The Response
The deliberate provocation by the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority to lure Israel into responding to its upscaled rocket attacks on Sderot has had the hoped-for result. This may have started out as a method by which Hamas could contrive to control the mutual deadly aggression both the Hamas and Fatah irregular armed forces were visiting one upon the other. To appeal to their shared murderous enmity against Israel and bring the deadly free-for-all back to a PA-tenable situation where the combined forces could stifle their enmity for the time being and focus on their goal to eradicate the State of Israel.For her part, despite her disinclination to become overtly involved in the factional infighting, Israel had no option but to respond, however reluctantly. No country can sit back, teeth gritted in irresolution, while its territory and people are being daily bombarded with murderous intent. The stepped-up rocket activity over the border, recognized for what it is as a transparent tactic whose higher purpose would be served by the anticipated IDF response, engaging Fatah and Hamas toward their larger purpose, realized its desired purpose.
Irreconcilable differences, undying enmity between the two camps, political and military, will come to a head time and again, but the unifying principle of a shared purpose, to obliterate the State of Israel from the region will also bring them together time and again as well. What remains to be seen is which of the two will ultimately succeed; the former or the latter. Whether the visceral tribal hatred will wreak its damage on the death-dealers, or their carefully cultured hatred of the interloper, the detested occupier of uncontestably Arab land.
This land which Palestinians aver was stolen from them by an unscrupulous United Nations decision to grant nationhood to a foreign element on sacred Islamic territory, is to be restored, in whole, to the needful and worthy Palestinian people. The well-aired public fiction of a potential peace treaty resulting in the creation of a Palestinian state to exist side by side with its non-Islamic neighbour dissipates upon closer examination. Despite which, the international community remains wedded to their idea fixe of Israel's domination of the territory, over the poor Palestinian people.
Yes, that the Palestinians have descended to a state of permanent refugees on their own land is undeniable. That they suffer privation as a result of economic privation and existential stagnation and an utter lack of civil infrastructure and business opportunities, along with the kind of trade required by any group that wishes to prosper, is also undeniable. Is it perhaps a result of their unwillingness to accept half a loaf when they believe they deserve the entire loaf? That they see the alternative to what they now have, which is a perennial state of indecisive beggary, insufficient to salve their legendary pride?
Is the destruction of a nation and the population that it serves a more palatable solution to the problem than a civil agreement to live side by side, each autonomous, with the potential for the advanced nation to lend support to the emerging one? Israel has made countless attempts to resolve the situation, now truly intractable, thanks to the continued assaults in place of political diplomatic discussions to achieve an end to the impasse. There exists no such thing as a unilateral peace. Disparate entities must resolve to reach a co-operative and working agreement to end the political, social, cultural and military war.
A Hamas leader stationed in Gaza, Nizar Riyan, leaves no doubt whatever that political Hamas is military Hamas, in stating outright that his organization remains determined to wipe Israel off the map, so that Palestinians can finally have their state, one that encompasses the entire region. He echoes his political masters in urging all the PA Arab factions to continue fighting "the Jews", even if they have their own ideological/cultural/religious/tribal differences. They have an obligation to join forces "until the last Jew leaves Palestine". Pretty unequivocal.
The continual bombardment of Sderot to be widened now, to include Ashkelon "until its Jews run away just like those of Sderot". The evacuation of Sderot continues as Qassam rockets continue to rain down on its people. These are the negotiating partners that Israel has to deal with, in an ongoing effort at conciliation and peace. The city of Sderot, besieged for over five years by Qassam rockets, has many non-reinforced homes and schools; Ashkelon's population, close to 110,000, is more than five times that of Sderot. Moreover, Ashkelon is the site of the Rotenberg Power Plant, Israel's second-largest, supplying a quarter of the country's electrical power.
Israel has finally taken the position, through a conclusion reached by its Cabinet that Hamas leaders are now fair game for liquidation themselves. Is there, after all, a difference in kind between the political and military side of Hamas? Does not the political side empower the military? There have been many casualties of the rocket attacks, mostly infrastructure. Unless one adds the living terror of the residents having to face the reality of being under constant attack, in fear of their lives. One woman has indeed been killed thus far; others wounded, thousands evacuated from their homes yet again.
The IDF is hitting back, firing missiles at known terrorist cells in Gaza City, at gunmen controlling neighbourhoods. Gaza terrorist fired 15 rockets at the western Negev, causing damage to homes, to shops, to fields and kibbutzes. Roughly 140 rockets and 33 mortar shells have been fired by terrorists at Jewish towns in the western Negev in the past week.
What are the future prospects of a political settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority? Where at one time it seemed reasonable to assume that success would ultimately be realized through rational discussions leading to a difficult but necessary accommodation with both sides giving up precious needs to accomplish peace, now that possibility seems beyond remote. When Arab governments had full sway over the territory now governed by the State of Israel, Jews were never permitted access to their most holy sites. Those sites considered sacred by Christians and Jews were ignored, neglected and off limits while holy Islamic sites were protected, exalted and open to Muslims.
During the Arab terror offensive beginning in 2000 and the Oslo Accord that followed, one part of the agreement was that a Jewish shrine, the Tomb of Joseph, was to remain accessible to Jews. Instead the PLO-co-ordinated offensive targeted the Tomb. Islamic terrorists in full view of television cameras recording the atrocity, took sledgehammers in hand and smashed the tomb, then painted it Islamic green, declaring it now to be a mosque, then smashed it once again. Is this the Islam of renown, respectful of other religions? The same Islam that saw the Taliban smash Buddhist world-heritage statues?
But these are, relatively speaking, irritants. Unspeakably wrong, but not yet of the degree of the stated intent of Islamists to destroy a country and to salivate over the blood yet to drain out of that country as they begin the process of murdering as many human beings as possible. This, as a tribute to Allah. If, in accomplishing that purpose, one's own life is forfeit in the process, all the better. For one then becomes a martyr, assured of life ever-lasting in Paradise, with all the attendant blessings granted one as a martyr to the faith.
Tsipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister, has put the watching world on notice; the Israeli government will take all steps required to ensure security for citizens of Israel. With the expectation that the international community will demand that the PA halt the violence against innocent Israeli civilians. "We view the Palestinian government itself as responsible. We will act in order to provide the residents of Sderot with better security. That is our responsibility as a government.
"We also want to clarify that, from our standpoint, this is a situation that cannot continue. We are making it clear to the international community that, until now, Israel has shown restraint, but for no reason and because of some internal disagreements in the Palestinian Authority, someone has decided to strike the residents of Sderot in such a massive and severe manner. This is something we cannot accept."
Nor should they. Is anyone listening?
Labels: Justice, Middle East, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Monday, May 21, 2007
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