In the 90's, they blamed all the bombs on Hamas and Islamic Jihad, so the PA would be "off the hook" and world leaders could credibly lie that Arafat couldn't control the "militants." After all, the PA was a peace partner - they wouldn't sanction a bombing, right?
Four years of the Oslo war, of PA "policemen" turning into suicide bombers, of the PA-paid Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade later.....
And now suddenly Hamas and the (Gaza) Islamic Jihad is in the clear too..they are now also "peace partners"...and therefore suspicion cannot fall on them! Now we must find a new bogeyman, and he is right across the border in Syria.
Israel discounts Hizbollah's denial and Syria's denial, and accepts Hamas' and Islamic Jihad's denials. Why is this? Because of evidence and intelligence - or because of politics? Because hardly anyone ever blamed Hizbollah or Syria for the hundreds of terror attacks during the Oslo war - and now, magically, Hamas is clean and Syria is the culprit?
How blind can Israel's leadership be? When have Hamas, Fatah, IJ and Hezbollah NOT acted in concert? They might differ in their instruments but they are playing the same notes. And the symphony of "Destroy Israel" has not changed in 56 years.
JERUSALEM Feb 26, 2005 — Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Saturday blamed Syria and a Palestinian militant group based there for a suicide bombing that killed four Israelis outside a Tel Aviv nightclub and shattered an informal truce, prompting him to freeze plans to hand over security responsibilities in the West Bank. Syria denied the charges.
Abbas angrily accused a "third party" of orchestrating Friday's attack to sabotage the Mideast peace process, and his security officials said the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, was involved.
In Beirut, Hezbollah, denied the accusations, and Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group with members in Lebanon and Syria, claimed responsibility from the Lebanese capital, reversing initial denials by its members in the Palestinian territories.
If the bombing had been planned and inspired by militants in the Palestinian territory, Abbas would be under tremendous pressure to crack down. But since it looked as if the bombing was linked to Islamic Jihad in Syria, and perhaps inspired by Hezbollah, Israel was likely to give him more leeway.
from another article...
Meanwhile, Fatah and Islamic Jihad members fired shots in the air in celebration following the attack.
Sometimes one can get ill from deja vu.