ISRAEL'S POSITION REGARDING TERRORIST ATTACK IN JERUSALEM

Foreign Minister Levy's Remarks Following Jerusalem Bomb Attack, July 30, 1997

The terrorist bombing of the Mahane Yehuda market yesterday was a barbarous attempt by fanatics to undermine the peace process.

There can be no excuse, or rationalization, for the cold-blooded murder of innocent men and women whose sole "crime" was simply shopping for fresh vegetables at an open-air market.

While the actual perpetrators of this outrage are indeed extremists bent upon ending the peace process, it must be emphasized that a major share of the responsibility for this attack rests upon the shoulders of the Palestinian Authority.

For many months Israel has, continuously and through a variety of channels, sought to impress upon PA Chairman Yasser Arafat the gravity of the security situation. This issue was raised at every meeting between Israel and the Palestinians, including the last meeting between Foreign Minister Levy and Chairman Arafat, as well as in the latest meetings between the Foreign Minister and senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath. Instead of full security cooperation, as set forth in the various agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, we have witnessed a breakoff in security contacts on the part of the PA.

It should be noted that not only did the PA refuse to cooperate with Israel on security matters; in fact, Palestinian policemen were recently arrested by Israeli forces as they were actively engaged in terrorist activity. This, in itself, was a grave occurrence which should have alerted the Palestinians to the dangerous level of the current situation.

Moreover, the PA actively encouraged incitement against Israel, inter alia:

• The official Palestinian radio station broadcast, over the past months, increasingly venomous statements - including ad hominem attacks upon Prime Minister Netanyahu.

• Preachers in mosques, who are appointed and paid by the PA, delivered "sermons" which could only be compared to the worst antisemitic rhetoric (ie. "the Jews are descended from monkeys and pigs", etc.).

• The Palestinian representative at the United Nations in Geneva absurdly accused Israel of infecting Palestinians with the AIDS virus.

It is not only obvious that violence and peace, mayhem and coexistence, are mutually contradictory, but it is equally obvious that one cannot be an honest partner for peace while countenancing terrorism and engendering an environment which is hospitable to it.

Words, however heartfelt, are not enough. We expect the PA to take the following measures in order to restore our confidence in its role in the peace process:

A) An end to incitement against Israel and the taking of effective steps to prevent incitement to violence.

B) Apprehension, trial and punishment of the heads of terrorist organizations.

C) An intense effort aimed at disrupting the terrorist infrastructure and networks, including the confiscation of illegal weapons and explosives.

D) The transfer to Israel of terrorist suspects.