots, and who are not able to responsibly act on behalf of the supreme interests of the Palestinians," wrote WAFA. PA officials said they were taking measures to stop the Kassam groups, but denied that they had arrested anyone in this connection.
The Zionist Organization of America has been keeping tabs on the PA's fulfillment, or lack thereof, of the conditions set forth by U.S. President Bush in his June 24 speech last year in order to merit U.S. support for the creation of a Palestinian Arab state. The PA was to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, end incitement, elect new leaders not compromised by terror, and embrace democracy and free market economics. The ZOA notes that none of these have yet been fulfilled.
Gilad thus confirmed recent reports that the Kassam rockets launched at Sderot and environs last months were stopped by resolute PA action. Hamodia reported that the PA was scared into taking action by strong warnings from the European Union, while Haggai Huberman noted in HaTzofeh that the PA's WAFA news agency recently editorialized strongly against the firing of Kassam rockets at Israeli areas. "These foolish actions [of firing Kassams] are carried out by people who feel no responsibility towards their compatriots, and who are not able to responsibly act on behalf of the supreme interests of the Palestinians," wrote WAFA. PA officials said they were taking measures to stop the Kassam groups, but denied that they had arrested anyone in this connection.
The Zionist Organization of America has been keeping tabs on the PA's fulfillment, or lack thereof, of the conditions set forth by U.S. President Bush in his June 24 speech last year in order to merit U.S. support for the creation of a Palestinian Arab state. The PA was to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, end incitement, elect new leaders not compromised by terror, and embrace democracy and free market economics. The ZOA notes that none of these have yet been fulfilled.