ARAFAT ORDERS ARREST OF ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000318


DEPT FOR SMEC AND NEA

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL KWBG KPAL PTER PINS PLO IS US
SUBJECT: ARAFAT ORDERS ARREST OF ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADERS


1. (C - ENTIRE TEXT.)


2. SUMMARY: NABIL SHA'ATH INFORMED CONSUL GENERAL LATE
JANUARY 24 THAT FOUR PRINCIPAL ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADERS IN
GAZA HAD BEEN ARRESTED BY THE PPF. SHA'ATH SAID THAT
ARAFAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IS DETERMINED TO TAKE CONCRETE
STEPS AGAINST ISLAMIC RADICALS. ARAFAT REPORTEDLY
UNDERSTOOD THE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON RABIN FOLLOWING
THE BEIT LID BOMBING. SHA'ATH COMMENTED THAT RABIN
NEEDS USG SUPPORT VIS-A-VIS HIS DOMESTIC OPPONENTS. END
SUMMARY.


3. FOLLOWING NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS BY CONSUL GENERAL
WITH PA OFFICIALS JANUARY 24 URGING A FIRM PA RESPONSE
TO THE BEIT LID BOMBING, NABIL SHA'ATH CALLED CONSUL
GENERAL TUESDAY EVENING TO INFORM HIM THAT AT ARAFAT'S
ORDERS, FOUR PRINCIPAL ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADERS IN GAZA HAD
BEEN ARRESTED. THE FOUR ARE ABDALLAH AL SHAMI, ABDALLAH
SULIEMAN AL ZUQ, MOHAMMAD ABDALLAH SHALLAH AND OMAR
MOHAMMAD FURAH. SHA'ATH SAID THAT SEVERAL GUARDS OF
THESE INDIVIDUALS HAD ALSO BEEN ARRESTED. CONSUL
GENERAL SAID THAT THIS WAS A GOOD MOVE BUT FOLLOW
THROUGH WAS VERY IMPORTANT. IF THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE
HELD FOR A FEW DAYS AND RELEASED, THE ACTION WOULD BE
MEANINGLESS. SHA'ATH SAID HE UNDERSTOOD. HE SAID THAT
ARAFAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IS DETERMINED TO TAKE CONCRETE
MEASURES.


4. REFERRING TO RABIN'S ADDRESS TO THE ISRAELI NATION
JANUARY 23, SHA'ATH SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT RABIN HAD
BEEN VERY STATESMANLIKE IN HIS DETERMINATION TO PROCEED
WITH THE PEACE PROCESS. HE SAID THAT HE, ARAFAT AND
OTHER PALESTINIAN LEADERS UNDERSTOOD THE TREMENDOUS
PRESSURE THAT RABIN WAS UNDER BECAUSE OF THE BEIT LID
BOMBING. AS FOR A STRONG STATEMENT BY ARAFAT CONDEMNING
THE BOMBING, SHA'ATH SAID THAT ARAFAT HAD MADE TWO
SPEECHES IN GAZA JANUARY 24 ATTACKING THE ISLAMISTS FOR
ACTIONS TAKEN WHICH DAMAGED PALESTINIAN INTERESTS.
SHA'ATH SAID THAT THIS WAS THE STRONGEST ATTACK EVER
AGAINST THE ISLAMIC MILITANTS. HE REPEATED THAT THERE
WAS MUCH MORE RESOLVE ON ARAFAT'S PART TO CONFRONT THE
MILITANTS.


5. SHA'ATH EXPRESSED ANXIETY ABOUT RABIN'S DOMESTIC
POSITION AND SAID THAT RABIN NEEDS USG SUPPORT VIS-A-VIS
HIS DOMESTIC OPPONENTS. HE ALSO RAISED THE CLOSURE OF
GAZA AND JERICHO, ASKING FOR U.S. INTERCESSION WITH
RABIN TO ADVISE HIM AGAINST AN EXTENDED CLOSURE AS
OCCURRED AFTER THE TEL AVIV BOMBING. SHA'ATH SAID THAT
THE MOOD IN GAZA IS CURRENTLY VERY MUCH AGAINST ISLAMIC
JIHAD. HE SAID THAT EVEN HAMAS IS TRYING TO DISTANCE
ITSELF FROM THE IJ. HOWEVER, THE LONGER THE CLOSURES
LAST THE MORE THE AVERAGE PALESTINIAN WILL BLAME THE PA
FOR THEIR ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES.


6. SHA'ATH SAID THAT WHEN THE CLOSURE HAD BEEN
INITIALLY IMPOSED, LOCAL IDF UNITS WERE PREVENTING ALL
TRAFFIC TO AND FROM GAZA INCLUDING BANNING OF FOOD AND
OTHER SUPPLIES FROM REACHING GAZA AND CUTTING OFF THE
EXPORT OF FLOWERS AND STRAWBERRIES FROM GAZA. SHA'ATH
SAID HE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TO DANNY ROTHSCHILD IN A
MEETING AT EREZ JANUARY 24 AND ROTHSCHILD HAD
STRAIGHTENED OUT THE PROBLEM OF THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS TO
AND FROM GAZA. ROTHSCHILD ALSO TOLD SHA'ATH THAT THE
CLOSURE WOULD LAST NO LONGER THAN THE END OF THE WEEK.
SHA'ATH SAID HE HOPES THAT THIS WILL BE THE CASE.

7. NABIL ABU RUDEINA ALSO CONFIRMED TO CONSUL GENERAL
THAT ARAFAT ORDERED THE ARREST OF THE FOUR ISLAMIC JIHAD
LEADERS. ABU RUDEINA SAID THAT ARAFAT PLANS TO LEAVE
LATER TODAY FOR HIS MEETING IN AMMAN WITH KING HUSSEIN.


ABINGTON