Barak warns PA against freeing the killers of two Israelis - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Thu., January 03, 2008 Tevet 25, 5768

Israel Time: 11:20 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Rosner's Domain

Diplomacy

Defense

Jewish World

Opinion

National

Print Edition

Advertising

Books

Arts & Leisure

Business

Real Estate

Easy Start

Travel

Week's End

Anglo File

Magazine



		Palestinian policemen searching for militants in Nablus. (AP)

Last update - 13:26 02/01/2008

Barak warns PA against freeing the killers of two Israelis

By Avi Issacharoff, Amos Harel and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies

Tags: Terrorism

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Wednesday Israel would watch closely to see whether the Palestinian Authority fulfills a promise to prosecute two suspects in the killing of two off-duty Israel Defense Forces soldiers on Friday.

"These people need to rot in jail until their last days," Barak told Israel Radio.

"We will see if the Palestinian Authority is opening a revolving door for them and if so, the IDF and security services will know how to put our hands on them," he said.

	Advertisement

The ambush that killed the two soldiers near Hebron in the West Bank on Friday has raised questions in Israel over the effectiveness of a pledged security crackdown against militants by forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel has made implementation of any peace deal it reaches with the Palestinians following the U.S.-hosted Annapolis summit in November conditional on reining in militants. U.S. President George W. Bush is to visit Israel and the West Bank next week.

On Tuesday, it emerged that the perpetrators of the attack were both employed by the Palestinian Authority. The terrorists turned themselves into the PA's General Intelligence Service (GIS) immediately after the attack due to their fears they would be captured by Israeli security forces. The two are currently being held by the GIS in Hebron.

Palestinian security officials said the two had confessed to planning to kill the Israelis and then take their weapons. They insisted that even though both men were employed by the PA - one being a member of the General Intelligence Service and the other a government official - they were not members of Fatah.

Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki said that if found guilty, the men would pay for their crimes in the West Bank.

"The investigation is still going on. They will be tried and once there is a verdict they will stay in prison until they finish their sentence," said Malki, who also serves as foreign minister.

Israel has expressed displeasure and concern over the involvement of Palestinian security forces in the attack.

"I really hope that there will be appropriate conclusions to this event especially in the Palestinian Authority," Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra told Israel Radio. He said Israel considered Abbas' response a "test."

Olmert convened Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni Wednesday, government officials said on condition of anonymity. Army Radio said they would discuss the implications of the involvement of Fatah members in the attack.

Israel has repeatedly said that progress in peace talks would hinge on Abbas' ability to rein in militants and reform what has been a corrupt and undisciplined security force.

"I think everyone is aware of the very real challenge that faces the Palestinian government in dealing with renegade elements within Fatah," said Olmert spokesman Mark Regev.

Livni, who heads the Israeli negotiating team, raised the West Bank attack at a meeting with chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia, Palestinian officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to talk to the press.

PA says it prevented Hamas-planned suicide attack in Israel

The Palestinian Authority said Tuesday it recently foiled a Hamas-planned suicide bombing in Israel by arresting the would-be bomber. The Shin Bet security service said it knows nothing about the case.

Malki announced the arrest Tuesday.

According to Palestinian sources, both the bomber and the planner were
arrested last Friday in a village near Jenin. The bomber had a suicide belt in his possession and had already videotaped a message to be broadcast after the attack.

Palestinian security officials said they have recently discovered Hamas
involvement in several actual or attempted attacks in the West Bank. Israeli security officials are also worried that Hamas will try to carry out a major attack along the Israel-Gaza border, and say that the organization has been preparing such an attack despite its talk of reaching a tahadiyeh (short-term cease-fire) with Israel.

It is not clear whether these preparations are an attempt by Hamas to improve its bargaining position, or whether the effort is coming from elements within the organization's military wing who oppose a tahadiyeh.

Meanwhile, Israeli government officials and security sources said that the idea of a tahadiyeh with Hamas appears to be gaining ground. Support for such a deal is growing among senior defense officials as long as it includes the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, the sources said.

The recent talk within the cabinet of relaxing the criteria governing which prisoners to release in exchange for Shalit apparently reflects the feeling that something is moving on the Palestinian side.

Egypt, which has long tried to mediate between Israel and Hamas over Shalit, has stepped up its efforts since Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Cairo last week. Egypt also plans to send a delegation to Israel next week to discuss ways of improving the fight against weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.

Related articles:

Shin Bet data shows dramatic drop in 2007 terror fatalities

PA premier Fayyad says suspects in killings of 2 Israelis caught by PA

PM: Israel won't take security risks until PA fights terror

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Holocaust education
	For Dutch instructors, Islamophobia can be a teaching aid for Holocaust studies.


	White House race
	Edwards is the angry candidate; Obama prefers conciliation.




1.	Thank you PA, To God be the Glory!!! For your actions.	04:26	\|	Virginia	02/01/08

2.	All the world is a stage !	04:47	\|	Rob	02/01/08

3.	Do we seem so stupid?	05:31	\|	MR	02/01/08

4.	Rob #1	05:38	\|	Judith	02/01/08

5.	Not worth mentioning	05:51	\|	yasser	02/01/08

6.	After the killers of the 2 IDF soldiers appeared to be PA	08:06	\|	Suzanne	02/01/08

7.	The PA attempts to cover up the terroris activity of its	08:09	\|	Eliyahu	02/01/08

8.	See what good boys we are ((GROVEL, GROVEL))	10:35	\|	Clickfool	02/01/08

9.	Use Israeli justice as the standard	13:15	\|	Steve	02/01/08

10.	While Israeli killers are still free	14:02	\|	John	02/01/08

11.	Idiots - they should turn them over to Israel	14:03	\|	Binyamin Dissen	02/01/08

12.	Clickfool Prefers Successful Bombing	14:17	\|	Ruth	02/01/08

13.	Barak shouldn`t talk,he is a war criminal who like Dichter and	14:27	\|	lakshmi	02/01/08

14.	"These people need to rot in jail until their last days,"	14:53	\|	Ivan	02/01/08

15.	Olmert reinforcing fatah terror!!!	15:08	\|	Jeremy	02/01/08

16.	1.Virginia,is your God a racist?How about praying for the	15:15	\|	lakshmi	02/01/08

17.	Suspects are suspects till they are persecuted	15:21	\|	John	02/01/08

18.	#17 john misses out on prosecution!	15:41	\|	victor hardman	02/01/08

19.	to john(17) about barak`s comment	15:55	\|	timothy o.simpson	02/01/08

20.	#12 Ruth, Racism	15:55	\|	Alfredo	02/01/08

21.	israel hypocrisy	16:32	\|	donnie	02/01/08

22.	To Alfredo	17:01	\|	Patricia	02/01/08

23.	Miliki`s true-lies	17:13	\|	Aparthiedhater	02/01/08

24.	#21 donnies lack of perspective spells hypocrisy	17:17	\|	victor hardman	02/01/08

25.	At least....	17:18	\|	Abe	02/01/08

26.	### israel hypocracy.	17:26	\|	ramachandran nair.	02/01/08

27.	17/18/19 John, Tim, Victor	17:30	\|	Mark of Lewiston	02/01/08

28.	The point	18:19	\|	Avi	02/01/08

29.	the poinit , avi.	19:05	\|	ramachandran nair	02/01/08

30.	24. victor littleputz empty post	19:11	\|	muslim	02/01/08

31.	Peace prococess	19:20	\|	marv	02/01/08

32.	Donnie # 21-	19:35	\|	Avrum	02/01/08

33.	Barak`s "warnings" are firesure guarantees of immunity for perps	19:36	\|	Absolute Sweden	02/01/08

34.	Barak warns	19:56	\|	iletzter	02/01/08

35.	#30 muslim re victorpaul harrisman	20:07	\|	Labhras	02/01/08

36.	"renegade elements within Fatah"	21:23	\|	ZADOK	02/01/08

37.	muslim.	22:37	\|	Nemesis	02/01/08

Today Online


	Nasrallah: We are holding the bodies of abducted IDF soldiers
	Responses: 120


	Jerusalem seeks Bush's okay for IDF free hand in W. Bank
	Responses: 71


	Amira Hass: Israel's West Bank presence is violent and arrogant
	Responses: 10


	Israel Factor panel knows Clinton, wants Clinton win in Iowa
	Responses: 20


	Aluf Benn: Israel must find good leaders, not settle scores from war
	Responses: 5

Rosner's Domain

Iowa caucus: Here come the tribal leaders

Factor panel: Better for Israel if Clinton wins Iowa

Guest: Is it important for American Jews to learn Hebrew?

Obama, Huckabee widen leads in Iowa, but anything could happen

What Will the Palestinian Authority Do With All That Money?

More Headlines
11:02 Qassam strikes northern Ashkelon; IDF strikes kill five Gazans


10:55 Nasrallah: Hezbollah has bodies of abducted IDF troops


09:01 Jerusalem seeks Bush okay for IDF free hand in West Bank


04:30 PA security forces restore public order in turbulent W. Bank city


11:09 After 500 years in hiding, Jews bring prosperity to Iberian town


09:39 Air traffic controllers launch partial strike at Ben-Gurion Airport


10:56 Agriculture Min. official says fears bird flu in Binyamina fowl


08:26 Hezbollah dismisses senior commander for wartime failures


08:21 University faculty strike becomes longest in Israel university history