Israel Matzav

IDF may stop hunting down terrorists

Insanity, said Albert Einstein, is doing the same thing and expecting different results. The Israeli leadership is insane. It is about to try the same thing it tried between 1999 and - with the exception of a few targeted assassinations starting in late 2000 - 2002. It's going to stop hunting down terrorists who have signed a piece of paper saying they'll behave themselves.

Many innocent Israelis will likely be killed or wounded, God forbid, as a result: Israel and the Palestinian Authority are discussing implementing a clause from a 2005 understanding whereby Israel would stop pursuing wanted terror suspects in the West Bank if they forswear terrorism, government officials said Thursday.

The officials' comments came as Israel went after Fatah terror suspects in Nablus.

Even though Israel was making gestures to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement, it would continue to pursue those actively involved in terrorism, regardless of their organizational affiliation, the officials said.

The idea of forgoing the pursuit of wanted men if they renounce terrorism was part of the Sharm e-Sheikh understandings that were reached between Abbas and then-prime minister Ariel Sharon in 2005. It was agreed then to discuss the issue, but nothing was ever implemented.

But it was implemented during the heyday of Oslo when there were 'joint patrols' between IDF soldiers and 'Palestinian police' until one day in September 2000 when a 'Palestinian policeman' took out his gun and murdered his Israeli partner.

I can't wait until Sunday when we find out which 250 murderers are going to be released by the Olmert-Barak-Livni government. As usual, we will be told that they don't have 'blood on their hands' and then we'll have 48 hours to find out that they all do. Maybe they'll make them sign statements renouncing terrorism too - that's what the Rabin-Peres government did in the mid-90's.

Deja vu all over again.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:59 PM