Hope may spring eternal, but so, evidently, does Palestinian violence.
Egypt was able, after months of negotiating, to wrangle a six-month truce out of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, re-igniting a dormant hope for normalcy and peace among many in Israel and the West.
I guess I�m jaded. I am not that hopeful.
My concern, besides the possibility that Hamas will use the time to re-arm, is that cease-fire notwithstanding, rocket fire from Gaza into Israeli population centers will continue, but with Hamas insisting someone other than that particular terrorist group was responsible.
This has been the way it�s always gone, leaving Israel in the unenviable position of either continuing to turn the other cheek or respond, prompting worldwide condemnation and accusations of Nazi-like brutality.
Well, some things never seem to change, because no sooner had the �truce� taken effect than it was broken by the Palestinians � not once, but twice. So far.
Hamas says it�s �committed to the cease-fire with Israel, but will not act as Israel�s �police force� in confronting militants who breach the truce,� according to an Associated Press story.
So, unless I�m missing something, that pretty much means the rocket fire will continue and Hamas has no intention of even trying to stop it.
The reader must understand that the whole reason for the cease-fire is, from Israel�s perspective, to stop the constant rain of rockets onto civilian neighborhoods. In exchange for this six-month period of calm, Israel is supposed to stop retaliating, which should pose no problem, since, presumably, there would be nothing to retaliate for.
Hamas is also supposed to release the young Israeli soldier it kidnapped two years ago. In exchange for that one young man, Hamas is demanding the release of hundreds of terrorists with blood on their hands.
So far, the only part of the deal that�s worked out is Israel not retaliating for the rocket fire.
What it has done is re-sealed the border crossings which are used to deliver food and basic supplies into the area. The Palestinians call that a �clear violation of the calm.�
The hypocrisy is stunning.
It should go without saying that when rocket or gunfire comes out of Gaza directed against Israelis, it is a violation of any truce or cease-fire, no matter what off-shoot of what terrorist group or violent clan is responsible. Maybe it�s a translation thing. Maybe �cease-fire� in English or Hebrew means �fire at will but deny it� in Arabic.
I�m quite sure were Israel to try and blame a retaliatory strike on individuals and disavow national responsibility, the international scoffing sound would be audible worldwide.
As part of the truce agreement, Israel had significantly increased the amount of supplies flowing into Gaza and was ready for another increase, according to an AP story.
Israel is reconsidering. And there are those decrying this as an unacceptable violation of the truce.
For some reason, the Palestinians and their apologists, seem to really believe that only Israel should be held to the terms of its agreements. I�m not sure how they rationalize that to themselves, but it�s clear that underlying that belief is an unwavering desire to see Israel destroyed.
They have no interest in any �two-state solution,� and probably never will.
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