Note: The translations of articles from the Hebrew press are prepared by the Government Press Office as a service to foreign journalists in Israel. They express the views of the authors.
THE TERROR IS STILL HERE
(Analysis by Roni Shaked, "Yediot Ahronot", July 21, 1997, p. 2A)
The temporary calm, and the recent absence of terror attacks, has given rise to the illusion that the Hamas has abandoned the way of terror. But the large explosives laboratory, discovered yesterday by Palestinian Intelligence, and the arrest of hundreds of Hamas activists in the last two months, demonstrates that were it not for intelligence operations aimed at frustrating it, terrorism would be rampant. The defeat of terrorism is a Palestinian interest no less than it is an Israeli one. But since the commencement of construction at Har Homa, contacts between the Israeli and Palestinian security services have been cut off, and the struggle against Islamic terror conducted by each side in isolation, a situation which aids the terrorists of Hamas.
What can be learnt from the discovery of the laboratory in Bethlehem? It shows the seemingly indefatigable desire of the Hamas to continue to carry out acts of terror. It demonstrates their ability and intention to actually commit a large number of painful attacks, and the professional abilities of Hamas terrorists. The Jewish skull-caps and prayer shawls, and the items of IDF uniform discovered attest to their intention of carrying out kidnappings of Israelis, or of planting explosive devices while disguised as soldiers or religious Jews.
Most importantly: the discovery shows that Palestinian intelligence agencies are continuing, despite the breakdown in intelligence communication with Israel, and the freeze in the political process, to fight against Hamas terror. The Palestinian leadership understands, and fears, that a large-scale act of terror in Tel Aviv will play into the hands of Israel, and will lead to a real crisis which will only deepen the freeze in the political process.