The relative calm that has prevailed in Israel in recent weeks is due solely to the intensive counter-terrorist activities of Israeli security forces, which have succeeded in intercepting a large number of terrorist attacks, despite the fact that every day, over 40 focused terrorist alerts are issued by Israeli intelligence authorities. In the month of February alone, Israel was able to prevent 57 large-scale terrorist attacks, among them 44 attempted suicide bombings. These attempted attacks were being planned by all of the Palestinian terrorist factions, including Arafat's Fatah/Tanzim, the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

The criticism sometimes directed toward Israel's preemptive counter-terrorist operations in the PA-controlled areas completely ignores that fact that such operations are intended solely to prevent attacks by Palestinian terrorist groups that target Israeli civilians, such as those commuting on city buses.

It should be reiterated that Israel citizens have been the victims of a continuing terrorist onslaught. There is not and cannot be any political justification for the use of terrorism. The actions taken by the Israeli Defense Forces are intended purely to safeguard the lives of Israel's citizens. It is the obligation of every state to protect its population.

In the face of the Palestinian leadership's unwillingness to renounce terrorism or to confront the terrorists, such a leadership denies its people any chance to achieve peace, improve their condition and realize their aspirations. Furthermore, the refusal of the Palestinian leadership to take action against the terrorists operating within its areas forces Israel to take such action itself, if it is to carry out its sovereign responsibility to protect innocent lives.