Israeli 'A Matter of Time' Operation Targets at Arafat: News Analysis

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 23, 2002

Israeli 'A Matter of Time' Operation Targets at Arafat: News Analysis

"A Matter of Time" is the code name being used by the Israeli army for the renewed siege on Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

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"A Matter of Time" is the code name being used by the Israeli army for the renewed siege on Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Israeli analysts said the name of the operation apparently is meant that breaking Arafat, which would be followed by his leaving the compound due to intense Israeli pressure, is only a matter of time.

The Israeli army reimposed its siege on Arafat's compound and started demolishing buildings inside on Thursday following two suicide bombings inside Israel, which killed eight people and wounded more than 60 others.

After three days of demolition, during which most the buildings in Arafat's compound have been reduced to rubble, the IDF withdrew on Sunday its bulldozers, but the tight siege on the compound remains in force.

Officially, Israel has not declared that it intends to deport Arafat, and the Israeli army has said the purpose of the operation in Ramallah is to capture wanted Palestinians hiding inside the compound.

However, it is not the first time that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon played a double game when it comes to the matter of forcing Arafat to leave Ramallah.

At a cabinet meeting proceeding the operation, Sharon expressed his desire to see Arafat expelled. He refrained himself from taking the action only after receiving warnings from his intelligence officials, who said expelling Arafat would do nothing but raising his prestige among the Palestinians and in the world.

Nevertheless, the question of Arafat's expulsion is again on the agenda, and a decision on the matter is much closer.

The Israeli army presented Arafat with a condition it knew he could not accept: the surrender of the wanted Palestinians taking refuge in his offices.

IDF commanders in the field received orders "to minimize the living space" at Arafat's disposal.

Over the past three days, the Israeli army has destroyed dozens of structures in the compound, which had already been severely damaged during Operation Defensive Shield. The only building now remains standing in the compound is the one which holds Arafat's office.

"Arafat will be stuck in a stinking, dirty hole," one senior Israeli army official said, with no small amount of satisfaction.

The IDF officers in Ramallah said that "the Nativity Church scenario (in the West Bank city of Bethlehem) would not repeat itself here. We will not sit around the building for weeks."

The commanders have not received detailed instructions as to how this is to be achieved.

The troops have been ordered not to harm Arafat and not to enter his office, but these instructions could change in the event of another terror attack, the officers were quoted as saying.

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, who spoke over the weekend with Palestinian officials, including Arafat's deputy Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen), said he was not overly impressed by their concern about Arafat's welfare.

Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Weizman Shiri said on Sunday Arafat was free to leave the country, but would not be allowed to return.

"If he decides he wants to get out, we'll give him a lift," Shiri told Army Radio, adding that "We'll give him a one-way ticketin a dignified way."

Shiri did not say which country could be the likely destination, but he said, "If he decides he wants to get out we'll find him a good place."

These reports strengthened Ben Eliezer's belief that this time, the pressure must really be turned up on Arafat.

The defense minister believes that because of Arafat's weakened position, the current siege will undermine him further instead of strengthening him.

But it is hard for the defense minister to explain how to realize the plan that is to make Arafat surrender and leave the compound on his own volition.

"A Matter of Time?" Israeli media questioned the name of the operation, stressing that "it may have been better to have named it 'Russian Roulette.'"

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