-Caveat Lector- http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=104182003 Mon 27 Jan 2003
Likud 'ordered raid to secure votes' BEN LYNFIELD JERUSALEM A LEADER of Israel’s Labour party charged last night that his country’s prime minister, Ariel Sharon, had ordered a deadly raid in the Gaza Strip in order to win votes for tomorrow’s election. Israeli troops killed 12 Palestinian fighters yesterday during the army thrust into Gaza, after Palestinians fired rockets toward the town of Sderot, causing no injuries. Late yesterday a Palestinian boy, aged seven, was shot dead by Israeli troops, and his brother, six, was injured, at the Rafah refugee camp. Their relatives said they had been playing near an army post. The army said it was checking the matter. Labour politician Weizman Shiri, a former deputy defence minister, said the raid had no justification and was a "cynical" use of the army for political ends. But a senior army officer denied that the raid, codenamed "Hot Iron" had anything to do with the polling. "This is a direct outcome of the rockets that fell, of intelligence information we received and favourable operational considerations, including the weather," said the officer. A Likud minister, Tzipi Livne, said: "It is sad that on the eve of the elections someone would connect essential military actions against terrorism to political motives." The 12 who died were Palestinian security forces and militiamen who fired on Israeli troops during a raid into Gaza City, which the army said was aimed at destroying small weapons factories. Palestinian witnesses said that during the fighting, Israel used helicopter gunships to spray machinegun fire, wounding more than fifty people, many of them civilians. The Israeli raid, one of the army’s largest operations in Gaza since the eruption of fighting two years ago, was launched on Saturday evening and lasted for about 12 hours. Army officials said the Palestinians put up stiff resistance. Mr Shiri insisted to The Scotsman that Mr Sharon ordered the raid in order to get more votes for Likud. "There have been periods when there were much worse Palestinian attacks, yet no such operation was launched," said Mr Shiri, who is running for a Knesset seat. "Instead of trying to build as much as possible on the relative quiet we’ve had, he is trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a cynical use of the army in order to reap political gains." Mr Sharon and his Likud party are the easy favourite in tomorrow’s election, with Labour’s share of the vote slipping badly as the party leader, Amram Mitzna, advocates seeking a peace deal with Palestinians. But while Likud are likely to emerge as the largest party, Mr Sharon may struggle to form a stable government, analysts say. Israel's army yesterday imposed a blanket ban on Palestinian travel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip until after Israelis vote. Israel also closed border crossings connecting the West Bank to Jordan and the Gaza Strip to Egypt under the 62-hour closure order imposed until Wednesday morning. Palestinians in Gaza said that only seven out of 130 shops and businesses destroyed were metal workshops. The army said troops destroyed more than 100 lathes. After the troops pulled out, Palestinian fighters again shot rockets into Israeli territory, with no casualties. Israeli troops then raided the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun. "We will draw the blood of the Jews in Jaffa and Tel Aviv," said Abdul-Aziz Rantissi, a leader of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement in response to yesterday’s events. "It will be very dangerous because the Palestinian groups will want to score a goal in the Israeli elections after what happened in Gaza," said Nasser Laham, a journalist for Bethlehem Television. "Now they will argue they have legitimate reasons to strike." >From no Arafat to more cannabis TWENTY-eight political parties have registered for Israel’s general election tomorrow. Polls show 16 could win enough votes to enter the Knesset, Israel’s 120-seat parliament. A selection follows. LIKUD. The right-wing party of the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, says it will talk peace only after violence ends, and will consider a Palestinian state with limited powers. LABOUR. The centre-left party of the Haifa mayor, Amram Mitzna, would resume peace negotiations for Palestinian statehood, regardless of whether violence stops. SHINUI. Led by 71-year-old Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, it wants to separate religion and state. It would abandon Jewish settlements as part of a peace deal and give Palestinians some autonomy. SHAS. This ultra-Orthodox Jewish party seeks more religious laws and stands with Likud on Palestinian issues. MERETZ. A leftist party, which wants Israel’s withdrawal to borders before the 1967 Middle East war and backs a Palestinian state. NATIONAL UNITY. Opposes a Palestinian state and concessions to the Palestinians and would expel Yasser Arafat. YISRAEL B’ALIYA. Led by former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky, it focuses on immigrants’ problems and takes Likud’s stand on Palestinians. NATIONAL RELIGIOUS PARTY. The chief lobbyist for Jewish settlers living in the West Bank and Gaza backs the status quo on religious issues. UNITED ARAB LIST. Supports a Palestinian state along with increased government funds for Israel’s Arab sector. GREEN LEAF. A pro-cannabis party which wants marijuana legalised. This article: http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=104182003 More Middle East conflict: http://www.news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=13 Websites: Israeli Government peace process site http://www.info.gov.il/eng/sub-TZRS-peace.asp Palestinian National Authority http://www.pna.org/ UN Relief & Works Agency for Palestinian refugees http://www.un.org/unrwa/ US Dept of State Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs http://www.state.gov/p/nea/ UK Foreign Office peace process site http://www.fco.gov.uk/news/keythemehome.asp?13 Hamas http://www.palestine-info.com/hamas/ Forwarded for your information. 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