Embassy of Israel Briefing
July 31, 2002

The Massacre at Hebrew University's Mt. Scopus Campus

1. Today's Campus Massacre, was deliberately directed against the students and faculty of the Hebrew University, a highly esteemed academic institution.

2. The claim made by Hamas spokesmen to the media, that this attack was initiated as an act of revenge for the Israel's recent counter-terrorist operation against Hamas Military Commander Salah Shehada in Gaza is both ludicrous and repulsive. There is obviously no connection whatsoever between the two. The Hamas was busy killing Israeli civilians well before the operation in Gaza, and Shehada's death is just a convenient rationalization for the Hamas' most recent atrocity. Israel has been suffering unrelenting terrorist attacks for over two years. Some of these attacks (such as the Dolphinarium bombing) were even carried out while Israel had implemented a unilateral cease-fire.

3. In a pattern familiar from the past, the Campus Massacre occurred at a time when significant measures are being taken by Israel to improve conditions for the Palestinian population, who are suffering economic hardships as a result of the terrorist campaign. In addition, Israel had just transferred substantial funds to the Palestinian Authority, despite the fact that it has been implicated in the sponsoring of terrorist activities.

4. Terrorism will not bring the Palestinians any closer to a realization of their political aspirations. Such goals can never be achieved through the indiscriminate murder of innocents. One must never forget that there is no justification for terrorism.

5. The time has come for the Palestinian people to understand the their own leadership has been nurturing among them a false illusion that terrorism will eventually bring them political gains. Terrorism brings only misery and distress. Any political gains achieved by the Palestinians were only attained through the negotiations of the peace process. And these same gains were eroded when the Palestinian leadership turned to violence after rejecting Israel's far-reaching compromises at the July 2000 Camp David Peace Summit.

6. Israel, long ago, made a strategic choice to pursue peace. Yet, the Palestinian's strategic choice appears to be terrorism. It is along this line that the Hebrew University campus has been chosen as a prime target to kill innocent people. This practice has been first applied since 1947 and than repeated itself in 1969 when students and faculty members where slaughtered on campus because of mere Jewish identity.

Sincerely,
Moshe Fox
Minister for Public Affairs
Embassy of Israel, Washington DC