Israel is worried Arafat may have planned in advance a wave of terror attacks to coincide with his death and funeral, an Israeli military source told WorldNetDaily as the Jewish State announced the highest level alert last night.
“We have had indications Arafat planned months, even years in advance for a period of extreme violence and terror against Israel to immediately follow his death,” a source from Israel’s military intelligence told WorldNetDaily. “The problems can come from a series of directions Arafat issued to Hamas and Al Aqsa [Martyrs Brigades] to set off a terrorist attacks against Israelis, and also aimed at creating chaos to prevent Israel from having a hand in creating a moderate Palestinian leadership.”
While he would not elaborate on any specific threats or directions Arafat may have given, the source said, “it seems it may have been mostly general instructions to certain terror groups, and from it they interpret what to do.”
Another security source?also told WorldNetDaily about the concern.
“We have also had some intelligence Arafat has in the past told Fatah leaders to direct violent street protests at Israel after he dies,” said the source.
Israel said it has placed its forces on a war alert – Alert Level D, the highest of military preparedness – in anticipation of waves of violence associated with Arafat’s burial today in Ramallah.
Police said the new alert requires all members of the Israeli Police, including cadets and policemen currently on vacation, to be called up for active duty. The last time Israel invoked this alert was two years ago prior to America’s invasion of Iraq and following threats made by Saddam Hussein that he would launch missiles against Israel.
The IDF said it is particularly worried that hundreds of thousand of Palestinians attending Arafat’s burial in Ramallah and tens of thousands more who worship at mosques for services today will begin revolts and may attempt to breach military checkpoints and enter nearby settlement complexes and Jerusalem.
Alex Traiman, a resident of Bet El, which is only a few meters from Ramallah, told WorldNetDaily he worries Palestinian mobs will try to force their way into nearby Jewish neighborhoods to commit attacks. He heard Israeli drones flying above his home all night, surveilling Ramallah.
“Most people abroad think this funeral is happening in the middle of Palestinian territory and far away from Israeli population centers,” said Traiman. “Not at all. My community is right next door to Ramallah, and Jerusalem is only a forty-five minute drive away. The possibility that these Palestinians at the funeral are going to try something is great.”
