Back to normal?

It would be too much to expect a period of calm from the Palestinians, or
gratitude from the Arabs in general, in response to the disengagement that
Israel has undertaken from Gaza and northern Samaria. As it is, things seem
to have returned to normal in record time. Yesterday two yeshiva students
were stabbed in the Old City of Jerusalem and one of them, Samuel Mett, a
21-year old from Britain, has died. Two rockets were fired from Gaza at
Sderot, and one into upper Galilee by Hizbullah in Lebanon. No-one was
injured but property was damaged.
The IDF was in action too, five Palestinians were killed in Tulkarm, very
close to Netanya. Three of them were Islamic Jihad members wanted in
connection with the bombing of the Stage night club in Tel Aviv a few months
ago that killed five. One of them, Anes Zinnah, 17, was considered to be
very dangerous, since he was a contact between the Palestinian terrorist
groups and Hizbullah. They resisted arrest and were killed in a gunfight.
PA Pres. Abbas called this attack a "despicable crime," and a breakage of
the ceasefire, but the Israel Govt. pointed out that even under the terms of
the agreement they are allowed to attack so-called "ticking bombs," i.e..
terrorists who are planning on carrying out imminent attacks. They initially
passed this information to the PA, but they did nothing, so Israel had to
act. In fact, Tulkarm, that was transferred to full PA control a few months
ago, has become a safe haven for terrorists, who according to Israeli
intelligence are being helped by the PA security forces. Islamic Jihad
threatened to continue attacks on Israeli civilians in retaliation, but
Abbas called for restraint and asked them not to respond to Israel's
"provocation."
Israel also confiscated some land in the West Bank area of Judea to extend
the protective fence around the city of Maaleh Adumim. This is a major
settlement protecting Jerusalem from the east, and building is underway to
further connect it to Jerusalem, for example a police station is being
constructed between the two. This move is probably a signal from Sharon
that he does not intend to give up this area under any conceivable future
plans.
Meanwhile the most positive statement regarding Israel in relation to the
disengagement was issued by the EU from the office of FM Solanos, who will
visit here next week. It is the usual story, they like us when we are
making concessions and withdrawing, but not when we stand and defend
ourselves or what we regard as rightfully our own.
The UN Security Council also issued a positive statement, although the way
it was presented by their Arab spokesman was less than overwhelming. He
passed it off as if it were usual and expected. I suppose we're back to
normal already.