Today's Situation

SDEROT, PERETZ AND THE UN UNDER ATTACK, November 21, 2006

A man was critically wounded in the Negev town of Sderot on Tuesday morning, when a Qassam rocket slammed into the factory where he was working. An hour later, another rocket hit a private residence in the town, causing damage but no injuries.

According to Haaretz's online edition, the armed wing of Hamas later said it launched two makeshift rockets at the town.

The Qassam attack also followed an IDF raid in which troops shot and killed Wael Hassanin, a top Hamas local commander, during a gun battle early Tuesday in a Gaza City neighborhood, reports nrg.co.il, the online version of Maariv.

The attack occurred as UN Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour visited the city under heavy security, accompanied by Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal. The two arrived at the factory, sparking a near-riot. Factory workers hit the United Nations vehicle, claiming the organization is one-sided.

Arbour told local residents that she had come to see for herself what was happening in the area and to hear to the residents' impressions and feelings. She was interrupted and removed from the area by the police.

Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who accompanied Arbour on the visit to Sderot, was quoted by Haaretz as saying that, '(the rockets) landed a few hundred yards away from where we were.'

Ynet, the website of Yedioth Ahronoth, quoted one factory worker who said the visit was 'a disgrace. The UN people obviously don't care about us; they came here because of the Palestinians. What they will eventually see from here is the Palestinians' side.'

Former education minister Limor Livnat (Likud), meanwhile, told Arutz 7 that the government clearly has no answers for the deteriorating situation in the Negev, and should therefore resign. Asked what answers she would recommend, she said, 'We disengaged from Gaza over a year ago, and the government promised at the time that further attacks from Gaza would be met with an iron fist. That time has come,' she added.

The attack came a day after Haaretz reported that Hamas told Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas it was prepared to immediately halt Qassam attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The announcement came at a meeting on Monday of Palestinian factions, in which Abbas presented Defense Minister Amir Peretz's proposal for a mutual cease-fire.

According to Haaretz, the meeting was attended by representatives of the five largest Palestinian factions: Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).

Palestinian sources said Hamas representatives expressed willingness to stop firing Qassams at Israel. However Abbas also demanded a commitment from Hamas to stop attacks in the West Bank. In response, the Hamas representative said they would need additional time to consult with senior members of the organization before coming to a final decision on the matter.

Peretz's proposal for a cease-fire could be his last act as defense minister, if reports on Army Radio and Yedioth Ahronoth this morning are to be believed. Aides to Ehud Olmert were quoted as saying that the prime minister will soon move to replace Peretz as defense minister, in the wake of fierce feuding between the leaders. Relations between the two hit a new low this week, after Olmert learned after the fact, that Peretz had spoken Sunday night before by telephone with Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas in order to discuss a Peretz proposal for a mutual cease-fire.

Army Radio, citing unnamed figures close to Olmert, said that after the State Budget is passed, the prime minister may make it known to Peretz that if he wants to remain in the cabinet, he must yield his ministry and accept a different portfolio. But the move could precede the end-of-year budget discussions, should the tension between Olmert and Peretz escalate, the report said.

Haaretz quotes cabinet Minister Ya'akov Edri of Olmert's Kadima party as saying that Labor should keep the defense portfolio, but that Peretz, the embattled chairman of Labor, should step aside from his present post.

Israel Radio, however, quotes an unnamed Kadima minister as saying that coalition consideration would prevent Olmert from firing Peretz. The minister added that Peretz is not able to pursue a peace plan alone, adding that most Labor lawmakers want to see Peretz move to a different ministry and former prime minister and chief of staff Ehud Barak take over at the Defense Ministry.

Speaking on Army Radio, however, the head of the Labor Knesset faction, MK Yoram Maciano said that were Olmert indeed to fire Peretz, or to demand that Labor put forward a candidate to replace him as defense minister, he would do 'everything in his power to ensure that the party quit the coalition.'

In the meantime, Peretz continues to serve as defense minister, and yesterday he ordered an 'extensive inquiry' into the use of cluster munitions during the fighting in Lebanon. According to Haaretz, the IDF admitted targeting populated areas with cluster munitions. In a statement released by the IDF Spokesman's Office, 'the use of cluster munitions against built-up areas was done only against military targets where rocket launches against Israel were identified and after taking steps to warn the civilian population.'

In Europe, meanwhile, German authorities continue to investigate an alleged attempt to smuggle explosive aboard an El Al flight at Frankfurt airport. Six suspects were arrested last week, but five were released after questioning on Sunday. According to Army Radio, S?ddeutsche Zeitung reports in its Tuesday edition that the six are all Moslem who received asylum in Germany.

The above text was written and compiled by Simon Spungin using newpaper, radio and wire reports, in English and Hebrew.

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