Good and bad news

Among the welter of bad news that is engulfing the State right now, one
clutches at straws for some good news. Here are some items.
In a report published in Ha'aretz of a survey conducted on behalf of the
Israel Democracy Institute by the Arab Yafa Institute, it emerged that about
three out of every four Arab citizens of this country (77%) agree with the
definition of Israel as "a Jewish and democratic state." This, on condition
that the definition also ensures full equal rights for Arabs. This is a
surprising result for Israelis accustomed to assume that most Israeli Arabs
are antagonistic to Israel as a "Jewish State." We will all have to modify
our assumptions to take account of this unexpected and positive result. It
also means that the intifada and the actions of the PA have failed to push
the Israeli Arabs into enmity with the State, even though their
representatives in the Knesset routinely express such views.
By September there were over 1.5 million tourists visiting Israel, 60% more
than this time last year. One can see this in the cities, where things look
generally busier, although not yet fully recovered. The improved security
situation is responsible for the upturn, the reduction in terrorism both due
to the Security Fence and the improved methods of detection (12 young women
terrorists have been intercepted in the past months).
The IDF carried out its Operation Days of Repentance in Gaza for 10 days and
killed 114 Palestinians, mostly terrorists, with almost no international
opposition. Reports indicate that the Palestinians are in shock that their
calls for protests from many formerly sympathetic countries, including Arab
ones, fell on deaf ears. There is apparently a feeling of "crying wolf" too
many times by the Palestinians, without their evidently doing anything to
stop the violence (shooting rockets and suicide bombings) that lead to IDF
operations. After all, how many times can Arafat condemn these incidents
without people realizing that neither he nor any power in the PA is trying
to do anything to stop them.
Within Gaza and the PA there is increasing inter-Palestinian violence. In
Jenin gunmen of the al Aksa Brigades of Fatah, closed down the Palestine
Legislative Council offices at gunpoint. A leading member of the PLC stated
publicly that the PA is now made up of local "fiefdoms" and there is no
overall law and order. In Gaza fighting broke out between the two main
security forces, that controlled by Musa Arafat (cousin of Yasir) and that
of Mohammed Dahlan, the former Security Chief that he was appointed to
replace/control. The time is probably not far off when there will be an
overt struggle (civil war) for control of Gaza between these two groups.
That may be the "good" news, but the "bad" news continues to be worked out
within the political establishment of Israel. The Knesset vote on Sharon's
Disengagement Plan comes up in a few days, and almost all the parties are
split. It is likely that Sharon will receive a majority (maybe 70 out of
120) with Labor support. But, his Likud Party may then take actions to oust
him, and that could lead to new elections. There is talk of a civil war in
Israel over this disengagement and there are discussions over whether or not
it is halachically acceptable for an orthodox Jewish soldier in the army to
obey an (illegal) order to force settlers from their "holy land." There are
orthodox Rabbis on both sides of this divide, those who see the Land as
God's gift, that cannot be surrendered, and those who see the long-term
interests of the State as trumping any immediate religious concerns. There
have also been serious reports of threats to Sharon's life (shadows of
Rabin). We are certainly in a time of National turmoil and danger.