Hundreds of irate Jewish settlers on Tuesday staged a protest outside Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's office, demanding more robust military action to quell violence, a day after a woman settler died in a drive-by shooting.
"Let the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) win," read one of the banners set up in a rose garden outside Barak's office in Jerusalem as teenagers, rabbis and middle-aged women came out to voice their outrage at what they say is a relentless shooting campaign against settlements under siege.
"We feel that our prime minister has given specific orders to the IDF not to respond to the attacks. They always just retaliate instead of trying to stop the shooting," said Yarni Eldad, a spokeswoman for one of the West Bank settlements.
The furor was sparked by the drive-by shooting the day before of 42-year-old Sarah Leisha, a mother of five who died after Palestinian gunmen opened fire on her car on the West Bank.
Her funeral procession was expected to pass by Barak's office later in the day, as protesters set up tents and outdoor latrines to camp out for a few nights.
Some 200,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, land occupied by Israel in 1967, in what the Palestinians regard as violations of international law.
Three other Israelis, a truck driver and two soldiers, were also killed on Monday, the highest number of Jews to die in one day since violence on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip was unleashed seven weeks ago.
Most of the 219 victims who have died in the bloodletting have been Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces.
On Tuesday, three Palestinians were killed in clashes by the army and another died from wounds sustained at the weekend.
Late Monday, the army sealed off eight Palestinian-controlled towns in the West Bank, and warned of severe reprisals against acts it said amounted to "terrorism," and not an "intifada" or popular uprising.
"These deplorable acts are a direct consequence of the Palestinian Authority's policy of encouraging violence and calling for a jihad against Israel," Prime Minister Ehud Barak said.
And Arafat was high on the minds of settlers protesting on Tuesday.
"Everyone knows that Arafat is a terrorist. He's the head of a terrorist gang. It is a miracle that what happened last night did not happen sooner," Karni Eldad said. "They shoot at us every night and everyday." – JERUSALEM (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
