PALESTINIAN POLICEMAN MURDERS ISRAELI JOINT-PATROL COLLEAGUE

Another Israeli - a Border Guard policeman - has been killed at the hands of a Palestinian Authority terrorist, the second in the past two days. Close to 8 AM this morning, a Palestinian para-military policeman walked up to a jeep in which were sitting Israeli troops with whom he was serving in a joint patrol. The killer, screaming "Allah is Great!," shot into the jeep, killing one of the Israeli policemen. A second Israeli Border Guard policeman is in light-to-moderate condition. A closure has been instated on the Palestinian Authority city of Kalkilye, not far from Kfar Saba, and the joint patrols - an Oslo Accord mechanism under which Israeli and PA jeeps patrol together - have been suspended.

The Palestinian Authority, which arrested the murderer and is questioning him, claims that he was mentally unstable and that the Israelis taunted him. Israeli military sources rejected this "routine" explanation, and said that there had been no Israeli instigation or any reason for the shooting. Brig.-Gen. (res.) Herzl Gedz, who formerly headed the autonomy liaison administration, said today, "The Palestinian Authority's entire right to exist is based on its willingness to cooperate with Israel - not only in terms of security, but in every area."

"In Gaza, Palestinian soldiers cock their guns at their Israeli soldiers almost every day for trivial reasons, while in Kalkilye this has not been the case," said Border Guard police chief Yitzchak Dadon, "and this is why this was so surprising." He could not point to a specific terrorist attack that had been prevented by the joint patrols, and said that he personally is against the renewal of the patrols. Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA notes that similar joint patrols are a key security component in the proposals for major Israeli withdrawals in a final agreement. "We must take careful note of the recent increase of Palestinian violence," Dadon said, "both verbal and physical. Yesterday, at the Temple Mount, Border Guard policemen were standing guard, doing nothing, and whoever wanted to came and threw objects at them..."

The Yesha Council's response to the joint-patrol murder: "The fact that Palestinian police have been involved in both fatal attacks of the past days proves that Arafat never abandoned terrorism and is not a true partner in peace. The talks with Arafat must be stopped, and the IDF should be instructed to behave towards the Palestinian police as an all-out terrorist organization."

Nadia Matar of Women in Green responded to today's murder: "We demand that the government repent, and cease all security cooperation with Arafat and his murderers. This situation was brought upon us by the Oslo Accords, in the framework of which the government provided the PA with the rifles with which the Israeli policeman was likely murdered today - and now Barak is left merely to 'condemn' the killing... May this new year of 5761 see the end of Oslo - and the Hebrew rendition of 5761 is an acronym for this."

THE REWARDS OF TERRORISM Sgt. David Biri, victim of a Palestinian remote-controlled roadside-bomb attack in Gaza two days ago, was buried this morning in Jerusalem. Another roadside bomb was detonated in Gaza yesterday evening, halfway between Kibbutz Nachal Oz and the Erez Checkpoint [at the north-eastern tip of the Gaza Strip]; it missed the army jeep that it had targeted, and no one was hurt.

Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, a former IDF Chief of Staff, said today, "In the end, Netzarim will be evacuated anyway - as will 20% of Yesha towns and people. The entrances to Netzarim are hard to protect, and there is therefore no choice but to evacuate it." The Yesha Council and Netzarim residents condemned these remarks, as well as similar calls by Meretz, saying that they represent "a reward for terrorism."

BreakingNews-Israel

No injuries in Thursday night terror attack in Gaza
(IsraelWire-9/28- 21:00-DST) Less than one-hour ago, an IDF patrol escaped injury when a terrorist bomb exploded in Gaza, not far from the location of Wednesday?s terror attack in which Sgt David Biri, 19, was killed. The blast on Thursday took place between the Karnei Crossing and the Nachal Oz checkpoint in Gaza.

Authorities believe the same terror cell that was responsible for Wednesday night?s attack perpetrated tonight?s attack as well.

On Wednesday night, two roadside bombs were detonated against a convoy being escorted by an IDF jeep to the Jewish community of Netzarim. Following the initial blast, the soldiers got out of their armor-plated jeep to see if any of the civilians were injured. It was then that the terrorists detonated a second explosive device and opened fire on the soldiers. Biri was critically injured in his head and died of his wounds on Thursday afternoon in Beersheba?s Soroka Hospital. He will be laid to rest on Friday morning in Jerusalem?s Mount Herzl Military Cemetery.

Israeli Soldier Murdered by Terrorists

Sergeant David Biri from Jerusalem, a 19-year-old fighter in the Giv'ati Brigade, was killed In the Gaza Strip and an officer lightly injured when a roadside bomb exploded as military vehicles escorted residents to the Netzarim settlement last night. The soldiers from the Giv'ati Brigade were escorting a number of Israeli civilian vehicles across the Gaza Strip when the convoy was attacked. As they traveled the road at about 10 o'clock last night, a roadside charge exploded near the vehicles. No one was hurt in that explosion, but as two of the soldiers got out of their armored jeep to check that everything was all right a second explosion went off and shots were fired at them. The second explosive charge resulted in one Israeli soldier killed and an officer near him being hurt in the leg. An announcement will be issued regarding the time of the funeral. Palestinian General Usamah al-Ali, head of the Regional Security Committee at the Military Liaison Office, said the incident was fabricated and aimed at achieving certain goals.