The cabinet discussions indicate that Israel is
coming closer to deciding to act against
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
himself. Security sources were united in saying
that Arafat is the principal stumbling block to
a Palestinian war on terror. Even Interior
Minister Avraham Poraz, who opposed the Israeli
reaction and is one of the most liberal
ministers, said Israel must consider what to do
about Arafat.

Jerusalem was encouraged by U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell's public call to Arafat that
he refrain from interfering with Abbas. Israeli
leaders understood the comments as a warning to
Arafat that his diplomatic immunity will be
removed if he sticks to his old tricks, leaving
him at the mercy of Israel. In Sharon's
government, Arafat has no protector.

Haaretz seems to be reporting the only good news in the last few days. Perhaps the chairman's days are, in fact, numbered. Perhaps the Bush administration has figured out the fact that you can't appease people who commit acts of racist mass infanticide by "making concessions" to them.