Palestinian State Minister for Jerusalem Affairs said on Tuesday that Israel’s policy of assassinating resistance fighters was pushing the Palestinian public to take a more extremist stance.
In an interview with Israel Radio, the minister said that the Palestinian Authority was “losing its influence on Islamic Jihad and Hamas movements.”
“This development is a result of Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinians,” he said, cited by Haaretz newspaper.
Despite international criticism of Israel’s decision to continue its policy of assassinating Palestinian fighters, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon once more sought justify the Jewish state’s decision to eliminate Palestinian activists it accuses of carrying out "terrorist activities."
"We adopted a policy of counter-terrorism defensive measures: interception of kamikazies, and spoiling raids and commando actions," Sharon told a meeting of Hadassah, a charitable international association for Jewish women.
"The Palestinian Authority is heading and directing a coalition of terrorist organizations. We are exercising our right to self-defense against indiscriminate murderers who kill innocents men, women and children, like any other country would do when the life and security of its citizens are at stake," he said.
Palestinians say that Israel has assassinated more than 55 resistance fighters in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since the latest uprising against 34 years of Israeli military occupation began last September – Albawaba.com
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