"Third Intifada almost here"

Muhammad Ranaim, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and a Fatah leader, said, "There could be a third intifada, which would be much more severe than its predecessor. This will be the intifada against the fence." "We are preparing a difficult struggle for Israel. We'll go to the UN, to the Security Council, and demand that the decisions of the court be applied regarding the separation fence. If we fail, we'll go to the General Assembly, and if we don't succeed, we have a third option, and that is more resistance, another intifada, and this will be a lot more severe than its predecessor," said Ranaim. [Smooth: why should a fence bother the "palestinians"? They don't want to be with Jews, so the fence is to their benefit.]

Abu Araj is an al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade commander in the Jenin area. From his perspective, "the third intifada is almost here, and it will be much worse. It will be an intifada against the fence, for the release of prisoners, for the liberation of Jerusalem, and the rest of the land."

Yet, since the second intifada began five years ago on September 29, 2000, 1,033 Israelis and foreigners have been killed. Since September 29, 2004, 56 Israelis and foreigners have been killed. There have been six suicide bombings, killing 14 Israelis, and palestinians have fired about 1,450 mortar shells and Kassam rockets from the Gaza Strip in the past year.