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Palestinians celebrate the expulsion of Jews from Neve Dekalim (AP)
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| By Jerusalem Newswire September 28, 2005 |
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Palestinian Arabs Wednesday marked the fifth anniversary of their current terrorist campaign against Israel, commonly known as the "Al Aqsa Intifada."
A third intifada, or uprising, far more intense in scope is on the horizon, they said, blowing away Western assertions that the region is gaining momentum towards peace in the wake of Israel's "disengagement" from Gaza and northern Samaria.
On September 29, 2000, then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon led a small delegation of Likud Party Members of Knesset atop Jerusalem's Temple Mount prior to the Jewish holy day of Rosh Hashanah.
The event was utilized by the Palestinians and their Israeli Arab allies to justify what is now known to have been pre-planned hostilities. While Sharon and his delegation were rescued from the Temple Mount that day without injury, the PA-controlled territories erupted in an orgy of violence that soon spilled over to the Israeli Arab community.
Since that day, 1,064 Israelis have been murdered and another 7,500 maimed and wounded in thousands of acts of terrorist brutality. Over 4,000 Palestinians have died in that same time, a large percentage of them while engaging in anti-Jewish violence.
Palestinian Authority officials told Ynet the large death toll was acceptable due to the fact the violence had led to Israel's surrender of the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. Analysts say the pullout has whetted their appetite for more.
"Israel withdrew from Gaza and accepted the Road Map, so everyone should realize that this intifada achieved" great results for the Arabs, Palestinian Legislative Council member and senior Fatah faction leader Mohammed Ranaim said.
Abu Araj, a Jenin-area commander in Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, concurred.
"How can I say this wasn't worth it when Israel withdrew from Gaza and took away settlements in the Jenin area. It's because of the blows that Palestinian organizations landed on Israel's head and on the heads of the settlers."
The Palestinians intend to use the issue of Israel's security barrier in Judea and Samaria (the "west bank" of the Jordan) to escalate the fighting even further.
Israel started building the fence as a result of the unrelenting terrorism and the Palestinian Authority's failure to curb it. The Palestinians claim it is an attempt by Israel to unilaterally set unfavorable final borders.
The "third intifada, which would be much more severe than its predecessor...will be the intifada against the fence," Ranaim said.
Araj told Ynet that from the perspective of his people, "the third intifada is almost here, and it will be much worse."
He also said it would not be only about the fence, but also "the liberation of Jerusalem and the rest of the land."
Israel Insider adds:
The fifth year of the intifada was a relatively "quiet" one, with 56 Israelis and foreigners killed by terror attacks, an average of less than five fatalities per month, less than half the rate in the previous year.
Jerusalem Newswire (www.jnewswire.com) is a news publication of Christian Zionists
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