Two Solutions, Scant Justice
In embattled, ever-beleaguered Israel, attention, funds and energy must be focused on security and safety of its citizens. Funds which could be used elsewhere - for badly needed social programs - must be diverted in their hundreds of millions to perfecting an anti-rocket missile system designed for the vital purpose of intercepting and destroying short-range rockets that the country's neighbours lob into its territory.These are the very same neighbours who inveigh constantly against the Jewish state, as an 'occupier', yet one who was there in a futile attempt to instill law and order in an atmosphere of chaotic destruction. And when Israel departed Gaza, leaving it to Palestinians, law and order deteriorated even more disastrously, and the residents appeared incapable of reaching a deliberation toward establishing themselves as a normal functioning civil unit.
If anything, their preoccupation with their self-perceived victimhood and their violent grievance against Israel proceeded apace. Even though their water, their energy source is supplied by Israel. Even though, to protect itself from the incursion of terrorists intent on murder and mayhem, Israel must close down border crossings and in so doing enables terrorist Hamas to claim it is starving and victimizing Gazans.
While the reality remains that hundreds of trucks delivering food, medicine, medical equipment and essential supplies cross through Gaza every week - despite the rocket launchings. All those dire claims of humanitarian crises, however, continue to have their desired effect, persuading the international community that Israel is at fault, and the Palestinians are blameless, innocent victims.
Within Israel itself, from among the Israeli Palestinian population, attacks against Jews continue. The murderer of the eight Yeshiva boys was entitled to all the benefits of the state, as are his family members. He held an Israeli ID card that enabled him to move freely within Israel, although he and his family had refused Israeli citizenship, preferring to vote in Palestinian Authority elections instead.
More currently a 49-year-old rabbi, teacher at another Yeshiva and father of four, has been stabbed by an Arab terrorist. Jewish residents of the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem have been instructed by police that they must take care when walking through the area, that accompaniment by armed guards is recommended.
There is an alert, in addition, of potential attacks against Israelis being planned as revenge for the death of a leading Hezbollah terrorist. Whose assassination, a month-and-a-half earlier had been denied by Israel, and whose murder, rumour has it, was engineered by Syria, or even Hezbollah factions, has been attributed to Israel, for the purpose of exacting revenge.
In the PA newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the funeral and burial of the Arab terrorist who murdered the eight Yeshiva students was reported. The murderer was described as a "groom", his burial as a "wedding". In accordance with Islamist terminologies for those named as shahids, martyrs, who willingly give up their lives to destroy the lives of others, in the name of religion, through holy jihad.
The murderers in January of two young Jewish men have managed, mysteriously, to escape from a PA prison. One had been involved as a U.S.-trained PA security force guard, the other a Fatah employee at a sharia court. Both had opted to turn themselves in to the Palestinian Authority rather than be arrested by Israeli security personnel, and Israel agreed to a PA trial and jail sentence.
This is a recognized pattern of occurrences. In February fourteen Fatah-connected Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades terrorists also escaped from incarceration, much to the dismay of the prison officials who guarded them. When Israeli defence officials put the PA on notice that they planned to hunt down the escapees, miraculously the escaped terrorists themselves turned up, willing to be re-arrested before the counter-terrorism operation proceeded.
This, from the same prison where two terrorists earlier escaped who were also members of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades and Islamic Jihad. And only today another Palestinian Authority Arab was arrested when a search of his vehicle revealed a bomb ready to be used, along with a load of explosive materials. The bomb, equipped with a cell-phone detonator and armed with shrapnel was disarmed, the eager bomber taken in for interrogation.
And this is the prevailing atmosphere in which a peace agreement is being hammered out. Fond hope.
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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