re: #195 Lidane

Okay, here goes.

Fatah is now claiming that it will crack down on Palestinian rioters in Jerusalem following yesterday’s riots. “They don’t want to give Israel the excuse to stop further negotiations.”

Palestinian sources said the PA wants to see the violence ebb “so not to give Israel an excuse for agitation while peace talks were ongoing and so close to the end of the settlement freeze.”

The sources added that the PA wanted to refrain from any escalation which Israel may use an excuse to delay negotiations.

Both Fatah and PA sources said they believe the violence will die down Thursday, although they could not rule out sporadic violence during the three-day mourning period called for Sarchan.

Senior Fatah member Mohammad Dahlan said Israel was trying to stir up a third intifada, defining Sarchan’s shooting by an Israeli security guard as “crossing all the red lines.”

What’s left unsaid is that the incident was precipitated and caused by Palestinian rioters in the first place- when they attacked a vehicle carrying private Israeli security guards heading to their homes in Silwan. They were cornered, cut off, and rocks were thrown at the vehicle. The security guard fired in the air to no effect, and took a single shot at the rioters - killing one. That led to a mass outbreak of rioting in all the usual locations.

But for the Palestinians rioting and throwing rocks at the Israelis, the Israeli security guard would not have fired in self-defense. No rioting by Palestinians, no additional riots at the Temple Mount.

It’s just more of the same from Fatah.