Israel Matzav

Fatah cell tried to assassinate Olmert

It was released for publication today that a terrorist cell from 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's Fatah group tried to assassinate corrupt Israeli Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert while Olmert was traveling to a meeting with Abu Mazen in Jericho on August 6.

According to the report, Israel obtained intelligence on the planned assassination attempt and transferred the details of the plot to the Palestinian Authority, which promptly arrested the suspects.

Some members of the group were apprehended in Jericho, and others were arrested in Israel, Diskin said.

Now, however, the PA has released them, Israel Radio reported, and Israel has voiced its extreme displeasure at the move.

In May, the Shin Bet revealed that a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip who was working for the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders was arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate Olmert.

On April 19, the Palestinian, Mazab Bashir, was arrested and confessed to having planned the assassination of a number of senior Israeli officials, including Olmert, several Knesset members and the head of Elad, a Jewish group that purchases homes from Arabs in Jerusalem's Old City.

Haaretz adds:

Nonetheless, the PA last week released those militants it had detained, despite the fact that, according to Diskin, they had admitted to planning the attack.

A senior political source in Jerusalem views the attempted attack, and especially the fact that potential assailants were released, with utmost severity.

The source added that the Prime Minister's Bureau has submitted a harsh protest to Abbas' office, and Israel expects the PA to take action on the matter.

Don't hold your breath waiting for the PA to do anything about it, but I would not be surprised to see Olmert try to use it as an excuse not to go to Annapolis.

Why would the 'Palestinians' want to assassinate Olmert when he's ready to give them everything (or nearly everything) they want? Because the 'Palestinians' don't really want a state reichlet. They don't want to deal with trash collection and schools and road repairs and water quality. They're a 'revolution.' They don't want to govern. They want to destroy the Jewish state. Olmert may think he's giving them what they want. But he's not. In the same way that they couldn't govern Gaza, they won't be able to govern Judea and Samaria either - if God forbid it is ever given to them. And they have no interest in even trying. Without their 'war' with Israel, they have nothing to offer the 'Palestinian people.'

Why did Olmert's good friend Abu Mazen let all the potential killers go? Because you can't really expect him to fight with the 'Palestinian people' terrorism. And besides, even if Israel were holding them, they would be released the next time Olmert wants to make a concession to Abu Mazen. After all, since they failed, they have no blood on their hands....

And why didn't Olmert send the IDF to arrest them like he did when the PA tried to let Rehavam Zeevi HY"D's killers go? At the time, Abu Mazen called that raid unforgivable. I guess Olmert really wants to be on Abu Mazen's good side now. He may be the only one who can save Olmert from all of his criminal indictments.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:19 AM