NEW WAVE OF TERRORISM FEARED
(Commentary by Ze'ev Schiff, "Ha'aretz", Jan 17, 1996, p.1)
After a relatively long hiatus in terrorist activity by extremist Palestinian organizations, it is clear that yesterday's attack was designed to sabotage the Palestinian Authority's general elections this Saturday. In Israel, it is being said that this action attests to a new wave of terrorist activity that will continue even after the elections.
The Palestinian police recently tried to persuade organizations like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the NFLP to refrain from terrorist activity against Israel during this sensitive phase for the Palestinians. Within this framework, police actions were also taken against suspects, and appropriate warnings were issued. Arafat also has an interest in proving that the Palestinian Authority is capable of conducting its first election campaign without any disruptions.
Yesterday's attack on IDF soldiers was carried out in a particularly sensitive area Hebron, which is the only city that the IDF has not yet evacuated within the context of Oslo-II. In any case, there is a great deal of tension between Hebron's Jews and its Palestinian residents, which will only escalate in anticipation of the elections. In the wake of this severe attack, the IDF will channel additional forces into the area. The assassins knew this. Yesterday, a closure was imposed on the Halhoul area and the adjacent villages, and this is only the beginning of the military's activity.
The presence of Israeli army forces would contravene the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that free elections must take place without the IDF's presence. A correct balance must now be struck between security needs and unimpeded elections. In any event, the assessment is that this attack is liable to sabotage the elections in Hebron and
its environs.