Following half a day of shooting at the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer yesterday authorized an offensive similar to the one carried out on Tuesday in Jenin. In that operation, IDF troops and tanks entered the heart of the PA-controlled city and carried out demolitions of terrorist headquarters and offices. Last night, tanks, armored personnel carriers and ground forces mobilized near Bet Jala, and a closure was imposed on Arab villages in the vicinity. But the mission never began; IDF forces withdrew.
Initial reports attributed the retreat to US pressure. But, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said otherwise today: \"No one pressured me. I received no requests from the US. I read the amusing reports in this morning\'s papers. And the Foreign Minister did not pressure me. I decided [to halt the mission into Bet Jala] after I received certain intelligence information, to give a chance to the [Arab] promise that they would maintain quiet.\" Yoram Levy of Itim News Agency reports that it was during last minute contacts between the Prime Minister\'s office and the Foreign and Defense Ministries that Shimon Peres demanded that his talks with the Arabs be given a chance to get them to stop shooting, and thereby obviate the need for an IDF raid to suppress the fire. Sharon replied affirmatively to Peres\' request but added that the Israeli government will not tolerate any future shooting into the capital. Sharon reportedly vowed, \"Additional fire at Gilo will be met with an incursion into Beit Jala.\"
Initial reports attributed the retreat to US pressure. But, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said otherwise today: \"No one pressured me. I received no requests from the US. I read the amusing reports in this morning\'s papers. And the Foreign Minister did not pressure me. I decided [to halt the mission into Bet Jala] after I received certain intelligence information, to give a chance to the [Arab] promise that they would maintain quiet.\" Yoram Levy of Itim News Agency reports that it was during last minute contacts between the Prime Minister\'s office and the Foreign and Defense Ministries that Shimon Peres demanded that his talks with the Arabs be given a chance to get them to stop shooting, and thereby obviate the need for an IDF raid to suppress the fire. Sharon replied affirmatively to Peres\' request but added that the Israeli government will not tolerate any future shooting into the capital. Sharon reportedly vowed, \"Additional fire at Gilo will be met with an incursion into Beit Jala.\"