Peretz Promises Dramatic Changes in a Number of Hours [Not exactly holding our breaths]
Full Text;
As Sderot residents continue moving away from the southern city due to daily rocket attacks, Defense Minister (Labor) Amir Peretz on Monday promised a “dramatic change” “…in a number of hours or perhaps tens of hours” if the rocket attacks are not halted.
Visiting the Sderot area accompanied by President Moshe Katsav, Peretz vowed to bring an end to the rocket attacks, declining to detail what exactly the “dramatic change” entails.
Excerpts;
During a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said that Israel was “using all [available] instruments and taking all [available] steps before getting into a massive operation,” referring to stopping the continuous fire of Kassam rockets from northern Gaza.
“If that doesn’t work,” he continued, “I am sure that we will bring back peace to the area-I won’t allow the fire to continue. There is no doubt that the organizations active today understand our message. But if this doesn’t bring peace, there will be a step-up to more decisive operations. We definitely intend to stop the fire.”
Right-wing MKs Slam ‘Cowardly’ Policy
Excerpts;
Right-wing MKs from Shas and the National Union-National Religious Party attacked Defense Minister Amir Peretz after a Monday meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, calling him a coward and accusing him of being all talk when it comes to stopping Kassam fire.
“Hamas and Hizbullah understand that they can launch missile into the hearts of our cities and the IDF won’t respond in any deterring way,” said NU-NRP MK Effi Eitam. “The IDF doesn’t exact a price from Hizbullah and the Palestinians for their missile attacks on Israel. In the Middle East everybody knows how to recognize cowards…and your policy is a cowardly one.”