October 29. 2001
The Role of the Palestinian Authority in Today's Terrorist Attacks

1. Today, 28 October, two brutal terrorist attacks were carried out within Israel, killing four Israeli women and causing dozens of casualties in downtown Hadera, and killing an Israeli soldier near Kibbutz Metzer. Furthermore, a number of additional terrorist attacks were committed today throughout the country, including machine-gun ambushes and grenade assaults. Fortunately, these further attacks caused no fatalities.

2. These Palestinian terrorist attacks come on the background of demands for an Israeli pullback from the Palestinian Authority [PA] controlled areas into which Israel was forced to enter, in order to interdict terrorism and apprehend terrorists. The Israel Defense Forces [IDF] were left with no choice but to take this action, since the PA had done little to fulfill its obligation to fight terrorism in the territories under its control.

3.Today's massacre in Hadera is particularly grave in that it was carried out by two Palestinian policemen who were also members of the Islamic Jihad, the group which claimed responsibility for the attack. In a pre-recorded testimonial video which was released to the media following their bloody rampage, the two policemen even appeared before the camera dressed in their uniforms.

4.The fact that the PA employs and arms policemen which are actually terrorists, who use their weapons in attacks against Israeli civilians, is indicative of the intolerable indifference of the PA toward avowed terrorist groups openly operating within their midst. Had the PA taken resolute action against the terrorists -- as it is obligated to do in accordance with the Mitchell Committee recommendations and the Tenet document -- these Palestinian terrorist atrocities would not have occured.

5.The PA is clearly responsible for preventing violence and terrorism, and in shirking this fundamental responsibility, it bears ultimate culpability for the murder of Israelis.

6.Conversely, Israel has proven time and again its readiness to work to 'normalize' the tense situation. This evening, the Cabinet decided to go through with the planned IDF pullout from Bethlehem, should the PA fulfill the commitments set forth at the Security Coordination High Committee. Israel has no interest in retaining "A"-Designated Areas (areas under full PA security and civil control), and wishes only to prevent violence and to intercept terrorist attacks.

7.Without massive international pressure, Arafat and the PA will never take firm steps against the terrorist organizations. If Arafat will not shoulder his responsibility to fight terrorism and take resolute action against it, Israel will be unable to move forward toward a renewal of the negotiating process.