Minister of Tourism and Security Cabinet member Rehavam Ze’evi, in an interview on Israel Radio, expressed his view of the Israeli actions taken following last Thursday’s suicide bombing in Jerusalem. He said the takeover of several PLO offices in Jerusalem and Abu Dis was a “smart action, but not enough. We need to respond all along the [PLO] front, from Rafiah to Jenin.”
The Minister said that the world will always criticize our retaliatory raids, “What do we expect - that they will applaud our operations? Of course when we retaliate, when we respond, they will be against us, but we do not live for world applause. And if we have to do it, then we\'ll do it without sympathetic understanding. I always like to say that there was one nation in the world that earned a lot of sympathy, but it no longer exists. It was called Biafra, but it is no more. So I am willing to forego the sympathy. Of course I will attempt to sway world opinion in our favor, but if the choice is between world approval or doing what is necessary, then we will do what we have to do.
“The Orient House was operating in violation of the agreements - which prohibit [PLO] political activity in Jerusalem. The Orient House is dead… Attempts to revive it - a demonstration, another protest, another shoving match with Hanan Ashrawi - will ultimately pass and it will fade from the horizon. There will be no political activity of the Palestinian Authority, of the PLO, in the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is our sovereign capital, and it is inconceivable that ten offices were operating in Jerusalem under complete jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. No nation on earth would accept such an arrangement, but now when we respond to it, everyone gets upset. In a few days they will forget about it, although the things that will make it forgettable are not necessarily things that will make me happy.”
“The capture of the Orient House was not a preemptive strike against a terrorist act. It was a signal to Arafat, \'Look here, you cannot send grief and death to us and continue as if nothing happened. You will lose that which you\'ve already gained in the past.’ All the previous governments knew that the Orient House had to be taken out, but they displayed restraint. If Arafat had not yet understood the rules, he certainly does now. The fact is that in the last few days, he already arrested one or two terrorists who were on their way to carrying out suicide attacks. I believe that the suicide attacks were halted due to his understanding that he is starting to lose altitude and political assets.
“Arafat intended to appoint someone instead of [the late] Faisal Husseini [Director of the Orient House], who did actually concern him as a potential rival, someone more to his liking or perhaps no one at all. But now, Arafat lost the place to appoint someone to. He can appoint someone at his own house. At his house, he can appoint someone for Israel affairs, for Jerusalem affairs, but not in the city of Jerusalem. Only the Government of Israel and the Jerusalem Municipality will run Jerusalem and certainly not a foreign, hostile organization.”
While the operation was important for raising Jewish morale, it “definitely had added value in terms of the war on terrorism, because Arafat saw that he was losing political assets. Regarding combatting terrorism, there is a whole host of actions that we have yet to take. I think Arafat is much better at convincing [Israel to act] than I am in this regard. When I suggest something it requires a long incubation period, sometimes months, sometimes more than that. This could be seen in the previous government as well as in this one. Until they agreed to finally take down the Twin Towers overlooking Netzarim Junction [from which Arab snipers shot at Jews in the intersection], it took a few months, but they ultimately did it and Netzarim Junction is now quiet. Thus far, I proposed eighteen possible actions, only two of which were carried out. That means that there are still sixteen waiting to be unleashed.
“People ask, ‘When are you going to stop shooting at empty headquarters of Force 17? When are you going to stop shooting at sandbags and concrete walls? When will you start to really fight?’ That is the real picture of Israeli public opinion that does not necessarily get reflected in the nice polls that appear in the newspapers. The public definitely expects from the Sharon government to provide them with the security we promised. And security means hitting back at those who seek our death.”
Minister Ze’evi then turned to his analysis of the current Israeli government. He says that “there is a joint interest in maintaining the unity government… In today\'s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sharon reiterated that it is of primary importance. Since both sides see [national unity] as important, they will both compromise now and again. A unity government doesn\'t mean that everyone thinks the same thing, but that each side gives in a bit. They could continue ‘living together’ for a long time if they want to. If it were up to me, the unity government would not exist, because I see it as a government of paralysis... But both Sharon and Peres are old-timers in politics and are very clever, and they will avoid all the pitfalls and mine fields along the way.”
The Minister said that the world will always criticize our retaliatory raids, “What do we expect - that they will applaud our operations? Of course when we retaliate, when we respond, they will be against us, but we do not live for world applause. And if we have to do it, then we\'ll do it without sympathetic understanding. I always like to say that there was one nation in the world that earned a lot of sympathy, but it no longer exists. It was called Biafra, but it is no more. So I am willing to forego the sympathy. Of course I will attempt to sway world opinion in our favor, but if the choice is between world approval or doing what is necessary, then we will do what we have to do.
“The Orient House was operating in violation of the agreements - which prohibit [PLO] political activity in Jerusalem. The Orient House is dead… Attempts to revive it - a demonstration, another protest, another shoving match with Hanan Ashrawi - will ultimately pass and it will fade from the horizon. There will be no political activity of the Palestinian Authority, of the PLO, in the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is our sovereign capital, and it is inconceivable that ten offices were operating in Jerusalem under complete jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. No nation on earth would accept such an arrangement, but now when we respond to it, everyone gets upset. In a few days they will forget about it, although the things that will make it forgettable are not necessarily things that will make me happy.”
“The capture of the Orient House was not a preemptive strike against a terrorist act. It was a signal to Arafat, \'Look here, you cannot send grief and death to us and continue as if nothing happened. You will lose that which you\'ve already gained in the past.’ All the previous governments knew that the Orient House had to be taken out, but they displayed restraint. If Arafat had not yet understood the rules, he certainly does now. The fact is that in the last few days, he already arrested one or two terrorists who were on their way to carrying out suicide attacks. I believe that the suicide attacks were halted due to his understanding that he is starting to lose altitude and political assets.
“Arafat intended to appoint someone instead of [the late] Faisal Husseini [Director of the Orient House], who did actually concern him as a potential rival, someone more to his liking or perhaps no one at all. But now, Arafat lost the place to appoint someone to. He can appoint someone at his own house. At his house, he can appoint someone for Israel affairs, for Jerusalem affairs, but not in the city of Jerusalem. Only the Government of Israel and the Jerusalem Municipality will run Jerusalem and certainly not a foreign, hostile organization.”
While the operation was important for raising Jewish morale, it “definitely had added value in terms of the war on terrorism, because Arafat saw that he was losing political assets. Regarding combatting terrorism, there is a whole host of actions that we have yet to take. I think Arafat is much better at convincing [Israel to act] than I am in this regard. When I suggest something it requires a long incubation period, sometimes months, sometimes more than that. This could be seen in the previous government as well as in this one. Until they agreed to finally take down the Twin Towers overlooking Netzarim Junction [from which Arab snipers shot at Jews in the intersection], it took a few months, but they ultimately did it and Netzarim Junction is now quiet. Thus far, I proposed eighteen possible actions, only two of which were carried out. That means that there are still sixteen waiting to be unleashed.
“People ask, ‘When are you going to stop shooting at empty headquarters of Force 17? When are you going to stop shooting at sandbags and concrete walls? When will you start to really fight?’ That is the real picture of Israeli public opinion that does not necessarily get reflected in the nice polls that appear in the newspapers. The public definitely expects from the Sharon government to provide them with the security we promised. And security means hitting back at those who seek our death.”
Minister Ze’evi then turned to his analysis of the current Israeli government. He says that “there is a joint interest in maintaining the unity government… In today\'s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sharon reiterated that it is of primary importance. Since both sides see [national unity] as important, they will both compromise now and again. A unity government doesn\'t mean that everyone thinks the same thing, but that each side gives in a bit. They could continue ‘living together’ for a long time if they want to. If it were up to me, the unity government would not exist, because I see it as a government of paralysis... But both Sharon and Peres are old-timers in politics and are very clever, and they will avoid all the pitfalls and mine fields along the way.”