2005-06-09—Gaza-missiles |
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jewishsightseeing.com, June 9, 2005 |
By Ira Sharkansky
Israeli polls now indicated that public
support for withdrawal from Gaza is down below 50 percent. Earlier support
was in the range of 70 percent. Crude rockets and mortars continue to fall
on Israeli settlements in Gaza and nearby Israel.
The government is resisting a serious response, seemingly to avoid blame
for scuttling the peace process. Officials warn that Israel's tolerance is
limited. So far, the missiles have not killed any Jews. The rockets are
not sophisticated enough to aim with any precision, so where they fall is
largely a matter of luck. Earlier this week, one fell on a workshop in a
Jewish settlement; it killed two Palestinians and one Chinese worker. Israel
responded by having a helicopter gunship fire at Palestinians
transporting more missiles. The head of the Palestinian
Authority responded to that by saying that Israel was breaking the
cease fire. If a missile kills Jews, the Israeli response is likely to be
more serious. Discrimination? Of course. Political reality?
Sure.
Palestine should change its name to Neverland.
It is probably safe from being put on trial for anything by an
international court of justice.
Yesterday Ariel Sharon talked about continued
Palestinian attacks, a lack of Palestinian action against violence, and
reduced Israeli support for withdrawal. He said that withdrawal from Gaza
would go ahead as planned, but warned that later concessions toward the
Palestinians may not be possible if the Palestinian Authority does not
alter its tolerance of violence. Even Shimon Peres says that Palestinian
statebuilding cannot go forward without the disarming of the bands who try
to kill Israelis. Neverland's future is doubtful. George Bush and European
leaders want a state there, but they also oppose terror.
Meanwhile, we continue our lives, more or less
peacefully, close up against an Arab society. The pastoral scene in one of
the pictures attached is across the street. I took the photo from my
balcony.
The other picture is less charming. I took it
along our nightly stroll, about a kilometer from here. It shows the wall,
still abuilding between most of us and most of them.
Sharkansky is a member of the political science department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem |