Monday, March 03, 2008

It's going to get worse, hang on!!

Gil Ronen

Dichter: Human Shields for Terrorists are Also Terrorists"We are creating an atmosphere of ghost towns with our own hands, with our own policy," Minister for Public Security, Avi Dichter, told the cabinet Sunday. "The terrorists, unlike the IDF soldiers and the citizens of Israel, are a perishable product, that is to be stopped and killed," he said. "In a state of war with a terror entity we must not shirk from hitting terrorists who try to carry out a terror attack from within an envelope of civilians. Civilians who provide a human shield for terrorists are terrorists, plain and simple."

"The citizens of Israel are not a perishable product, neither physically nor mentally. I expect you to instruct the IDF to completely stop the rocket fire at Israel, at any cost," the former head of the Shabak (General Security Service) told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

"On Wednesday, we went from [a situation in which we had] 25,000 people under the rocket threat to 250,000 people," Dichter continued, referring to the increased targeting of Ashkelon by terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza. A Gaza rocket exploded near Dichter's home on Sunday. "What we feared most has become a reality. Other than providing 130,000 more people with the 'Color Red' early warning system, what has changed?"

'They fire at anyone who is a Jew'
"We went from 25,000 people under the rocket threat to 250,000 people."

"The daring and smart IDF activity, by Givati [Regiment] and armor together with the Shabak east of Jebalya, is not bringing an end to the Kassams and Katyushas," Dichter said. "Not [the ones being fired] at Sderot, not at Ashkelon, not at the Gaza perimeter communities and not at Netivot. I saw with my own eyes a city beginning to suffer and to wilt. The Katyusha salvoes spread all over my city, from Kfar Silver in the east to the sea in the west; from the Shimshon neighborhood and Givat Tzion in the south to Barnea in the north. We must not broaden the Gaza roulette. We must stop it now."

Regarding Gaza, Dichter said: "The residents have nothing to do there, except to play the game of war and death. We fire at anyone who is a terrorist, they fire at anyone who is a Jew. This is not the way to build deterrence. Gaza civilians who are not at close range to the terrorists are not in danger. However, Jews who are within rocket range are always in danger."

'End it at any price'
"Mr. Prime Minister, I expect you to give the IDF instructions today to put a complete end to the firing of rockets at Israel at any price and instruct the IDF to present the ways and needs in order to realize this goal. I hope the cabinet decides to accept the IDF's policy on Wednesday. If we do not approve the IDF's plan, the government will be responsible for the sad reality that results."
"I do not remember a minister in Israel's governments who spoke this way," Barak chided Dichter.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak scolded Dichter for his statements. "Ashkelon's residents are not perishable items and no one thinks of them as that," Barak said, "just as none of the government ministers thought that Tel Aviv's residents or those of Jerusalem or Netanya were perishable items during the period of terror attacks."

"I do not remember a minister in Israel's governments who spoke this way," Barak chided Dichter. "I advise you not to speak in this manner. Our duty in the government is to keep a cool head," he added.

Vice Prime Minister Chaim Ramon also expressed support for the idea of returning fire into the locations from which rockets are fired, even if they are populated by non-combatants.

Legal discussion on hitting human shields
Following Ramon's statement, Defense Minister Barak turned to Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and told him he would like to receive his opinion as a legal expert on the possibility of returning fire toward the sources of the rocket fire, or firing at communities from which rockets are fired.

It was decided to hold a discussion on the matter on Monday. The discussion will be attended by Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, Chief Military Attorney Avichai Mandelblit, Defense Apparatus Legal Advisor Achaz Ben-Ari and other legal experts.

In a recent interview, Minister Friedmann criticized the High Court for hamstringing the government in its attempts to cut the supply of electricity to Gaza. "We must remember that IDF soldiers and Sderot residents have human rights too," Friedmann said. "If the alternative to cutting down the supply of fuel is sending soldiers into Gaza, we must remember that the soldiers who will be killed also have human rights."

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