Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, is set to convene his security cabinet on Thursday night to discuss response to a recent wave of bombing attacks, which killed at least 15 people and wounded scores. According to press reports, the ministers will discuss two main proposals - to expel Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat and to launch a massive ground attack in the Gaza Strip.
Sources who accompanied Sharon on his visit to India said before leaving New Delhi on Wednesday that Israel's response to the bombings would be "harsh and swift." One source told Haaretz that a response was expected during the course of the coming weekend.
Before flying home to Israel, Sharon said that Israel "will do what needs to be done. We will make every effort to put an end to terror."
Asked to respond to the growing calls for the expulsion of Arafat, a senior member of the Israeli delegation to India said that "a decision will have to be made about him. "Arafat is the main hindrance to the peace process, and we have seen how he brought about the resignation of Abu Mazen. Arafat continues to advocate a strategy of terror as a means of exerting pressure during negotiations, and he will not be allowed to succeed."
Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that a majority of the cabinet body favored banishing Arafat. "If a vote is taken, there's a majority in favor. Even among defense officials that opposed it in the past, today nearly all support this step, but I am not sure that this will come to a vote," Shalom told Israel Radio, citing unspecified "diplomatic considerations."
The Washington Post reported Thursday that while adminnistration officials are frustrated by Arafat's continued ability to thwart peace moves, "they have also privately warned Israeli officials not to act on the growing sentiment in Israel to exile Arafat, believing that would unleash anger across the Arab world that would complicate U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
