By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
Oct 19, 2004
Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza would likely result in the coastal strip becoming “a terrorist entity where anarchy prevails,” according to newly revealed IDF documents.
The serious security threat posed by a Gaza left to the “Palestinians” has prompted the IDF to already begin preparing for the day it will have to reenter the Strip.
In related news, the results of a new public opinion poll show a majority of the Palestinian Arabs continues to support hostilities against the Jewish state.
Gaza terror state
The in-depth IDF documents, reported on by Ma’ariv’s Amir Rapaport at the weekend, are part of the army’s meticulous planning process for leaving Gaza.
They list 13 possible security threats to southern Israel directly resulting from the implementation of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s policies vis-à-vis the Strip.
Those threats include sniper attacks on Israeli farmers in the western Negev, attacks on IDF patrols along the Gaza security fence, and the kidnapping and holding of Israeli soldiers inside Gaza.
Additionally, the documents note that at present, “Palestinian” forces fire Kassam rockets at Negev towns from deep inside Gaza. Following the withdrawal, they would be able to launch from just beyond the Gaza border, greatly increasing their strike range.
Rapaport pointed out that Sharon’s farm, which lies just beyond the Negev town of Sderot, would be within range of the homemade rockets.
Of greatest concern to the army, however, was the possibility that “Palestinian” forces in Gaza would obtain anti-aircraft missiles and long-range rockets following Israel’s departure.
With such a serious list of threats, the IDF said it was already preparing for the day it would have to reenter Gaza.
When that day comes, and security officials are sure it will, Israeli forces will find themselves battling a far more entrenched enemy, possibly resulting in far higher IDF casualties.
Translation of the Ma’ariv article was provided by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
‘Palestinians’ still want war
Meanwhile, a majority of “Palestinians” said they still support the use of violence against Israel’s Jews.
Between October 11 and 15, the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion surveyed a random sampling of 570 Arab adults from Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
When asked if they “support the continuation” of what the Arabs calls the “Al Aqsa Intifada,” 49.6 percent responded in the affirmative. Forty-two percent said they would like to see an end to the violence.
The results again refute constant claims by Western governments that the “Palestinian” terrorist campaign against Israel is a minority phenomenon that does not enjoy popular support.