Posted on 13-3-2002

Israeli Military Start Withdrawl

Israel has decided to end its three-month confinement of Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat, while at the same time continuing military pressure on the
West Bank and Gaza strip. The situation comes as Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon faces revolt from right-wing members of the government, who
reject any negotiation with the Palestinians, and dwindling popularity with
a war-weary Israeli public.

The death toll of the second Intifada continued to mount on Monday, with at
least five Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops. These deaths followed
a weekend suicide bombing and shooting spree by Palestinian gunmen that
left 16 Israelis dead and scores injured. Israeli actions at the weekend
included destroying Mr Arafat's Gaza City headquarters in a barrage of
missiles.

Conditions Satisfied

Despite the violence, Mr Sharon declared he would lift the siege of
Ramallah and give Mr Arafat some freedom of movement, because Mr Arafat had
fulfilled the condition of arresting a key suspect in the killing of
Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi. On Saturday, Palestinian security
sources said they had arrested Majdi al-Rimawi, who was singled out by
Israel as the mastermind of Mr Zeevi's assassination late last year.

It is not clear yet whether Mr Arafat will be allowed to attend an Arab
summit meeting in Beirut at the end of the month. One of the main items on
the summit's agenda is the plan by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to recognise
Israel in exchange for complete Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied
Territories.

Popularity Down

Radio Netherlands Jerusalem correspondent Joop Meijers says Mr Sharon needs
to take some action to alleviate the pressure he is feeling from the public
and far-right-wing elements in his fragile coalition government. "You hear
more and more criticism by the Israeli public of the actions of Prime
Minister Sharon. In public opinion polls his popularity has taken a sharp
dive, he is much less popular than a year ago," he says.

The country's main far-right political grouping, the
Israel-Beitenou-National-Unity, said on Sunday it intended to leave Mr
Sharon's coalition government. The IBNU is disgusted at Mr Sharon's
concessions to the Palestinians, particularly his dropping a requirement of
absolute ceasefire before beginning peace negotiations. "[Sharon] has said
that he is prepared to do away with his original demand . . . he is now
prepared to immediately talk to the Palestinians without seven days of
military rest," Meijers says. The concessions have not impressed the
Palestinians, however; Palestinian information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo
dismissed Mr Sharon's overtures as a "smart game", saying they were
worthless because the violence on the ground was continuing.

Early Election

Despite the mutual distrust, a low-level Palestinian-Israeli meeting went
ahead late Monday. According to our correspondent Joop Meijers, the Israeli
public has decided that force cannot be the only answer to the security of
the Jewish state: "There's even threats that the election may take place
earlier than planned, so there is a lot of pressure from the Israeli public
on PM Sharon to change his policy, and I would say the majority feels . . .
it´s time to go back to the negotiation table and give the political
process a chance."