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Israel Says Deadline Passes Without Palestinian Observance
A senior Israeli official announced Monday evening that Israel has considered its ultimatum calling for halt of violence on Palestinian side expired without Palestinian heed.
Israeli government spokesman Nachman Shai told Israel Radio that despite the ultimatum, there was no sign on the Palestinian side to stop the violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak issued the 48-hour ultimatum Saturday evening, demanding Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat halt the violence by Monday night, or face full Israeli force against protesting Palestinians and demise of the peace process.
Barak is due to hold an urgent cabinet meeting late Monday night in the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv to discuss what action his government could take accordingly.
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday evening also sharply criticized the continuous violence, saying Israel can not be regarded as a weak nation that does not have the capability to stop the clashes.
Netanyahu, also the former leader of the opposition Likud party whose sitting leader Ariel Sharon's visit to a disputed Jerusalem shrine on September 28 sparked the wave of deadly violence, said he had phoned Barak and expressed his full support to the prime minister at the time of uncertainty.
He also called on all the political parties and all Israelis in the country to rally behind Barak.
Meanwhile, Israeli President Moshe Katsav issued a statement Monday evening, condemning the Jewish people who attacked Israeli Arabs. "Their action towards the Israeli Arab population does not serve the interest of the country," the president said.
Hundreds of Jews attacked local Israeli Arabs Saturday and Sunday in Israeli largest Arab town of Nazareth in the north, in which two Arabs were killed by the Jews from the nearby town of Upper Nazareth.
Local Arab leaders held the government and police responsible for the death of the local Arab residents.
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