But militant groups spearheading the 30-month-old revolt
said they would not be cowed by the U.S. conquest of Baghdad
and instead threatened to intensify attacks on Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz hammered home his
government's wish that the U.S.-led war on Iraq (news - web sites) would not only
eliminate one of Israel's sworn enemies but chasten Palestinian
militants into laying down their arms.
"I hope that in the era after the toppling of Saddam
Hussein's regime, the Palestinians will understand that the
world has changed," he told reporters.
Opinion polls show Israelis' already strong support for
Washington's military campaign against Saddam has grown as the
perceived danger of Iraqi missile strikes against the Jewish
state has faded.
Front pages of Israeli newspapers were plastered with
headlines trumpeting "Victory" and "Liberation." Despite that,
Mofaz said after meeting intelligence officials that Israeli
security forces would remain on high alert for now though he
acknowledged the danger of a missile attack was low.
Since the invasion began three weeks ago, Israel has stayed
on the sidelines and kept a low profile at the behest of
Washington, its guardian and ally.
But an Israeli political source said there was little doubt
that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) was pleased that the rule of
Saddam, one of Israel's fiercest foes, was coming to an end.
LOW PROFILE?
He said, however, Sharon and aides "don't want to provoke
(the Arab world) or annoy the Americans right now" by
trumpeting the link between Saddam's demise and Israeli
interests.
Despite that, a crack in the government's wall of silence
appeared on Thursday when Mofaz expressed hope that the
Palestinians would take cues from Saddam's overthrow.
He said they must "give the chance for a new and authentic
leadership to grow, end terror and incitement and return to the
negotiating table."
Ahmed Abdel-Rahman, an aide to Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat (news - web sites), rejected Mofaz's remarks. "The Palestinian leadership
is committed to international legitimacy and to the right of
the Palestinian people to resist occupation," he told Reuters.
Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, senior political leader of the
Islamic militant group Hamas, pledged there would be no
knock-on collapse of the uprising. "Resistance will escalate
and will become more violent," he told Reuters in Gaza City.
Both sides are now awaiting the introduction of a
U.S.-backed "road map" to Middle East peace which prescribes
the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.
President Bush (news - web sites) has promised to release the plan as soon as
Palestinian lawmakers confirm a reformist cabinet under prime
minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel has said it wants to see whether Arafat grants
Abbas, a leading moderate, real powers and whether the new
leader reins in militants. The United States has shunned
Arafat, whom Israel accuses of fomenting anti-Israeli violence,
a charge he denies.
(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi)
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