The Israel Defense Force has taken pre-emptive measures to forestall an escalation of the Palestinian uprising in the administered territories.
In one of several indications that a new level of violence has emerged, an Israeli truck driver was brutally assaulted and stabbed Saturday in the West Bank town of Jenin.
One Palestinian youth was killed and at least 10 were wounded over the weekend, as the IDF raided Arab villages in the West Bank.
The IDF stepped up its reprisal demolitions of Arab houses. The security forces are cracking down on Palestinians who attack other Arabs suspected of collaborating with the Israeli authorities.
Israeli military and political leaders expect firearms and explosives will soon replace the rocks and gasoline bombs that have been the standard weapons of the uprising until now.
Senior security officials attribute the deteriorating situation in the administered territories to the approaching elections in Israel and the United States, and the imminent possibility that the Palestine National Council will meet and declare a Palestinian government in exile.
There is also a deep power struggle said to be going on between Palestine Liberation Organization moderates, who favor political accommodation with Israel; PLO die-hards, who want to continue violent confrontation; and Islamic religious fanatics, whose aim is to replace the PLO as the dominant force among the Palestinians.
USE OF WEAPONS FEARED
The situation was discussed at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting. Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin said if the populace in the territories resorts to firearms, the IDF will react in kind, “which is the common policy against acts of terrorism.”
The possible use of lethal weapons by the Palestinians was raised by the IDF chief of staff, Gen. Dan Shomron, at a meeting with senior officers of the armored corps over the weekend.
He said PLO factions that stress the need for armed struggle are bent on raising the level of violence in the territories.
“We are ready for the possible use of firearms, bombs and hand grenades,” Shomron said.
He said this was becoming more likely, because the IDF has made it more difficult for the Palestinians to stage mass demonstrations and other forms of public protest.
Violence hit the usually quiet town of Jenin on Saturday. David Ahlai of Afula, driver of a water tank truck, stopped off at a local coffee shop for a chat with Arab friends.
He was attacked by Arab youths wielding knives and hatchets. Ahlai, 50, was rushed to the government hospital in Afula, where he was treated for cuts in the head, neck and chest. He was reported in satisfactory condition Sunday.
Earlier, rock-throwers in Jenin smashed the windshield of a car driven by an Israeli Arab couple. The occupants escaped with only slight injuries.
The territories were virtually shut down by a general strike Friday, called to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the Israeli attack on Kibya village, which resulted in high casualties.
The IDF began its show of force Thursday by entering dozens of Arab villages. Troops seized anti-Israel material and arrested scores of suspects.
In Kafr Malik village, near Ramallah, a clash between soldiers and local youths resulted in the death of Omar Abdul Assi, 18.
At least 10 Arabs were wounded in clashes with the IDF elsewhere in the West Bank.
A large force of police and soldiers raided three Arab villages near Mt. Gilboa on Friday night. They arrested 20 arson suspects in the torching of forests and fields during last summer’s drought.
The army demolished five houses in Bidya village. According to the IDF, they belonged to members of a local terrorist gang who allegedly murdered the village head man a week ago for collaborating with the Israelis.
Only a few days earlier, four houses were demolished in Nablus.
The IDF is embarked on a “get tough” policy. It is sending the message that it is ready to make an entire family homeless for the offenses of just one member.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
