that the Palestinian Authority be
given an ultimatum to turn over mor-
tars used to fire at Jewish settlements
in the Gaza Strip. If it declines, said
Ze'evi, a former general and anti-ter-
rorism advisor, the army should
invade Palestinian-ruled areas, "clean
out the nests of terror" and take the
weapons by force.
An old personal friend of Peres and
Sharon, Ze'evi is to be a member of
Sharon's smaller defense cabinet.

Targeting Terror

But while Peres sees his role as
restraining Sharon, he also recognizes
that the new government will prosper
only if it can deliver on the overriding
issue of current public concern: secu-
rity.
The Israeli public is living in fear.
The suicide bombing in Netanya on
Sunday underscored the cruel and
undiscriminating nature of terrorism.
Three elderly Israelis were killed. The
enraged mob then beat a Palestinian
passerby, almost to death.
And the Hamas movement in Gaza
promised another nine such attacks to
welcome" the new government.
Short of invasion and open-ended
escalation, Israel does not enjoy many
military options. Modern history is
rich with examples of well-trained and
well-equipped armies failing to sup-
press a determined guerrilla force that
enjoys the support of a civilian popu-
lation — even when those armies
were less reluctant to inflict civilian
casualties than is Israel's.
Aides say Sharon wants to ease the
daily hardship that is the lot of so
many Palestinians after five months of
uprising. He opposes collective pun-
ishment, they say, and would like to
lift the sieges and encirclement-s that
are pauperizing hundreds of thou-
sands of people and perhaps creating
more terrorists and suicide bombers.
Sharon's policy is expected to aim
more directly and forcefully at the ter-
ror groups themselves. It also could be
aimed at the Palestinian Authority,
which — in the view of growing
numbers of Israel's political and mili-
tary leaders — effectively condones
terrorist actions by doing nothing to
curb them, and whose security forces
even take part in attacks.
As a statement of policy, that
emphasis undoubtedly enjoys the
approval of an overwhelming majority
of Israelis. Now the country, bruised
and apprehensive, waits to see how
Prime Minister Sharon will go about
implementing it. ❑

"

A Breakthrough, Of Sorts

Not all Israeli Arabs cheer appointment of first non-Jewish cabinet member.

represents them.
Tarif, 47, is a member of the Druze
community, a secretive religious sect
derived from Islam. Some 100,000
Druze live in 18 villages in the
Carmel, Galilee and Golan.
Like their 300,000 brethren in
neighboring countries, the Druze are
ethnically Arabs. However, most of
the Druze in Israel allied themselves
with the Jewish state as early as
Israel's 1948 War of Independence.
They perform compulsory military
service, just like Israeli Jews.
Throughout the years, the Druze
have stressed their unique identity,
disassociating themselves from the
Muslim and Christians among Israel's
million-strong Arab population.
But now, after Labor's Central
Committee elected Tarif as minister,
he is stressing his Arab ethnicity
rather than his Druze
"I was well aware of the fact that
many among Labor's leaders treated
the Druze and Arab members of the
party as a decoration rather than as

GIL SEDAN

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

0

Jerusalem

major in the Israel Defense Forces,
and went straight from military serv-
ice to being elected mayor of his vil-
lage.
As the nephew of the late Sheik
Amin Tarif, the legendary spiritual
leader of the Druze, Tarif quickly
climbed up the Labor Party ladder
and became a Knesset member in
1991.
He was elected to prestigious
Knesset committees such as the
Security, Foreign Affairs, Interior and
House committees. His Hebrew is
impeccable.
In recent years, Tarif has worked on
developing relations with leaders of
the Palestinian Authority.
"I definitely intend to serve as the
mouthpiece of the Arabs of Israel,"
Tarif said. "It is high time that some-
one speaks for them along the cabinet
table."

my in Israel would a gov-
ernment minister refrain
from singing the national
anthem.
Saleh Tarif, the first Arab appointed
to the cabinet in Israel's history,
refused to sing Hatikvah during an
event at the Tel Aviv fairgrounds at
the end of an intensive week of strug-
gle within Israel's T abor Party over
whether to join the national unity
government.
Standing among his proud, singing
friends in the Labor Party, Tarif kept
his mouth shut.
"Do you really think I could stand
there and sing, 'So long as still within
our breasts the Jewish heart beats
true?'" Tarif asked in an interview. "It
is the Jewish anthem. It is not the
Compromise Candidate
anthem of the non-Jewish citizens of
After demanding for years that an
Israel.
Arab be named to the cabinet, many
It took the Arab citizens of Israel
Israeli Arabs distanced
almost 53 years before they
themselves from Tarif
could finally have their own
"Tie does not represent
person in the cabinet -- even
us, but rather Sharon and
though they are 18 percent
„
his government, said
of the population. It was an
Mohammed Barakeh, a
impressive political achieve-
Knesset member from the
ment, but it could not have
Communist Hadash Party
come at a more tense
"Tarif's election is a per-
moment between Israel and
sonal achievement,” said
its Arab citizens.
Knesset Member Talab a-
In the past five months,
Sana of the United Arab
relations between the Jewish
List. But it is more a dirty
State and its Arab minority
trick of the Labor Party,
reached an all-time low, as
which tried to cover its
Israeli Arabs rioted in soli-
sins toward the Arab popu-
darity with the first days of
lation by electing a minis-
the Palestinian uprising in
Saleh Tarif is hoisted in the air by supporters after being
ter without portfolio."
the West Bank and Gaza
named minister without portfolio.
Dr. Nazir Yunis, a heart
Strip and police killed 13
surgeon
at the Hillel Yaffe
Arabs in ensuing clashes.
Hospital in Madera and a disenchant
real colleagues," Tarif said the day
Arab Identity
ed political activist, said he could
after he was elected, "and I thought it
think of many others who could bet-
was time to test our grass-roots sup-
Palestinian Authority President Yasser
ter represent Israeli Arabs. "Tarif is a
port."
Arafat was one of the first to phone
compromise, and not necessarily the
The Central Committee "did not
his congratulations to the newly
best compromise," Yunis said
support me because I am an Arab,"
elected minister in Tarif's Galilee vil-
On second thought, Yunis added,
Tarif
said
They
elected
me
as
an
lage of Julis. Tarif will be a minister
``perhaps
there is no other way.
Israeli,
because
they
thought
I
was
fit
without portfolio, responsible for
Perhaps we need to settle for a Druze
for the job."
Arab affairs.
minister before we get a real Arab
Tarif is married and the father of
But many among Israel's Arab pop-
one."
four. He advanced to the rank of
ulation doubt whether Tarif really

.

❑