Arafat's meeting with the Israeli journalists "was intended to get a message across to some sectors of Israel's public," according to Ha'aretz. Arafat's efforts to prove that he was serious about upholding his end of the cease-fire were undermined by a suicide bombing that killed two IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip on Friday afternoon.

Speaking to the Israelis, Arafat said that his ability to control violence in some areas was limited. "If something happens in B or C areas, I can't send Jibril Rajoub and his security men to go over and see what's going on in them," Arafat said.

In the meeting, Arafat claimed that Palestinians, not Israelis, were the victims of the Intifada. Arafat said Palestinians "are the ones exposed to murderous terror, day after day, hour after hour." Arafat countered previous statements by Fatah leaders vowing to continue targeting Jewish settlers by reiterating his position that the cease-fire also applied to them. Arafat recalled several good talks that he had held with settlers in the past.

West Bank Tanzim leader Hussein a-Sheikh told Israel Radio today that the Palestinian Authority had instructed him not to carry out attacks from areas B and C. The PA will reportedly replace Tanzim militiamen at positions near Ramallah with personnel identified with moderate West Bank security chief Jibril Rajoub.

The Palestinian moves are intended to make a favorable impression on U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who will visit the region at the end of the week, according to Army Radio.

Palestinians issue warnings, not arrests
Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres said that Israel demands clear and unequivocal instructions from Arafat for the cessation of violence. At a meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs William Burns, Peres noted that arrests of "bomb carriers" have yet to be carried out, and only minor arrests have occurred.

In an article published in Ha'aretz on Friday, analyst Ze'ev Schiff wrote that "there is no better example of the cynical attitude of the Palestinian Authority, and of PA Chairman Arafat himself, to acts of terror, and of their disdain for keeping agreements, than their handling of the slaughter carried out by a suicide bomber at the [Tel Aviv] discotheque."

According to Schiff, Israel presented the Palestinians with the names of two Hamas men who had planned the discotheque attack and called for their immediate arrest. Schiff reports that these two men were called in for a "conversation," not an interrogation, where they admitted their involvement in the attack. The Palestinians warned them not to carry out similar attacks in the future before releasing them.

ynet reported today that the Palestinians continue to refuse to arrest Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists. Instead, the activists are "brought in" for conversations. An unnamed Palestinian official told ynet that the activists are told, in a polite and friendly way, that there is a need to calm the situation down, at least for the immediate future.

In an interview with Newsweek to be published this week, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he had not detected "even the slightest sign" that Arafat intended implementing the cease-fire. "Although he has full control, Arafat has not given instructions to stop incitement or to rearrest terrorists engaged in planning attacks," Sharon said.

© 2001 Koret Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.