New York – In an address last week to the
Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies, Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash, the head
of Israeli military intelligence, disclosed that Al Qaeda operatives entered
Gaza from Egypt following Israel’s withdrawal. Zeevi-Farkash also said that
during the ten days after the withdrawal, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and
Palestinian terrorist groups brought in 3,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 300
rocket-propelled grenades, 1.5 million rounds of ammunition and an undetermined
number of anti-tank rockets and surface-to-air missiles from Sinai.

ZOA National President Morton A Klein said, “ZOA and others were always
concerned that there would be increased smuggling of weapons and increased
movement of terrorists into Gaza after Israel left there. We now see that this
fear has been realized. We call upon the Bush Administration to apply maximum
pressure on Mahmoud Abbas, chief of PA, and President Mubarak of Egypt to root
out Al Qaeda terrorists who have infiltrated Gaza since the Israeli
withdrawal and to stop all future smuggling.” (Both Egyptian and PA forces in Gaza
are responsible for stopping any smuggling, and fighting any terrorist
activities there).

According to Maj. Gen. Yisrael Ziv, chief of the Israel Defense Forces’
Operations Directorate, an Egyptian-Israeli Joint Operations Command, which was
meant to monitor the border between the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip, and
coordinate Egyptian and Israeli responses to infiltration and terrorism, may
only become operational next week. Ziv said that despite a drop in
infiltration since Egypt deployed its troops, weapons are still being smuggled in. Ziv
also indicated that Israel had withdrawn forces from the border on September
12 ahead of the Egyptian deployment because it wanted to avoid casualties
resulting from anticipated Palestinian attacks upon its troops. Moreover, a
senior military source said that over the last 10 days the PA has brought about
$1 million worth of weapons and ammunition from Sinai. The source said the PA
weapons transfer appeared to be in cooperation with local Egyptian
authorities.

Klein added, “We are deeply concerned that the Gaza withdrawal has allowed
Al Qaeda terrorists and massive weaponry to enter Gaza. We are also deeply
concerned that arrangements made for keeping the Egypt-Gaza border secure have
failed from the first day. It is also troubling to hear Gen. Ziv’s disclosure
that the Israel Defense Forces’ position on the border was so exposed as a
result of the withdrawal that it could not even remain deployed for a few
additional days to protect Israel from terrorists and weaponry smuggled across
the border. This speaks volumes about the harm to Israeli security that
leaving Gaza has brought about.

“The infiltration of Al Qaeda terrorists is not unexpected. Already months
ago, Gen. Yaacov Amidror, former head of the Israel Defense Forces Research
Intelligence Assessment Division, was warning that, ‘leaving Gaza creates a
dangerous possibility that Hamas will provide a Gaza safe haven for al-Qaeda …
including operational, logistical and financial sanctuary there.’
Unfortunately, this now appears to be happening.

“We remember President Bush’s strong statement after 9/11 that ‘Either you
are with us, or you are with the terrorists.’ Surely we cannot continue aiding
and dealing with the PA or Egypt if they do anything less than fully
cooperate in the fight against Al Qaeda and that means rooting it out utterly in
Gaza.”

This entry was posted on Monday, October 10th, 2005 and is filed under news.