News, October 2003, www.aljazeerah.info
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Israeli army chief, Moshe Yaalon, slams his government's policy towards the Palestinian people
Khaleej Times, (AP)
30 October 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The chief of the Israeli military harshly criticised of his government's tough policy towards Palestinians, warning that it could lead to desperation and a humanitarian crisis, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
The unusual public rift between the army chief and the defence minister reflects frustration on both sides over inability to bring three years of bloody conflict with the Palestinians to an end.
Columnists from three Israeli newspapers were called in for a briefing with 'senior military officials', later identified by Israeli television and radio stations as Lt-Gen. Moshe Yaalon, the military chief of staff.
The newspapers said Lt-Gen. Yaalon warned that the heavy restrictions imposed in the West Bank by the military - at the orders of the defence ministry - could backfire.
After twin suicide bombings last month, the army clamped a total closure on the West Bank, banning Palestinians from entering Israel, and also halted Palestinian traffic on West Bank roads, confining hundreds of thousands of people to their towns and villages.
The military has repeatedly recommended that the restrictions be eased significantly, the columnists wrote.
"The senior military officers are worried by the possibility that maintaining widespread pressure on the Palestinian population will lead to a humanitarian crisis and increase Palestinian hatred of Israel," wrote columnist Uzi Benziman of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Row deepens in Israel following army criticism of government
Khaleej Times, (AFP)
30 October 2003
JERUSALEM - A political crisis was deepening on Thursday in Israel following criticism by Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon of the government’s security policies towards the Palestinians.
“The chief of staff is a very serious, responsible and reflective. If he reckons the situation in the territories is dangerous, he should say so, but not in such resounding fashion,” Trade Minister Ehud Olmert told public radio.
According to sources close to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon speaking on condition of anonymity, Yaalon lambasted the government Tuesday over its uncompromising attitude towards former Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas.
“It might be true that we could have been more generous with Abu Mazen (Abbas’ alias), but I do believe -- as do the Americans, that the key man who should have fought terrorism, (security minister) Mohammad Dahlan, failed to do so,” Olmert said.
The chief of staff has also been at loggerheads with hardline Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz over his calls for restrictions on quiet parts of the Palestinian territories to be eased more rapidly to remove what he regards as a key rallying point for militant groups.
According to the Israeli media, Yaalon was summoned by Mofaz over his comments.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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