Tough weekend in the PA

On Saturday, an explosion occurred in the elevator shaft of the main Security
building in Ramallah, killing one person and wounding many, one of whom was
the Commander of the PA's General Intelligence Services, Tarek abu Rajab.
This explosion has been attributed to Hamas terrorists, who are waging a
campaign against Fatah throughout the PA. However, it was then attributed to
an accident (one of the bodyguards dropped a grenade?) and then both a Fatah
extremist group and an al Qaeda affiliated group in Lebanon claimed credit.
So at this time the perpetrators are unknown, but are probably Hamas. PM
Haniyeh spoke to the press and denied Hamas involvement and both he and Pres.
Abbas called for an investigation. Later Rajab was transferred to Israel where
he is undergoing medical treatment in Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital. Apparently
the PA prefer Israeli medical treatment and security to their own. An attempt
on the life of another head of the security services was averted when a large
roadside bomb was found near his house and detonated. Meanwhile further
incidents of intra-Palestinian attacks attributed both to Hamas and Fatah are
occurring on a daily basis.
On Saturday, missiles fired by IDF planes demolished a car in Gaza, killing a
leader of Islamic Jihad, Mohammed Dadouh, who was wanted for the command
of the terrorists firing rockets into Israel. Unfortunately at the same time
three members of a family riding in a nearby taxi were also inadvertently
killed. This kind of "collateral damage" happens in warfare, but as part of
its usual procedures the IDF is investigating the attack. Whether or not such
civilian casualties can be avoided is unlikely. The IJ military spokesman
threatened severe reprisals against Israel for Dadouh's death.
On Sunday, one of three rockets fired from Gaza into the western Negev struck
a school classroom in Sderot, but luckily it was empty at the time. On the
same day, prior to his departure for the US, PM Olmert agreed with Defense
Minister Peretz to renew a payment of taxes to the PA for humanitarian aid
of NIS m50, which is equivalent to ca. m$11. Strangely CNN made a mistake
in its calculation, calling the amount NIS m15 and hence only m$3. Such a
mistake is so elementary that one cannot but help think it was deliberate. So
the Palestinians send us rockets to kill our children and we give them aid!
Nevertheless, the situation in the PA is quite drastic and this amount of aid,
provided as medical supplies thru the Karni crossing, can only help ameliorate
the medical situation. At the same time Peretz agreed to allow some
Palestinians to enter Israel for work.
At the World Economic Forum in Sharm-e-Sheikh in Egypt, a first meeting was
held on Sunday between Pres. Mahmoud Abbas of the PA and Israeli FM Tzipi
Livni and Dep. PM Shimon Peres. Although the main topic of conversation
was apparently the humanitarian aid to the PA, the timing of the meeting was
fortuitous for PM Olmert, just on his way to the US, where he can now claim
that Israel is indeed attempting to communicate with Abbas, although not with
Hamas. Whether any useful negotiations can come out of this contact is very
unlikely, since Abbas has limited control of the situation in the PA, so he is
not a viable partner.
Today, Monday, there are reports of increased fighting between Fatah and
Hamas and more casualties, including the driver of the Jordanian
Ambassador. Perhaps the civil war has begun. Experience shows that when
they can't successfully attack Israel, the Palestinians turn on each other.