Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid of the Shinui Party said that today's murderous attack in Jerusalem raises "the question whether the Palestinian Authority is capable of preventing inhumane terrorism such as this." Taking this logic another daring step further, Lapid continued, "If it does have the power to stop it and is not doing so, then we have nothing to talk about."
MK Yuval Shteinitz said that the attack was meant to humiliate Israel as it carries out the prisoner/hostage exchange. "This is a terrible attack with the purpose of embarrassing Israel," he said, "and making its release of 400 terrorists into an even more humiliating incident, and it appears that they have succeeded. Israel's response must be to expel Arafat to Tunisia for his overall responsibility for the suicide attacks."
Other MKs also spoke of Israel's "weakness" and the need for a sharp response. Analysts assume that this will in fact come, though not before the grim homecoming ceremony of the Israeli captives this afternoon or early evening.
Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz convened an urgent consultation in his Tel Aviv office with top IDF and defense brass. This morning, Mofaz met with American diplomats John Wolf and David Satterfield - who were asking him to further ease restrictions on the PA population when the fatal bomb went off.
Similarly, Prime Minister Sharon and Foreign Minister Shalom canceled a trilateral meeting they were to hold today with representatives of the PA and countries that wish to donate to the PA. The meeting was to address the matter of easing conditions for the PA population. Minister Shalom said, however, that it is "up to the Palestinian Authority to fulfill its obligation to fight against terrorism. Absent this, there will not be progress in the peace process."
The Labor Party has rescheduled an important meeting which was to have taken place today, in light of this morning's attack. The party leadership was to have convened today to vote, by secret ballot, on an extension of Shimon Peres' tenure as temporary party chairman. The vote will take place next Tuesday. Peres had previously rebuffed requests to push off the meeting in light of today's prisoner/hostage exchange, saying that Israel is replete with critical events and that a political party "cannot be run this way."
MK Yuval Shteinitz said that the attack was meant to humiliate Israel as it carries out the prisoner/hostage exchange. "This is a terrible attack with the purpose of embarrassing Israel," he said, "and making its release of 400 terrorists into an even more humiliating incident, and it appears that they have succeeded. Israel's response must be to expel Arafat to Tunisia for his overall responsibility for the suicide attacks."
Other MKs also spoke of Israel's "weakness" and the need for a sharp response. Analysts assume that this will in fact come, though not before the grim homecoming ceremony of the Israeli captives this afternoon or early evening.
Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz convened an urgent consultation in his Tel Aviv office with top IDF and defense brass. This morning, Mofaz met with American diplomats John Wolf and David Satterfield - who were asking him to further ease restrictions on the PA population when the fatal bomb went off.
Similarly, Prime Minister Sharon and Foreign Minister Shalom canceled a trilateral meeting they were to hold today with representatives of the PA and countries that wish to donate to the PA. The meeting was to address the matter of easing conditions for the PA population. Minister Shalom said, however, that it is "up to the Palestinian Authority to fulfill its obligation to fight against terrorism. Absent this, there will not be progress in the peace process."
The Labor Party has rescheduled an important meeting which was to have taken place today, in light of this morning's attack. The party leadership was to have convened today to vote, by secret ballot, on an extension of Shimon Peres' tenure as temporary party chairman. The vote will take place next Tuesday. Peres had previously rebuffed requests to push off the meeting in light of today's prisoner/hostage exchange, saying that Israel is replete with critical events and that a political party "cannot be run this way."