Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin headed home on Sunday from a North American visit saying he was determined to stem Arab and Jewish violence that has sown discord and disquiet over his peace deal with the PLO.
With the start of a planned Israeli troop withdrawal from parts of the occupied lands less than a month away, the blunt-spoken Rabin pledged to bring to heel both Arab and Jewish foes of the pact on Palestinian self-rule.He said he would use army and police units to rein in militant Jewish settlers, who have raided Arab towns, laying waste to property and attacking passersby to protest attacks on Jews and the accord.
"We are responsible to fight terrorism, to maintain law and order . . . also on the Israeli side," Rabin told CNN Saturday.
Palestinians have accused Israeli forces of turning a blind eye to settler excesses, but Police Minister Moshe Shahal denied this, saying settlers did not enjoy any special consideration.
"Justice has to be done equally toward everyone," Shahal said. "Israel's government will under no circumstances tolerate turning the country into a kind of mini-Lebanon, where everyone carries out whatever pops into his head to do."
But Rabin has made clear his top priority is a crackdown on the Palestinian guerrillas.
He upset bordering Arab countries by saying Thursday that Israel had no illusions and would keep its hand on the trigger while talking peace with them.
Syria condemned his speech, saying: "After the statement . . . it does not seem that Israel is seriously intending to walk along the road of the right peace."