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Terrorism due to PA Incitement and Economic Suicide
February 15, 2001
Khalil Abu Ulbah, 36, of Gaza, the Palestinian bus driver who rammed
into a bus-stop near Tel Aviv on February 14, killing 8 Israelis and
wounding 25, choose to become a terrorist due to the influence by his
environment.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak told the cabinet on February 18 that although there is no evidence the terrorist bus driver who killed eight Israelis at the Azor junction on Wednesday was connected to any terror organization, it is clear he was influenced by the atmosphere of incitement in the Palestinian Authority-controlled media.
"This is a byproduct of the atmosphere," Barak said. "It is a result of the incitement."
Living under Palestinian Authority administration in Gaza, yet
employed in Israel, the contributing factors included the
following:
- Palestinian incitement -
Abu Ulbah, like every other Palestinian living in the
Palestinian Authority administered territories, has been exposed
to constant and virulent incitement against Israel and Israelis.
The campaign of hate has been promoted through official PA press
and electronic media, in sermons at Palestinian places of
worship, in school books in the PA education system, and in
officially-sanctioned street demonstrations (in which the
burning of Israelis in effigy, the defacing of the Israeli flag,
and the praise of terrorist 'martyrs' are standard
practices).
- Economic hardship -
Abu Ulbah, a part-time bus driver, had reportedly found himself
lately in financial straits. This is not surprising. In the past
few years, the Palestinian economy had improved dramatically, as
the result of intensive cooperation with Israel. However,
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's choice this fall to initiate
an armed conflict with Israel has impacted heavily on the
well-being of the Palestinian population as a whole. The despair
felt by the Palestinians as a result of this economic hardship
is a potent catalyst for the PA's campaign of violence against
Israel, apparently serving a political interest which, for
Arafat, overrides his responsibility to promote the welfare of
his own population (curiously, the PA leadership has managed to
avoid any personal economic losses). The generous monetary
benefits which the PA and Hamas provide to the families of
terrorists 'killed in action' serve as yet another economic
motivation for choosing a path of terrorism.
- PA's blind eye to terrorism -
The maintenance of security and the prevention of terrorism
constitute fundamental elements of the agreements signed between
Israel and the Palestinians as part of the peace negotiations.
The Palestinian Authority is required to take all necessary
steps to halt terrorism and violence emanating from the areas
under its control. Consequently, as an integral part of the
agreements, a Palestinian police force was established and
armed, specifically to carry out this vital function.
This obligation notwithstanding, the PA has been turning a blind
eye to acts of terrorism, releasing convicted terrorists from
jail and allowing illegally armed militias, and even PA
policemen (including senior officers) to participate in armed
violence against Israel with impunity. Weapons intended to
promote Israeli-Palsetinian security cooperation, have instead
been turned against Israelis by these Palestinian
policeman-cum-terrorists.
The PA policy of latitude for violence against Israelis, taken
together with the comprehensive incitement mentioned above,
convey to the Palestinian street an official sanction for
rampant acts of terrorism.
- Israeli goodwill -
Abu Ulbah was able to carry out his attack because he was among
the thousands of Palestinian workers who benefit from Israel's
policy aimed at reducing economic hardship for the Palestinian
population by facilitating their continued employment at jobs
within Israel, despite the campaign of Palestinian violence.
Israel has made every effort to mitigate the hardships of the
general Palestinian population. One such example is the
'Continuous Employment Program' in which Abu Ulbah took part,
employed by Israel's largest transportation cooperative. This
project, established in 1998 by the Coordinator of Government
Activities in Judea/Samaria and Gaza, provides for the
uninterrupted entry of over 16,000 Palestinian workers into
Israel, even during times of emergency travel restrictions.
Although some circles have critized Israel for the economic impact of
its security measures, Abu Ulbah's heinous terrorist attack
demonstrates that Israel's security concerns are real and the
imperative need to disengage Israelis and Palestinians is fully
justified. The Palestinian Authority's fostering of a culture of
ongoing armed confrontation, and its blatant disregard for the
economic welfare of its own population, has created the setting for a
continued escalation of terrorism and violence. In this reality,
Israel must take the appropriate and necessary steps to provide its
citizens with security, and it would be unrealistic to expect Israel
to do otherwise.
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