Attack on Rantisi is Attack Against ‘Roadmap’

Abed Rabbo: Attack Against Rantisi is Attack Against ‘Roadmap’

Minister Stresses Dismantling of Settler Caravans is Meaningless

The PNA minister of Cabinet Affairs has condemned the extra-judicial assassination attempt on Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi and said the attack against him was effectively an Israeli attack against the roadmap.

In a press release today, Yasser Abed Rabbo said the latest Israeli attack was aimed at “sabotaging all efforts being undertaken by the Palestinian government to start Palestinian dialogue aimed at reaching a united Palestinian consensus to reach a cease-fire and an end to the violence.”

The minister also stressed that the Israeli Premier is in fact “committing all forms of provocation in order to halt any possibility of implementing the roadmap.”

“Sharon’s enemy is the roadmap and he wants to obstruct the ongoing efforts of President George Bush to start the implementation phase of the roadmap peace plan.” He added.

Abed Rabbo urged the American President and his administration to take “real, direct and immediate intervention” to put an end to what he called Sharon’s ongoing policy of assassinations and escalation.

Commenting on the removal of settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, the minister called upon the international community, most notably the US, “not to fall into the trap Sharon has set up.”

“The theatrical step Sharon undertook by which two caravans were removed and claimed this was a removal of settlement outposts is meaningless. What was meaningful was his decision to demolish fully occupied, inhabited Palestinians’ homes in Beit Hanoun and Hebron—not unoccupied random caravans.” Abed Rabbo said.

The minister further said that the Israeli premier is in fact using the removals of a few rogue empty settler caravans as a guise under which he can launch a campaign of provocations and assassinations to increase the cycle of violence and bloodshed.

“This is the true aim of Sharon’s policy and not the theatrical steps of removing several rogue caravans and watchtowers.” He added.

Moreover, the minister highlighted that while Sharon’s government just removed two empty caravans, the real colonies (exceeding 100), which Sharon planted throughout the Occupied Palestinian territory, were still intact and growing.

“In theatre, this maneuver of removing two empty caravans is called bad acting, whereas in politics it is called deception.” Abed Rabbo said.

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