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Amidst a growing outburst of international criticism, Israel continued to enforce the blockade of the city of Ramallah.
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| By Ellis Shuman March 13, 2001 |
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Amidst a growing outburst of international criticism, Israel continued to enforce the blockade of the city of Ramallah. Even so, this morning IDF troops began to ease the closure, clearing access roads and allowing vehicles to enter the city. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended the Ramallah blockade , saying that it had prevented an impending terrorist attack.
An Israel Defense Forces spokesman confirmed that Israel arrested three terrorists on Saturday affiliated with the Fatah Tanzim. According to security sources quoted in the Israeli press, seven other members of the terrorist cell, including Palestinian policemen, are still at large.
An official statement issued by Israel's Ministry of Foreign
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"I have no interest in harming the local population."
- Ben Eliezer
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Affairs said the Ramallah blockade did not "constitute a change in Israel's policy. Ramallah has recently become a hub of terror activity, with the active participation of the Palestinian Authority."
Israeli forces yesterday eased restrictions on the cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, Kalkilya and Tulkarm. Telling reporters that he was happy to ease the closure in these cities, Defense Minister Benyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer said that it was his "policy to carry out such steps in areas that have been quiet. I have no interest in harming the local population."
Maaleh Adumim Mayor and Yesha Council head Benny Kashriel expressed his approval for the encirclement of Arab villages, but called for more intense actions. Speaking to Arutz-7, Kashriel said, "The pressure on the Palestinians must be increased until they refuse to allow any terrorists to act from within their areas, until we are able to travel freely on the roads."
Shooting attacks on Israeli motorists traveling on the roads of Judea and Samaria have decreased markedly in recent days, although it is unclear whether IDF actions or changes in Palestinian Authority activity are responsible for the decline.
Zipper policy
The Ramallah blockade was regarded in the international press as part of the tougher security measures of the new Israeli government. DAWN, the Pakistani English daily, says "the siege provides what might be called a foretaste of what to expect from Ariel Sharon's brand of hard-line Israeli policy towards the Palestinians."
As Ha'aretz military correspondent Amos Harel writes, "the Ramallah siege was the paradigm for future Israeli actions in other parts of the territories - the application of extreme, localized pressure to paralyze the activity of Palestinian cells in the area." But, Harel continues, "[senior IDF officers] doubted [the blockade's] efficacy, warning of 'a humanitarian disaster' and a 'propaganda catastrophe.'"
One Israeli security official quoted in The Jerusalem Post defined the new policy as a 'zipper policy.' "You open up the area and if there is a renewal of terror acts then you close the area down again," he said.
Palestinians continued to express their outrage yesterday at the tightened closure. Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo and legislator Hanan Ashrawi led a demonstration of about 1,500 marchers to a barrier north of Ramallah. Israeli troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the crowd when a bulldozer attempted to fill in the recently dug trenches. One Palestinian, Abdel Kader Abu Akroub, age 28, was killed by what Palestinian doctors reported was a live round. IDF sources denied the use of live ammunition
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