Meeting With Israeli Minister of Internal Security Avigdor Kahalani
Israeli Minister of Internal Security Avigdor Kahalani met with JINSA on Wednesday 23 October. He discussed Palestinian violence after the opening of the second tunnel entrance in Jerusalem, as well as the current negotiations over Hebron and relations with Syria and Lebanon. Calling the JINSA group “family” he also entertained questions on a variety of subjects.
Israeli Minister of Internal Security Avigdor Kahalani met with JINSA on Wednesday 23 October. He discussed Palestinian violence after the opening of the second tunnel entrance in Jerusalem, as well as the current negotiations over Hebron and relations with Syria and Lebanon. Calling the JINSA group “family” he also entertained questions on a variety of subjects.
Regarding the opening of the tunnel entrance, Kahalani said he participated in all of the Cabinet meetings on the subject and favored opening the entrance, a decision, he indicated, that was not taken lightly. He, himself, spoke with Arafat after the opening. Kahalani also added that he feels Arafat is in control of the police saying, “when he said, ‘quit’ they quit.”
The Hebron negotiations, Kahalani said, are nearly finished. Describing this week’s events during which the Palestinians walked out of a negotiating session, Kahalani said, “The Israelis believed the deal (was) done. The Palestinians agreed to all the points. Then, they held out for more.” The Third Way, Kahalani’s political party, favors a redeployment in Hebron that would protect the Jews living in the city, while turning most of the control of the area over to the Palestinians. He called Hebron a relatively small problem, compared to Jerusalem. “For Jerusalem, there is no solution.”
Criticizing elements of the Oslo Accords, Kahalani said Israel had done all of the giving with an assumption that after “we will get to the big issues.” Opposing a Palestinian state, he referred to the possibility of a Palestinian army. “We must stay in the Jordan Valley. It is even more important than the Golan,” for Israel’s long-term security.
The IDF, he said, should withdraw from Lebanon. “We have no reason to be there.” But he advocated an international force, “Jordanians, Egyptians among others” to patrol the area. This, he said, would significantly undermine Syria’s ability to support Hizballah in the buffer zone. “I am looking for a way out without giving the Syrians power. Only the Syrians would oppose such a plan for Israeli withdrawal.” He added that the Syrians would then expose their real aims in Lebanon, and the “Hizballah won’t shoot at Egyptians or Jordanians.”
Responding to a question about rumored unhappiness between the Prime Minister and the IDF’s senior officers, Kahalani firmly rejected the notion of serious conflict, and stressed the commitment of the IDF to civilian command.
Kahalani and his delegation visited the Holocaust Museum during his trip to Washington. “I was so moved. I felt more responsibility for my people.” He ended the meeting by praising the U.S.-Israel relationship, U.S. defense support, and assistance in the peace process. “We have friends here,” he said. Kahalani met with the FBI, Justice Department, Secret Service, CIA and State Department during his trip. “We have found we can discuss many things and even talk about our future.”