Under or over
The model for the Security Barrier being constructed around the West Bank to protect Israelis against terrorists is that around the Gaza strip, that has functioned very well in preventing the incursion of suicide bombers. But, the Palestinians, in their desperation to get at Israelis have found that they can go under or over the security fence surrounding Gaza. They used tunnels to smuggle arms from Egypt into Gaza for years and they have been shelling southern Israel from Gaza for months. The initiation of this week's crisis is the tunnel that they dug under the Kerem Shalom crossing point. Even yesterday 4 rockets hit Israel, one of them hit a local power transformer and put out the lights in the area where Defence Minister Peretz lives in Sderot, and four women were sent to Hospital for shock. One can conclude that the current situation in Gaza is a dry run for the military strategy of Hamas for the future of the West Bank, which would be far more dangerous for the survival of the State of Israel.
The time has run out on the so-called "mediation efforts" of several countries regarding the release of Cpl. Shalit. All except Egypt have given up, and Israel has initiated the first stage of a campaign to isolate southern Gaza to try to make sure that the hostage is not moved either into Egypt or northern Gaza. Of course, any such rescue attempt has only a small chance of success. But, the cutting off of the bridges connecting these areas, and the cutting of electrical power may slow down their efforts. Latest reports are that an IDF force is moving into southern Gaza, but the situation is far more dangerous than it was, since the terrorist organizations have had time to prepare ambushes and traps. This is the "extra" price Israel always pays in blood for listening to the voices of "reason" and showing "restraint." When dealing with terrorists, as the US has found, from 9/11 to Iraq, restraint is a useless guide in dealing with people who behead hostages.
Many years ago I predicted that another war would be necessary between Israel and the Palestinians. Why? Consider the reasons for the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and Jordan. They were not signed because the Arabs in these States had suddenly become enamoured of Israel, they were signed because Israel defeated them over and over again in war and finally exhausted their ability to fight . Only when the IDF was at km 101 from Cairo did Sadat agree to sign a peace treaty. And it was Israel's insistence on this that resulted in a "final" cessation of war between the two countries.
The lack of a basic change in opinions in the Arab countries is well illustrated by an article in today's J'sam Post entitled "What Muslims think," by Daniel Pipes (I will forward this importatn article). This is based on a series of polls carried out on Muslims in Muslim countries and in the West and it reveals some disturbing, but not surprising results. In general, the results show that most Muslims think that Arabs did not carry out the 9/11 attack, and that most Muslims blame Jews for all the problems in their countries (98% in Jordan!). Also, in the European country where non-Muslims have the most favorable liberal attitudes towards Muslims, Britain, the Muslims have the most negative attitudes towards the West. Muslims don't respond well to moderation, they regard it as weakness.
Today in the paper it is reported that Pres. Katsav of Israel has blasted successive Israeli Governments for not receiving anything in return from the Palestinians for concessions to them, from the Olso Accords to the Gaza Disengagement. He reasonably concludes that they have no need to give concessions on their side if these are not required of them for real gains from the Israeli side. Did you know that when the Olso Accords were negotiated in secret there was no input on the Israeli side from any defence or security expert (this is incredible but true). And of course, PM Sharon avoided all opposition from the right by making an alliance with the left to effectuate the disengagement from Gaza, even giving up the northernmost tier continguous with Israel, that if he had kept it would have spared Sderot much suffering.
There are reports that high security officials in the Israeli Govt. have concluded that the Hamas Government was not behind the attack in Kerem Shalom, but that it was executed by the military wing of Hamas, the Izzadin al-Kassem Brigades, under the control of Kaled Mashall and the expatriate Palestinian Hamas in Syria. This would explain why Hamas in Gaza has taken a rather restrained attitude towards the kidnapping. It is concluded that this is part of a "secret" power struggle going on inside Hamas, just as one is going on within Fatah, between the Hamas Govt. in Gaza, that is trying to be "responsible," and the Hamas leadership outside the PA. This might result in the IDF making an attempt to assassinate Mashaal in Damascus. But, of course this supposed split could be a facade.
All these considerations lead to one conclusion, that this attack at Kerem Shalom and the taking of a hostage is not a limited action, but part of the continuing war of the military wing of Hamas against Israel. Even while this is going on another young Israeli has been abducted on the West Bank. We are once again forced into a war situation, and as such we must fight to defeat the enemy, for only then does it appear from previous experience with the Arabs that an end to hostilities becomes possible.
The time has run out on the so-called "mediation efforts" of several countries regarding the release of Cpl. Shalit. All except Egypt have given up, and Israel has initiated the first stage of a campaign to isolate southern Gaza to try to make sure that the hostage is not moved either into Egypt or northern Gaza. Of course, any such rescue attempt has only a small chance of success. But, the cutting off of the bridges connecting these areas, and the cutting of electrical power may slow down their efforts. Latest reports are that an IDF force is moving into southern Gaza, but the situation is far more dangerous than it was, since the terrorist organizations have had time to prepare ambushes and traps. This is the "extra" price Israel always pays in blood for listening to the voices of "reason" and showing "restraint." When dealing with terrorists, as the US has found, from 9/11 to Iraq, restraint is a useless guide in dealing with people who behead hostages.
Many years ago I predicted that another war would be necessary between Israel and the Palestinians. Why? Consider the reasons for the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and Jordan. They were not signed because the Arabs in these States had suddenly become enamoured of Israel, they were signed because Israel defeated them over and over again in war and finally exhausted their ability to fight . Only when the IDF was at km 101 from Cairo did Sadat agree to sign a peace treaty. And it was Israel's insistence on this that resulted in a "final" cessation of war between the two countries.
The lack of a basic change in opinions in the Arab countries is well illustrated by an article in today's J'sam Post entitled "What Muslims think," by Daniel Pipes (I will forward this importatn article). This is based on a series of polls carried out on Muslims in Muslim countries and in the West and it reveals some disturbing, but not surprising results. In general, the results show that most Muslims think that Arabs did not carry out the 9/11 attack, and that most Muslims blame Jews for all the problems in their countries (98% in Jordan!). Also, in the European country where non-Muslims have the most favorable liberal attitudes towards Muslims, Britain, the Muslims have the most negative attitudes towards the West. Muslims don't respond well to moderation, they regard it as weakness.
Today in the paper it is reported that Pres. Katsav of Israel has blasted successive Israeli Governments for not receiving anything in return from the Palestinians for concessions to them, from the Olso Accords to the Gaza Disengagement. He reasonably concludes that they have no need to give concessions on their side if these are not required of them for real gains from the Israeli side. Did you know that when the Olso Accords were negotiated in secret there was no input on the Israeli side from any defence or security expert (this is incredible but true). And of course, PM Sharon avoided all opposition from the right by making an alliance with the left to effectuate the disengagement from Gaza, even giving up the northernmost tier continguous with Israel, that if he had kept it would have spared Sderot much suffering.
There are reports that high security officials in the Israeli Govt. have concluded that the Hamas Government was not behind the attack in Kerem Shalom, but that it was executed by the military wing of Hamas, the Izzadin al-Kassem Brigades, under the control of Kaled Mashall and the expatriate Palestinian Hamas in Syria. This would explain why Hamas in Gaza has taken a rather restrained attitude towards the kidnapping. It is concluded that this is part of a "secret" power struggle going on inside Hamas, just as one is going on within Fatah, between the Hamas Govt. in Gaza, that is trying to be "responsible," and the Hamas leadership outside the PA. This might result in the IDF making an attempt to assassinate Mashaal in Damascus. But, of course this supposed split could be a facade.
All these considerations lead to one conclusion, that this attack at Kerem Shalom and the taking of a hostage is not a limited action, but part of the continuing war of the military wing of Hamas against Israel. Even while this is going on another young Israeli has been abducted on the West Bank. We are once again forced into a war situation, and as such we must fight to defeat the enemy, for only then does it appear from previous experience with the Arabs that an end to hostilities becomes possible.
posted by Jack Cohen at 4:58 PM
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