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Terrorism

?Jewish blood sacrificed for Sharon?s will?


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
March 08, 2005

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reacted angrily to Monday’s “Palestinian” shooting attack at Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs, calling it an assault on religious freedom and insisting Jews would continue to pray at the shrine and live in the biblical Judean city.

But Hebron’s Jews pointed out the attack, in which two Border Police officers were wounded, would likely not have been possible had Sharon not made broad security gestures to PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas last month as peace euphoria swept the nation.

IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon earlier had confirmed the removal of forces around the burial site of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was a political decision made contrary to the ongoing security threat.

Knesset member Uri Ariel said it was outrageous for the government to entrust the security of Israel’s Jews to Abbas and the Palestinian Authority.

Another MK accused Sharon of purposely sacrificing Jewish blood in order to fulfill is misguided will.

Religiously-motivated attack

Two Israeli Border Police officers were wounded while protecting Jewish worshippers at Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs when a Palestinian Arab gunmen opened fire on the shrine Monday.

Both victims were evacuated to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, where one was listed in serious condition.

“This morning's attack at the Tomb of the Patriarchs was an attempt to attack Jews' freedom of religion at one of the Jewish People's holiest sites,” Sharon said in his opening remarks to the Knesset later that day.

The Al Aqsa Brigades “military wing” of Abbas’s Fatah faction claimed credit for the shooting.

‘We won’t leave Hebron,’ Sharon declares

Sharon insisted such violence would never deter the Jews from exercising their rite to pray at the tomb of their ancestors or to reside in the city King David once called home.

“Jews will continue to pray at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and to live there,” the prime minister said.

Speaking at a Likud faction meeting last month, Sharon stated, “Jewish settlements in places such as Hebron, Bet El, Shilo and Ma’aleh Adumim - are vital. No one can remove them from us.”

“We have foregone part of the dream [in Gaza and northern Samaria],” Sharon continued, “but not all of the dream.”

Following his reelection in January 2003, Sharon declared the isolated Gaza settlement of Netzarim was as important to the future of the Jewish state as Tel Aviv.

Under the “disengagement” law, Netzarim will be one of the first Gaza communities uprooted by Sharon and his government.

Avoidable violence

Hebron’s Jewish community responded to Monday’s shooting by pointing out Sharon’s order to reduce the IDF presence around the Cave of the Patriarchs had made the attack possible.

“Just over one month ago it was brought to our attention that the IDF would be withdrawn from parts of the city and PA police would take their place,” Noam Arnon, a spokesman for Hebron’s Jewish community, told Arutz 7.

“We contacted the Chief of Staff [Maj.-Gen. Moshe Ya’alon] and warned him, in writing, of the consequences. We were told that the matter was not within the jurisdiction of the military but was a political directive,” Arnon said.

Arutz 7 reported that at the time Ya’alon confirmed the reduced presence of Israeli forces was a result of directives from the political echelon and not a security decision.

Sharon and his government have implemented numerous goodwill gestures towards Abbas amid the widespread optimism surrounding the peace process in the wake of his election as “Palestinian” president.

Many of those gestures have directly affected the personal safety of Israel’s Jews by placing their security in Abbas’s hands.

Blood on the prime minister’s hands

Sharon “must wake up,” Ariel said, noting, “The Palestinians are taking advantage of our peace euphoria.”

“It is forbidden to rely on someone [Abbas] who has never once proven himself,” the National Union MK said. “We need to take responsibility for security upon ourselves and act before, not after.”

National Religious Party MK Nissan Slomiansky went further, saying Jewish blood was being sacrificed in order to fulfill the personal will Sharon, Ynet reported.

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