Stabbings in Jaffa Prompt Calls for Restrictions on Palestinians

Israelis, in a state of shock over the murderous rampage by a Gaza Strip Arab who killed two people and wounded 20 in a Jaffa street Tuesday, are demanding more stringent controls over Palestinians allowed to enter Israel proper from the administered territories.

The assailant, who attacked with a sword and a knife, was fatally wounded by an off-duty border policeman and a passing taxi driver. Later, he was found to have had a record of past arrests. But apparently it did not prevent him from getting a permit to work in Israel.

Reacting to the public outcry, the Israel Defense Force, the police and the General Security Services, popularly known as Shin Bet, are making plans to intensify their supervision of Palestinians, newspapers reported Wednesday.

The new measures will include “surprise” checks at workplaces where Arabs from the territories are employed.

Most of the wounded in Jaffa were teen-age girls from the Mitrani school in Holon. Many wore colorful Purim costumes when they were attacked while waiting to enter a discotheque their school rented for a Purim party.

Thirteen of the wounded were still being treated at Tel Aviv area hospitals Wednesday. All but three or four were to be sent home Thursday.

Ilanit Ohana, the 19-year-old woman from Bat Yam who was slashed to death in the incident, was buried Wednesday.

Abed al-Karim, the 41-year-old Arab garage owner slain trying to rescue her, was buried Tuesday, without prior notification of the police.

The killer was identified as Raed al-Reefi, 22, of Gaza. According to his family in Gaza, he wanted to “become a martyr” since his father, Mohammed, died of diabetes at the age of 49 in the Ketziot prison camp in the northern Negev three years ago, allegedly because he lacked proper medical care.

The extremist Islamic Jihad distributed leaflets in Gaza and Beirut on Tuesday claiming credit for the attack, which it said “was carried out according to instructions from abroad.”