Suicide Attacks In Israel Resume And Arafat Gives Qureih Prerogatives

Saeda Hamad      Al-Hayat      2003/09/10

Occupied Jerusalem

Security and political developments stepped up on the Palestinian and Israeli scenes, when a suicide attack targeting an Israeli army base in Ramla city around Tel Aviv killed six Israelis, in addition to the perpetrator, and injuring 25 others, most believed to be in a serious condition. Israel's Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz previously confirmed that he had given orders to the Israeli occupation army to get ready for a possible military escalation with the Palestinians, adding that he sees no difference between the candidate for Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmad Qureih, and the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. He set as a condition to deal with Qureih that the latter fulfill Israel's demands regarding fighting the resistance factions and stop "circling around Arafat."

Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz discussed with Egypt's Hosni Mubarak the latest developments on the Arab and international scene, and especially regarding the Palestinian cause.

According to the Saudi news agency, the two men discussed over the phone Israel's practices and its non-commitment to the Roadmap, and its continued building of the security fence, which is considered to hinder progress towards stability, security and peace, which the international community is seeking.

The Speaker of Palestinian Legislative Council and candidate to the Prime Minister's post, Ahmad Qureih, held numerous talks and made numerous contacts yesterday, laying the grounds for his new mission. However, he ascertained that he still hasn't decided whether to accept the position or not, saying he needed to obtain the conditions "he set for himself," which he considers to be detrimental in helping him succeed in this mission. Qureih stressed on the need to change the attitude towards Palestinian President Arafat, asserting that "he will not accept the Prime Minister post amid attempts to overcome Arafat and take away his prerogatives." Qureih added that he will not accept the Israeli conditions, which led to the failure of his predecessor Mahmoud Abbas, and asked for European and American support that would guarantee the cessation of all Israeli aggressions and measures that do not comply with the Roadmap, namely the assassinations, building the racist isolation wall and using the Israeli "military supremacy" against the Palestinians.

Qureih also said that Abbas "did not fail," rather Israel was the one to have failed in dealing with Abbas' good intentions to salvage the peace process, while Washington failed to provide the necessary support. Whereas Qureih is insisting on President Arafat "pivotal" role, and Israel's is insisting on the need to "get rid" of him, especially in light of the latest attack, Israeli officials have called for speeding the "strategic search" into Arafat's future and ratify Israel's decision to expulse him. The U.S. administration has dealt with Qureih with the same "refrain" it used with former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, which is the American and Israeli priority given to the security issue and the need for the premiership to control the security establishment and use them to confront the Palestinian factions, which the two countries call "fighting terrorism."

In parallel, Qureih, who intends to implement the Roadmap in exchange for Israel's commitment to it and international support, is close to reaching an agreement with the Palestinian President concerning the distribution of prerogatives. A Palestinian official informed Al-Hayat that the Fatah Central Committee created the post of "Deputy Head of Palestinian Forces," to assume the coordination between the reduced security committee that is in the making, and the Interior Minister who will be responsible for these institutions. The same sources added that Arafat is willing to hand wide and clearly defined prerogatives to the new Interior Minister Nasr Youssef, who was appointed by the Fatah Central Committee. The press reported a senior Palestinian official saying that the structure of the reduced National Security Committee would include, besides Arafat and the Prime Minister (most probably Qureih), the Interior Minister, Head of Military Intelligence Amin Al Hindi, and the Head of National Security Forces in Gaza, Abdulrazzaq Al Mujaida and his counterpart in the West Bank Ismail Jabr. Al-Hayat was informed that talks were taking place behind the scenes between Fatah and the Authority regarding the candidacy of the current Foreign Minister, Nabil Shaath, to the post of Speaker of the Legislative Council, as a successor of Qureih, as well as the appointment of Saeb Erakat, currently the head of the Negotiations Committee to the position of Foreign Minister.

Israel considered the Palestinian President as "indirectly responsible" for yesterday's attack, because, it claimed, "he prevented the Palestinian government from fighting terrorism." Israeli government spokesman held Hamas responsible for this attack. Abdulaziz Al Rantissi said the attack was only a response to the occupation forces' assassinations and its murder of children, "as happened today in Hebron," adding that he expected more Palestinian reactions and operations to these crimes, "which haven't stopped." Israeli sources said that perpetrator of the attack was wearing military clothes when he blew himself up next to a bus station neighboring an Israeli army base.

The Israeli occupation forces killed three Palestinians in Hebron yesterday, including a ten-year old child, as well as Ahmad Badr, the head of the Ezzedine Qassam Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of Hamas in the city, and another activist in Hamas, while another child was seriously injured.