"The shooting was of a special nature," A-Sana said. "It was not directed against civilians, but rather against soldiers, at the heart of the Israeli defense base." In fact, two of the ten wounded were civilians.

A-Sana added, "When there is no security for Palestinians, there will be no security for Israel. If Israel can [attack] in Nablus, Palestinians can get to the heart of Tel Aviv."

When A-Sana came under attack on Israeli television for his statements in the interview, he defended them, saying that he did not support terror. "I analyzed the situation, and this analysis is my political position. From this position to my supporting terrorism is a huge distance."

In an interview Sunday night with Israeli Channel Two television, A-Sana was evasive in his responses, refusing to answer a simple "yes-no" question whether he thought shooting attacks, such as the one in Tel Aviv, were "legitimate" parts of the Palestinian struggle.

Internal Security Minister Uzi Landau (Likud) said on Monday that A-Sana and several other Arab Knesset members were acting like traitors. "Only in Israel could they operate from within the Knesset in order to destroy the state," Landau said, according to Israel Radio. Landau suggested that A-Sana should be tried and jailed.

MK Tommy Lapid (Shinui) called on A-Sana to resign from the Knesset and MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) charged that Arab Knesset members, including A-Sana, Dehamshe, Tibi and Bishara, are "the political arm of Palestinian terrorism."

Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein is recommending that the police begin an investigation against A-Sana on suspicion of incitement. "No country in the world is willing to accept statements by a member of its parliament who regards an attempt to murder soldiers in the middle of its cities as legitimate, irrespective of his political views," Rubinstein said yesterday.

Labor MK Yossi Katz, who heads the Knesset Committee, was doubtful that legal actions could be taken against A-Sana. "He was talking as a commentator and did not call for the carrying out of terror attacks. It would also not be wise to turn him into a martyr," Katz added.

Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit (Likud) admitted that there are few legal steps that can be taken against A-Sana, since the Knesset recently rejected legislation that would have revamped anti-incitement laws.

Ahmad Tibi says Palestinian gunman killed during "battle"
MK Ahmad Tibi (Ta-al) yesterday requested that Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer release the body of Ali Ibrahim Juliani, the Palestinian gunman who opened fire on soldiers at Tel Aviv's Kirya base on Sunday afternoon.

Acting on behalf of Juliani's family, Tibi wrote to Ben-Eliezer asking him "to release the body of the young Palestinian shot and killed by soldiers and policemen during the course of a battle waged between them."

Tibi told ynet today that he is convinced that the action Sunday near the Kirya was, in fact, a "battle." In Tibi's opinion, more important than the terminology used to define the Kirya event was Israel's holding the Palestinian's body, which constituted "additional, inhumane punishment against the family."

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