Twelve representatives of Palestinian Arab organizations will meet in Cairo today to talk about the Egyptian proposal for a unilateral cease-fire for a year. [Which would limit murders of Jews to beyond the 1949-1967 lines and confine killings to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Katif, the Golan and the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road – DB]

Even before the talks began, and even before last night’s attack, Hamas and Fatah’s El-Aksa Martyrs Brigades announced: attacks will continue.

The Egyptian cease-fire proposal is meant to force Israel back to the negotiating table. Arafat and Fatah leaders agreed to the initiative, but the field operatives are opposed. The El-Aksa Martyrs Brigades have already announced that they are not bound by the decisions of the Cairo conference: “We will continue with jihad and suicide operations, since the Palestinian people have chosen struggle as the only way to get rid of the occupation.” Hamas also announced: “We will not accept a cease-fire as long as the occupation forces continue their attacks against Palestinians.” Islamic Jihad spokesmen announced their refusal to cease terror activities as well.

Senior intelligence officials, among them Director of IDF Intelligence Maj. Gen. Aharon Ze’evi believed before the conference that “no results will come of the Egyptian effort.”

This article ran on the January 24th, 2003 issue of Yediot Aharonot

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