Prime Minister Shimon Peres said this week that the redeployment of Israel Defense Force troops in Hebron might be postponed if the Palestinian Authority fails to curb Palestinian terrorism.
Addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations here on Tuesday, Peres said in response to a question that if Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat “doesn’t fulfill his obligations in this regard, we will have to consider many options, including this one of Hebron.”
His comments came two days after suicide bombers from the Islamic fundamentalist Hamas group carried out deadly attacks in Jerusalem and Ashkelon.
The IDF is scheduled to redeploy next month in Hebron – the only West bank town still under Israeli control.
“Israeli has already told Arafat that he must disarm the terrorists and arrest their leaders in his own house,” Peres said. “If he cannot do this it will create a problem for him.”
Peres told the American Jewish leaders, who are in Israel on a Conference of Presidents mission, that Arafat “should take a lesson from” Jordan’s King Hussein, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian leader Hafez Assad, “who take care of terrorism in their countries fairly effectively.”
Peres also reaffirmed his positions on Jerusalem and Jewish settlements.
“Jerusalem must remain united as the capital of Israel. There will be no return to the 1967 borders, and no Jewish settlements will be dismantled.”
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