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State Department envoy William Burns's return to the Middle East promoting the American-backed regional peace summit tragically coincides with the resumption of the daily Palestinian suicide bombings. As Israeli civilians are being murdered in cities all across the Jewish State, the Palestinian leadership is once again damning these new peace initiatives to failure. Terrorism is still part of their tactical plan.

Despite all the tough talk, well-wishing and demand for reform, Arafat's entrenched Palestinian Authority regime is constitutionally unable and morally unwilling to abandon its violent struggle against Israel.

The majority of the Israeli public had naively accepted the basic premises of the Oslo Accords when they were signed in the fall of 1993 because we received a guarantee that the Palestinian police and security forces would put an end to terrorism and bring about a true peace. Yitzhak Rabin, then prime minister, assured us that Arafat would personally order the arrest of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders and eradicate their terrorist infrastructure. Instead of Israeli troops carrying out dangerous patrols in Ramallah, Jenin and Gaza, we were promised, the Palestinian forces would do it for us. In those innocent Oslo days, many truly believed that terrorism could be fought by proxy and we need merely give Arafat the weapons to do it.

Over the next few years, that optimism began to dissipate. If anyone in Israel still had faith in Arafat and his Palestinian security services by October 2000, the Arab violence that commenced that month put it to rest forever. The forces under Arafat's command became both the catalyst and vanguard of the terrorist attacks. Arafat's Fatah Tanzim and Force 17 units were transformed into full-fledged terrorist groups, with their members competing with Hamas to see how many Jews they could kill.

As the violence accelerated, and as more and more Israeli families were being destroyed, the new line touted by both our allies and enemies was that Arafat could not actually assert any influence over the terrorist organizations. The 40,000 armed guerillas that were brought in from PLO bases in Tunis, Syria and south Lebanon were now operating without any restraints against Israel from the Palestinian territories.

The new American plan being presented calls for a reorganization of the Palestinian security forces with the intention of placing them under a unified command. The hope is that they will miraculously be transformed into a law-abiding legion that will root out terrorists. Once again we Israelis are being assured with a straight face that Arafat and his gunmen will fight Hamas and Islamic Jihad for us. Israeli troops are currently being restrained from entering Gaza, while Arafat's forces are supposedly being given yet another makeover.

Hundreds of members of the Palestinian police forces have engaged in terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, including American citizens, during the last 21 months. Israeli security services and our military are actively hunting these criminals and our Justice Ministry is busy filing their indictments. Thousands of individuals with PA-authorized guns are active members of the Fatah Tanzim terrorist group. And barely a day goes by without another suicide bomber from the Tanzim destroying himself and innocent bystanders in a public center.

The terrorist leaders and their activists cannot suddenly be forgiven or pardoned just because a new political initiative is underway. Israel, like every other Western state, has an obligation to continue to arrest and prosecute those who sought to advance their unacceptable political goal by targeting civilians. Justice dictates that there be no clemency for these rogue police officials.

Many are placing their new hopes on Gaza preventive security service boss Mohammed Dahlan. Mr. Dahlan, a rising star on the Palestinian stage, is being presented as the man who can unify all of Arafat's security forces and bring order to the PA. Word has it that he just returned from a trip to Washington where he got high marks from the National Security Council. (Mr. Dahlan denies ever going.) Either way, Mr. Dahlan is the man who has presided over an ever-fortified terrorist network. Gaza, the home to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, became a base for some of the most heinous terrorist attacks unleashed against Israel.

On his watch, Mr. Dahlan permitted Gaza to become a safe haven for the hundreds of fugitive terrorists fleeing Israeli forces. Among those being sheltered is his childhood friend Mohammed Dief, a leading Hamas mastermind with the blood of scores of Israelis on his hands. In the meantime, Mr. Dahlan's district became the primary launching grounds for the hundreds of Kessem missiles fired at Israel.

Mr. Dahlan's involvement in terrorism has not been confined to mere nonfeasance but, rather, gross malfeasance as well. Mr. Dahlan, along with his assistant Rashid Abu-Shabak, are the primary suspects in the terror attack on an Israeli school bus in Kfar Darom in November 2000. The bombing of the bus left half a dozen children maimed, and seriously injured an American citizen, Rachel Asaroff. In response to this brutal terror attack on Jewish school children, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak dispatched Israeli planes to strafe Mr. Dahlan's Gaza headquarters.

In Israel, we are frequently lectured that we must do business with the unsavory assortment of dictators, strongmen and criminals that surround us. This, we are told, is the nature of the neighborhood we live in. As mayor of Jerusalem, I have in my public duties the unfortunate experience of sitting down with many individuals I do not necessarily like. But the current thinking that Mr. Dahlan can bring reform and law enforcement to the Palestinians is totally misguided. No democratic state should ever allow itself to do business with those individuals who deliberately target a school bus.

While the State Department and envoy Burns are to be admired for their determination to forge a peace agreement on Israel's behalf, their zealousness is beginning to chafe. Seeking a "regional conference at all costs," and hanging hopes on a reorganized Palestinian security force under the sole leadership of one who has himself been involved in serious terrorist attacks sends an unacceptable message. Criminals such as Mr. Dahlan and Arafat can never be reformed; they must be eradicated by force.

Mr. Olmert is the mayor of Jerusalem.

Report: The Involvement of Arafat, PA Senior Officials and Apparatuses in Terrorism against Israel, Corruption and Crime

Humanitarian Safe Passage in Combat Zones in the Judea and Samaria

(Publicerad av IMRA 7/4 -02)

In the course of IDF operations throughout Judea and Samaria, fierce fighting is taking place between IDF forces and Palestinian terrorist operatives. The terrorists deliberately operate from within large Palestinian population centers and therefore cause innocent civilians to be drawn into the line of fire. The IDF is doing all it can to prevent harming innocent civilians and to provide them with necessary humanitarian assistance.

The IDF Spokesperson categorically denies recent claims that it is IDF policy is to hinder the movement of ambulances in combat zones. The IDF Spokesperson stresses that Israeli soldiers are explicitly instructed to allow the free passage of humanitarian assistance. It is important to note however, that this flow of assistance is subject to the situation in the field. Unfortunately, it must be remembered that the Palestinians have on occasion used rescue and emergency vehicles for terrorist purposes.

The IDF makes a clear distinction between Palestinian terrorists, against whom Israeli is fighting, and the Palestinian civilian population that does not take part in terrorist activity.

The following are a number of measures made possible over the past few days during the course of the IDF operation, in conjunction with Government activity in the territories:

• The IDF itself has supplied food, water, medicine and other provisions to cities in which combat is taking place. In addition, the IDF facilitates the supply of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population by international organizations, when circumstances allow. The IDF also facilitates restoration of essential utility service, in coordination with local authorities.
• Kidney patients residing in Judea and Samaria requiring dialysis treatments are allowed access to hospitals in Ramallah, Bet Jalla, Jenin and the Al-Watni hospital in Nablus.
• The IDF allowed the delivery of 8000 liters of diesel fuel to a hospital in Ramallah, as well as the delivery of 60 cubic meters of oxygen to a hospital in Jenin.
• In accordance with requests made by international organizations, the evacuation of wounded Palestinians to local Palestinian hospitals was coordinated. In some cases, Palestinians were transferred to Israeli hospitals.
• In the Gaza Strip, the passage of trucks carrying essential supplies, sent by international aid organizations to the Palestinian population, was coordinated. The Karni checkpoint was reopened today and passage of goods, such as cement, flowers and beef was approved.

IDF arrests Palestinian ambulance driver carrying explosives

Apprehension of Ambulance Harboring a Wanted Terrorist and Weapons at a Checkpoint Near Ramallah

Today, 27 March 2002, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Isalam Jibril, a Tanzim activist, born in 1971 and resident of the Balata Refugee Camp, was arrested at an IDF roadblock near Ramallah. He was arrested while working as the driver of a Red Crescent ambulance. An explosive belt and other explosive charges were seized from the ambulance. The ambulance driver admitted that these were given to him in Nablus by Mahmud Titi- one of the senior Tanzim activists in Samaria, who is recognized with the organization's leaders, including Marwan Barghouti - in order to transfer them to Tanzim operatives in Ramallah.

In addition to the wanted terrorist in the ambulance, an additional man, woman and three children aged 6 months, three-years and four-years old were present in the ambulance. The explosive belt was made of 16 pipes that were comprised of 10 kilograms of explosive materials. The belt was concealed under the mattress of the gurney upon which one of the children laid.

It is important to clarify that this is not the first time in which an ambulance has been used for the transfer of terrorists and weapons, and that workers of the Palestinian Red Crescent have been sent on missions of terrorist organizations. For example, Faah Aydris, a worker for the Palestinian Red Crescent who perpetrated a suicide bombing on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, last January.

The organizations operate on a basis that ambulances and medical crews are not being checked and examined thoroughly in IDF checkpoints, and are cynically exploiting the instructions given to soldiers with an emphasis on their behavior towards a civilian population the ill and children.

The seizure of the explosive charges in the ambulance provides evidence of the continuation of the Tanzim activity to initiate a massive killing attack even when negotiating a cease fire, as well as their determination to take advantage of every alleged "breakthrough" in the IDF's preparations to thwart terror attacks, even if it is made out of clear humanitarian motives. All that in order to continue to attack even with risk to lives of children, the ill and Palestinian medical personnel.

The event also supports the need of IDF soldiers to continue to closely check Palestinian ambulances that pass through checkpoints. The Palestinian Authority frequently complains to the media and to international bodies, but if it only ordered its people to cease its cynical use of ambulances for the use of terror. Ambulances that should be using their capability to contribute to the well being of the Palestinian public.