The Hebron Municipal Board is demanding the permanent closure of the Arab Polytechnicum institute in Hebron where yesterday’s Haifa suicide bomber was a student. The municipality is also calling for the expulsion of all persons connected to the institution, as well as the entire extended Kawasma clan to whom the terrorist bomber belonged.
The Polytechnicum institute is closely affiliated with both the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations and is often used as a base for recruiting new terrorists and suicide bombers. The Haifa bomber is the 20th terrorist to be educated at the Polytechnicum since the outbreak of the Oslo war in September 2000. The institute is located in the Harat a Shiek neighborhood overlooking Hebron’s Jewish community.
The Polytechnicum is currently closed by order of the Israeli military government.
Kawasma is one of Hebron’s most respected and notable Arab families. The bomber’s father, Ali Kawasma, serves as Arafat’s administrator for transportation in the PA.
Another noted Kawasma, Fahad, served as mayor of Hebron and was expelled from Israel by order of the military government after the attack on Bet Hadassah in 1980. Fahad was responsible for conducting a rally inciting local Arabs into despising the Jewish residents of the city just prior to the attack which took the lives of yeshiva students studying in Hebron. Fahad’s expulsion was ordered by former Defense Minister Binyamin ben Eliezer who then served as Israeli government coordinator in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
The Kawasma clan is divided in their support for the Hamas and the Fatah one of Arafat’s leading terrorist groups. Last year, a Kawasma terrorist dressed as a women and belonging to the Hamas, was arrested by Israeli authorities.
Orit Struck, member of the Hebron Municipal Board said that the expulsion of the entire Kawasma clan would have a significant deterrent effect. According to Struck, senior army officers and security officials are interested in expelling entire clans who are involved in terrorism in order to provide an additional measure of deterrence in the war against terror.
“The main factor preventing such expulsion is the Israeli Supreme Court,” explained Struck, “which continues to relate to the security situation” as if there were no war going on.
Struck pointed out that demolishing the homes of terrorists has proven effective in deterring terrorist acts, but is insufficient, and further measures must be taken such as expelling the families of terrorists. “The Haifa attack was so severe that this is the time to act,” she suggested.
The Hebron board has approached a number of government ministers and Knesset members in order to place the issue of expelling the families of terrorists and terrorist clans on the public agenda.
The Polytechnicum institute is closely affiliated with both the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations and is often used as a base for recruiting new terrorists and suicide bombers. The Haifa bomber is the 20th terrorist to be educated at the Polytechnicum since the outbreak of the Oslo war in September 2000. The institute is located in the Harat a Shiek neighborhood overlooking Hebron’s Jewish community.
The Polytechnicum is currently closed by order of the Israeli military government.
Kawasma is one of Hebron’s most respected and notable Arab families. The bomber’s father, Ali Kawasma, serves as Arafat’s administrator for transportation in the PA.
Another noted Kawasma, Fahad, served as mayor of Hebron and was expelled from Israel by order of the military government after the attack on Bet Hadassah in 1980. Fahad was responsible for conducting a rally inciting local Arabs into despising the Jewish residents of the city just prior to the attack which took the lives of yeshiva students studying in Hebron. Fahad’s expulsion was ordered by former Defense Minister Binyamin ben Eliezer who then served as Israeli government coordinator in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
The Kawasma clan is divided in their support for the Hamas and the Fatah one of Arafat’s leading terrorist groups. Last year, a Kawasma terrorist dressed as a women and belonging to the Hamas, was arrested by Israeli authorities.
Orit Struck, member of the Hebron Municipal Board said that the expulsion of the entire Kawasma clan would have a significant deterrent effect. According to Struck, senior army officers and security officials are interested in expelling entire clans who are involved in terrorism in order to provide an additional measure of deterrence in the war against terror.
“The main factor preventing such expulsion is the Israeli Supreme Court,” explained Struck, “which continues to relate to the security situation” as if there were no war going on.
Struck pointed out that demolishing the homes of terrorists has proven effective in deterring terrorist acts, but is insufficient, and further measures must be taken such as expelling the families of terrorists. “The Haifa attack was so severe that this is the time to act,” she suggested.
The Hebron board has approached a number of government ministers and Knesset members in order to place the issue of expelling the families of terrorists and terrorist clans on the public agenda.