Palestinians promise to take measures to end violence

THE PALESTINIAN Authority's head of internal security, Mr Jabil Rahjoub, said yesterday his forces would take "all necessary measures" to put an end to three days of violence which had jeopardised the peace process.

Mr Rahjoub affirmed the intention to co operate with Israel in this endeavour after meeting the Israeli Minister for the Interior, Mr Avigdor Kahalani. By mid afternoon the Palestinian Authority had rearrested 30 members of the Islamic llamas movement, which claimed Friday's bombing at a cafe in Tel Aviv.

Still at large, however, was Ibrahim Maqadmeh, a commander of Hamas military wing, who was accused of incitement when he praised the bomber during a rally on Friday at Khan Yunis in Gaza attended by 10,000 people.

Mr Maqadmeh was one of 150 Hamas activists released over the past three weeks following Hamas participation in a national unity conference held at the West bank town of Nablus in February. Last Friday's bombing negated and nullified the two track policy towards Hamas adopted by the Palestine Authority president, Mr Yasser Arafat, during the past year.

This had come about after a spate of suicide bombings which took place over a year ago and left 59 Israelis dead. On one track, Mr Arafat's security services arrested and detained, without trial, hundreds of Islamist activists and sympathisers. On the other, his negotiators held intensive discussions with the local, moderate civilian Hamas leadership with the aim of bringing the movement into the "national consensus".

This strategy had considerable success. For more than a year, Hamas carried out no further attacks against Israelis. At the end of 1996 local Hamas leaders declared their support for the peace process and acceptance of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, the stated goal of the authority.

Hamas had previously stated its objective was an Islamic state in the whole of Palestine. Arafat reciprocated by appointing Hamas supporters to positions in the authority and agreeing that Hamas candidates could participate in coming municipal elections.

The carrot and stick strategy worked for Mr Arafat only as long as there was observable progress in the peace process and no major challenge to its integrity. Israel's unacceptable offer to redeploy from only 9 per cent of the West Bank forced Mr Arafat to suspend negotiations, ending progress Israel's subsequent decision to build a new settlement at Jabal Abu Ghneim/Har Homa near Jerusalem was seen by Palestinians as challenging their rights in the city.

These developments outraged ordinary Palestinians and led Hamas militants, encouraged by exiled leaders, to resume their campaign of violence. The decision taken yesterday by the authority to continue security co operation with Israel guaranteed another full scale crackdown on Hamas and other opposition groups, driving them underground.

A resumption of repression could also alienate Palestinians from the authority, if Israel does not expand its redeployment offer and halt construction on the contested settlement.