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ARAFAT ORDERS HIS PEOPLE TO KILL ONE SETTLER A DAY - AND LIMIT ATTACKS INSIDE THE GREEN LINE CAPT. SHAI SHALOM COHEN WAS KILLED NEAR HEBRON THIS WEEK. THREE OTHER ISRAELIS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED There were serious shooting attacks and exchanges of fire today in the Territories. In Hevron an Israeli was critically injured in a Palestinian shooting attack. Earlier three members of a family from Har Beracha near Nablus were hurt. The father's condition is moderate, the mother and baby were lightly injured. The mother, Ilanit Shmuelian said that the Palestinian attackers were dressed up as IDF soldiers. At the beginning of the week, Capt. Shai Shalom Cohen was killed while travelling in a non-armored jeep near Aduraim. The car was hit by a roadside bomb. Two other Israelis were severely wounded this week. Israeli officials revealed that a report received by the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Defense stated that Arafat has ordered his men to kill a settler every day, regardless of his comments in the media. Similar reports show that Arafat is instructing Palestinian security forces to concentrate on attacks against settlers, but to avoid shooting in areas under full Palestinian control or within the green line. Nevertheless, suicide bombers continue to try to penetrate the green line and attack civilians. In Afula this week, three Israel police detectives apprehended a suicide terrorist from the Islamic Jihad organization before he managed to operate his bomb, thus preventing a major disaster. Security measures were stepped up at Ben Gurion airport this week to enable tourists from overseas arriving in Israel and Israelis travelling abroad to do so safely. These events cast a shadow over on-going efforts to put pressure on Arafat to end the violence. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon left this morning for a brief visit to Italy, in an effort to gain support for Israel's position and present European leaders with evidence of Arafat's direct involvement in terror attacks. Similar material was submitted yesterday to the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence, who made a short visit to Israel in order to meet the Prime Minister and the Foreign and Defense Ministers. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres will travel to Egypt to meet with President Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, in an effort to enlist their influence over Arafat and persuade him to end the violence. |
