On Wednesday, sources in the political wing of Islamic Jihad issued identical warnings to all political leaders to avoid “open appearances in public places,” after the Tel Aviv operation Monday.
Islamic Jihad’s armed resistance wing, the Al Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for the young man who detonated explosives strapped arround his body killing himself and nine Israelis.
This is considered a large operation for the group compared to others it has conducted.
The political wing of Jihad is waiting for the media to catch up with the idea that the operation coincided with 17 April’s “Palestinian Prisoner Day”.
Leaders of the Islamic Jihad have been using strict security messures in order to avoide presense in public areas; journalists cannot even hold personal interviews with several Islamic Jihad leaders, particularly in the Gaza Strip, as Israel threatens assassinations.
Interviews with the foreign media are nearly impossible, and open district meetings do not see leaders such as Khader Habib, Mohammad Al Hindi, Khaled Al Batsh, Nafaz Azzam and Abdullah Al Shami.
The Israeli government and its new Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held meetings with Israeli military leaders Tuesday in which they discussed continuing ongoing Israeli policies, but now under the guise of “revenge” for the Tel Aviv operation, which left tens of people injured during Passover.
On the table are several coming acts, including accelerating Wall construction around Jerusalem to block Palestinians, cutting the north from the south of the West Bank, making passage or a Palestinian state impossible, and continuing the major arrest campaign of Palestinians affiliated with Islamic Jihad, particularly in the northern West Bank districts of Jenin and Nablus. Israeli military minister Shaul Mofaz said that anything goes.
