In the following remarks, made at the weekly cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister charged the Palestinian Authority with delaying tactics which were designed to heighten international pressure on Israel to make concessions. He also spoke of warnings of impending terrorist attacks which required heightened security measures on the part of Israel. Psychological warfare has been a negotiating tactic of the PLO for a long time. Text of the comments follow:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on the security situation and the warnings of impending terrorist attacks, said today (Sunday), 03.11.96, that "the reports we have received are solid, but we cannot say what will happen with any certainty. We are making every effort on the security and political fronts to try and stop this evil from coming about."
He added: "Among those involved are external elements whose objective, through these attacks, is to sabotage anticipated progress on Hebron and other issues. We are working to thwart this, and we would also like to see more decisive action by the Palestinian Authority."
"While this does create some discomfort, I have given a simple directive security before quality of life. I am certain that the people will understand that if the government decides to adopt heightened security measures in these times, it is to protect human life. We hope and pray that we succeed and I anticipate understanding and cooperation from the Israeli people."
With respect to the political negotiations and negotiations on Hebron, the Prime Minister said that "the negotiations have not stopped, we are conducting them now as well. I will not set a target date. The date was supposed to have been when it was possible to reach an agreement, two weeks ago. The delay stemmed from the Palestinian side. The Palestinians should understand that there is a reality on the ground and we are living with the threat of terrorism and with the problem of disinformation, which can harden positions on both sides of the fence.
"The restrictions are not from the Israeli side but rather from the Palestinian side. If Arafat is in no hurry, we cannot dictate the pace."
The Prime Minister reiterated that, from his perspective, negotiations could have been completed two weeks ago.