The political establishment was quick to respond to today\'s murder. National Religious Party leader Rabbi Yitzchak Levy said \"Less than 24 hours after the PA’s official declaration of a cease-fire, another Jewish person has been sacrificed on the altar of \'the policy of restraint\'...\" Minister of Tourism Rechavam Ze’evi called upon Prime Minister Sharon to immediately announce the end of the Tenet cease-fire. Continuing with the cease-fire, Ze\'evi asserted, would only lead to the additional spilling of Jewish blood.
Minister of National Infrastructures Avigdor Lieberman said: “There is no cease-fire and no cessation of attacks. It is impossible to achieve any type of peace agreement until the other side realizes who is in charge here.\"
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not seem to accept the advice of his government colleagues; he was content to announce that today\'s murder of Col. Edri has simply \"re-set\" the 48-hour countdown required to implement the cease-fire. According to the Tenet-brokered deal, the Arabs must take a 48-hour hiatus from their round-the-clock attacks before Israel withdraws its forces and military hardware from key areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Sharon added that while restrictions were being relaxed in many areas, there would be no troop withdrawals from regions in which attacks continue. He cited the Ramallah, Shechem and Rafiach areas as examples of the latter.
Jewish residents of Gaza are already alarmed with the reopening of many roads to Arab vehicular traffic; these routes once again permit PA residents to drive dangerously close to Jewish communities in the area. Kfar Darom resident Efrat Badicihi said today that members of her community are also perturbed by the removal of concrete barriers and other protective devices around Kfar Darom. Until now, the objects have prevented Arab motorists from coming within proximity of Jewish homes there.
Minister of National Infrastructures Avigdor Lieberman said: “There is no cease-fire and no cessation of attacks. It is impossible to achieve any type of peace agreement until the other side realizes who is in charge here.\"
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not seem to accept the advice of his government colleagues; he was content to announce that today\'s murder of Col. Edri has simply \"re-set\" the 48-hour countdown required to implement the cease-fire. According to the Tenet-brokered deal, the Arabs must take a 48-hour hiatus from their round-the-clock attacks before Israel withdraws its forces and military hardware from key areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Sharon added that while restrictions were being relaxed in many areas, there would be no troop withdrawals from regions in which attacks continue. He cited the Ramallah, Shechem and Rafiach areas as examples of the latter.
Jewish residents of Gaza are already alarmed with the reopening of many roads to Arab vehicular traffic; these routes once again permit PA residents to drive dangerously close to Jewish communities in the area. Kfar Darom resident Efrat Badicihi said today that members of her community are also perturbed by the removal of concrete barriers and other protective devices around Kfar Darom. Until now, the objects have prevented Arab motorists from coming within proximity of Jewish homes there.