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Wednesday, 8 January, 2003, 14:35 GMT
What will stop the suicide bombings?
Israel has ordered its military to step up what it calls targeted operations against Palestinian militants after a double suicide bombing killed 23 people and two bombers on Sunday.
The attack in Tel Aviv was the first bombing in Israel in six weeks and the deadliest since last March.
According to a close aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the Israeli cabinet also decided to stop senior Palestinian officials from travelling to London for talks on reforming the Palestinian Authority.
However, a proposal by Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to expel the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat is believed to have been rejected by the cabinet.
Meanwhile, Israeli helicopters fired rockets at a large metalworking factory in Gaza City, which Israel said was being used to make weapons.
Israeli tanks also moved into the town of Rafah in Gaza, where they bulldozed the home of a member of the militant group Islamic Jihad and arrested several of his relatives.
What will stop the suicide attacks? And what can be done to restore peace between Israel and the Palestinians?
This Talking Point is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Suicide bombing can only be stopped if Palestinians are given back their land and the US stops backing Israel in killing and destroying the homes of Palestinians. I think suicide bombing is a reaction of killing and destroying homes of Palestinians by Israel. If economic sanctions are imposed on Israel which will force Israel to withdraw its troops from all occupied Palestinians territories and hence in response Palestinians will stop suicide bombing.
The recent suicide bombings were the first in 6 weeks. During that time, Israeli attacks on Palestinian targets continued unabated. Those who say the Palestinians must stop their attacks should realise that the main aggressor in this conflict is Israel. As for the Palestinians, half a century has passed since they lost their country to terrorists, and I for one cannot blame them for holding onto the hope that they may one day be free of the invaders.
We are often told of the prosperity of Israel in comparison with it's neighbours. Surely if the Palestinian occupants of Israel were allowed to share in this prosperity, rather than being forced to watch it from their bombed out homes during the hours the Israeli government allows them out of them, the hatred would weaken over time.
The suicide murders will never stop no matter what Israel does to try and satisfy Palestinian wants. The simple fact is that, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hisbolla, Saddam, and the like will never stop attacking the Jews as long at the state of Israel exists. They have stated this quite clearly.
I think basically most Palestinians are not as hardline as the Hamas or Islamic Jihad leaders are, they just want to live in peace and security like anybody else. Once Israel lets ordinary Palestinians live with dignity and security I think there will be a sharp decrease in the support for suicide bombings from the Palestinian side. Dismantle the settlements, dismantle the checkpoints, stop the occupation and accept a two state solution. As long the West Bank and Gaza are war zones, Israel will be one as well.
Both Palestinians and Israelis must give up their claim to having exclusive sovereignty to Jerusalem or parts thereof. Peace can only come if Jerusalem is an International City State where sovereignty is more with the UN or with an agreed Council of States, than with either of these headstrong and arrogant neighbours alone.
H K Gadhia, Denmark
Stopping senior Palestinian officials coming to the UK is a wrong step. All it underlines is that Israel has no interest in constructive dialogue, or in a just peace and is happy to let the blame be placed on the Palestinian authority, ignoring its own mismanagement, suppression and lack of ideas, while cynically attempting to exploit the situation to its own ends. While the US dallies with what at times seems an Israeli inspired war against Iraq rather than tackle the Palestinian/Israel conflict, the chances of peace are very slim, but it seems that suits Israel.
The suicide bombings will stop when the people who hold the entrenched views that make this situation so hard to resolve are gone. Sadly, this will probably not come soon enough.
These attacks are a reaction to what are the totally unjustified antics of Israel. The equation is simple: stop throwing stones at others' homes, and you'll feel safe in yours.
Perhaps if Palestine can band together and instead of an Arafat move forward with a Gandhi or a Martin L. King, the world would more readily support their efforts. As it is, how can one say either side has the moral advantage?
In the same way as the Spanish government do not negotiate with ETA and do not trust their political wing, and the UK didn't negotiate with the IRA until a proper ceasefire was called and still are cautious with Sinn Fein, Israel can't be expected to give any concessions to terrorists or their "respectable" face in the shape of Arafat. Show a real willingness and ability to make and maintain peace, and Israel will reciprocate - right-wing leaders made peace with Egypt, and started the Madrid process.
The only solution will be for a Palestinian state. However, this can only occur once Arafat and the rest of the Arab world recognises Israel's right to exist and takes measures to stop these bombings.
As long as they occur, Israel has no choice but to react harshly to them and place restrictions on the Palestinians. Bombs will not bring a state. The quicker the Palestinians realise this, the quicker their state will come.
Uccai Siravas, USA
The late Abba Eban said that people in conflict begin to behave rationally only after they have exhausted all other options. So far it's just tragic to note how both sides in this tragic conflict appear (with great success) to do their best to bring out the worst in each other.
Force never made anyone happy and only seems to escalate destruction and hatred. Why can't we go back to the 10 Commandments and see where we have gone wrong?
Allen Shapiro, USA
Israel should take a lesson from Sri Lanka - start to treat the underdogs as humans and the bombs will stop. They bring it all on themselves.
Palestinians must realise that non-violence is the only way to achieve sovereignty and independence. Suicide bombings are shattering their case, spoiling their image, and making Israel more radical and unwilling to negotiate.
Very simple - give the Palestinians back their land.
Israel and Palestine are cancer to each other. Like a failed marriage, divorce with mutual compromise is the only solution. Palestinians want their share. They have nothing to lose and those who have nothing to lose can be, as we see, extremely dangerous.
A large UN peacekeeping force should partition Israel and Palestine. All Israeli settlements on disputed territory should be removed and the equivalent of the Berlin wall erected, if necessary, to force both Palestine and Israel to abide by the rule of law rather than the law of terror and reprisal.
It is not up to suicide bombers to try to influence political decisions. The Palestinians must group together, end the bombings, and create a new, strong leadership to deal with Israel and the world or else the present situation will just get worse.
The suicide attacks will stop when the world would realize that Palestinian terrorism is not in any way different from Chechen hostage-takers and Bin Laden's thugs.
Every one knows why there are suicide attacks. It is not a question of what will stop but when will they stop. They need a home, a country.
Israel should stop sending settlers to Palestinian territories and stop demolishing Palestinian homes.
05 Jan 03 | Middle East
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