Hamas Leader's Son Outs Himself as Shin-Bet Spy

I love continuity. Really, it's my favorite thing when something I wrote about yesterday connects to something happening today. Well, ok, this didn't happen today, but I found out about it today. So with that said, I'd like to introduce Mr. Mosab Hassan Yousef. He is a Palestinian, born and raised in the West Bank, the son of a Hamas leader currently serving a prison term in Israel, and a voluntary spy for Shabak, Israel's intelligence service.

The news about this 32-year-old recent addition to California's population first broke on Israeli newspaper Haaretz- the writer, Avi Issacharoff, was given exclusive access to the now, we have to assume, on-the-lam Yousef. The story almost immediately bloomed into an international intrigue story. The same day as the Haaretz article came out, February 24, BBC picked up the story, adding some tidbits of their own. For example, the reaction from Hamas:

Earlier, senior Hamas leader Ismail Radwan condemned Haaretz's report as "baseless slander" aimed at the elder Yousef.

"The Palestinian people have great confidence in Hamas and its struggle and they will not be fooled by this slander and these lies of the Israeli occupation," he told AFP news agency.

Yousef became known over a year ago for outing himself as a converted Christian, and now he is outing himself again- this time as a spy for Israel- in a new book to be released soon, called Son of Hamas.

Some interesting tidbits from the Haaretz article:

Yousef was considered the Shin Bet's most reliable source in the Hamas leadership, earning himself the nickname "the Green Prince" - using the color of the Islamist group's flag, and "prince" because of his pedigree as the son of one of the movement's founders.

During the second intifada, intelligence Yousef supplied led to the arrests of a number of high-ranking Palestinian figures responsible for planning deadly suicide bombings. These included Ibrahim Hamid (a Hamas military commander in the West Bank, Marwan Barghouti (founder of the Fatah-linked Tanzim militia) and Abdullah Barghouti (a Hamas bomb-maker with no close relation to the Fatah figure). Yousef was also responsible for thwarting Israel's plan to assassinate his father.

Especially touching were his statements about Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier still held in Gaza.

"I wish I were in Gaza now," Yousef said by phone from California, "I would put on an army uniform and join Israel's special forces in order to liberate Gilad Shalit. If I were there, I could help. We wasted so many years with investigations and arrests to capture the very terrorists that they now want to release in return for Shalit. That must not be done."

Yousef's former Shabak handler expressed his admiration for him.

Loai makes no secret of his admiration for his former source. "The amazing thing is that none of his actions were done for money," he says. "He did things he believed in. He wanted to save lives. His grasp of intelligence matters was just as good as ours - the ideas, the insights. One insight of his was worth 1,000 hours of thought by top experts."

He also says Hamas is a greater threat to the Palestinian people than Israel is.

I tell you with certainty that the Israelis care about the Palestinians far more than the Hamas or Fatah leadership does."

Lastly, check out this video which I am unfortunately unable to embed. It's an interview with Yousef on BBC Arabic where he talks about how Muhammad is a false prophet and Islam is a fundamentally flawed religion.

Hamas Again Advertises for New PR Rep

This is nothing but a cry for help, just as this was.

"Hamas will keep rejecting the occupation and refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Priority will remain building and developing the resistance," said Meshal, who lives in Syria along with other Hamas leaders in exile.

The "Zionist entity." Does he have any idea how out of touch that makes him sound? This is a sci-fi series that has outlived its potential. If the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were a reality TV show, this would be the part where the contestants are urged to crawl through a tunnel of worms to win a phone call home.

If sounding like C-3P0 was the way to win hearts and minds, Meshal would have this thing handled.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank:

Abbas has said repeatedly he will not resume negotiations without a complete Israeli settlement freeze in the West Bank and east Jerusalem - areas claimed by the Palestinians for a future state. The Obama administration initially demanded such a freeze as well, but relented when Netanyahu resisted.

Netanyahu instead agreed to a 10-month slowdown in West Bank construction. But Netanyahu insists he will not relinquish any part of Jerusalem. The Palestinians seek the city's eastern sector as their future capital.

If we boil this whole thing down to a fictional conversation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his counterpart Mahmoud Abbas, you get this:
Abbas:[folds arms across chest and turns his back]
Netanyahu:Come on, talk to me. Please.
Abbas: No. You're just going to keep building more settlements and taking all our land. You're trying to force us into bantustans.
Netanyahu: [gasps] I would never do that to you. Now, come on, turn around and talk to me.
Abbas:[turns around] Well ok. Hey, what's that sound [settlement building resumes behind him]?
Netanyahu: What sound? I don't hear any sound. [settlement builder gives Netanyahu the thumbs up that he's done] Nevermind, I think we're all done here.
Abbas: [turns around and screams like Homer Simpson.]

This is Netanyahu's "realities on the ground" expansion plan.

Obama Gives up on Peace Process

My Dear Reader,
I haven't written in many months, much to the chagrin of my biggest supporters (mom, et al). So if you're reading this, it means you either know me personally and have been warned I would begin writing again, or you have just stumbled upon this blog for the first time. Welcome, I say, to the latter. Welcome back, to the former. And I also must issue a warning: this blog may be hazardous to your political correctness. Side effects of reading this blog include uttering tasteless jokes, racist jokes, and offending friends and acquaintances in general. I am not a humanitarian, I am not a peacemaker, I can only barely be called a journalist. But along with a lack of human compassion comes a lack of emotional involvement in the affairs of the Israeli and Palestinian governments. I mock them both equally, where mocking is called for.

I also sometimes mock fellow bloggers and journalists.

Now, I will begin my update with a summation of the situation as of the last time I wrote, which was in August, and any developments since then.

1. Obama had been in office half a year and everyone was eager to see what his big plan was to solve Middle Eastern Conflict. Obama appointed George Mitchell as his special envoy to this end and after conferring with the region's leaders for five minutes or so came up with this totally original and incredibly detailed plan:

   President Barack Obama's new Mideast envoy called Wednesday for an end to Hamas weapons smuggling and a reopening of Gaza's borders, seeking to strengthen the shaky cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants thrown into turmoil by new violence.

   This reads like Mitchell thinks he's the magic peace fairy and he can just ask what each side wants and then POOF there it is. [The link to that article has since died, super sorry about that, but the quote is accurate.]
   
   And then yesterday, this gem appeared in Ha'aretz, "Obama: U.S. expectations for Middle East peace too high." Obama is quoted as saying:

   I think it is absolutely true that what we did this year didn't produce the kind of breakthrough that we wanted and if we had anticipated some of these political problems on both sides earlier, we might not have raised expectations as high.

   Reading this article, I was shocked not only by the way Obama is willing to level with journalists, but also with his seemingly clear and realistic grasp on the situation. He summed up the key current issues as such:

   Both sides ... have found that the political environment, the nature of their coalitions, or the divisions within their societies were such that it was very hard for them to start engaging in a meaningful conversation.
   
   And I think that we overestimated our ability to persuade them to do so when their politics ran contrary to that. From Abbas' perspective, he's got Hamas looking over his shoulder and I think an environment generally within the Arab world that feels impatient with any process.
   
   And on the Israeli front, although the Israelis I think after a lot of time showed a willingness to make some modifications in their policies, still found it very hard to move with any bold gestures.

2. Gilad Shalit is still held in captivity somewhere in Gaza. The Israeli soldier was taken in a cross border raid over three years ago and his imprisonment has played a key role in negotiations since that time. On August 12 of last year, this article revealed that Hamas was confident Israel would finally yield to its demands.

   Mohammed al-Ghoul, the Hamas minister for prisoners' affairs, said "the Israeli occupation will soon surrender to the conditions that we have outlined for the release of Gilad Shalit."
   
   According to al-Ghoul, Israel will release the Palestinian prisoners whose names appear on a list Hamas has passed to Egyptian officials. The list includes a number of prisoners serving life sentences, as well as women, children, and some elderly inmates.

   First of all, al-Ghoul? Is that really someone you want to designate as any kind of representative to the western world? And secondly, that list has passed back and forth between Israel's and Hamas' hands so many times it probably carries swine flu, AIDS, and mad cow. The numbers of prisoners on the list has reportedly fluctuated wildly between 150 and 1,000 names. First Israel wouldn't release prisoners serving terms for murder, and then they would, but only certain ones, but Hamas wasn't happy with those certain ones, and so on. There are so many cooks in the kitchen on both sides that no matter the disposition of The List, it will never pass final muster. Sure enough, just one day later, a different Hamas rep was saying something else.

   Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal said there is no real progress in talks for the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, despite recent reports to the contrary.
   
   In an interview to Qatari newspaper al-Watan, that will be published in full on Sunday, with parts of it published on the Hamas website Thursday, Mashaal said mediation efforts in the matter were ongoing, but that no real progress has been made. He said this was due to "the manner in which the Zionist enemy's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is handling the matter.'

   And most recently, any mention of progress in the swap has halted except for this item from January 19:

   Mohammed Nazal told the Lebanese daily A-Sapir that the deal has been delayed thus far due to Israel's refusal to heed Hamas' demand to see top militants Marwan Bargouthi and Ahmed Sadat freed.

   So basically at this point, Hamas is mainly concerned with these final two guys, but they're biggies. This is the first I've heard of this Ahmed Sadat dude, but Bargouthi is a Palestinian "freedom fighter" who is so popular it's basically assumed that if he's released, he'll win the Hamas presidency. He's considered to be the leader of both the first and second intifadas but strongly supported the peace process, including the Oslo accords. He's basically the Nelson Mandela of Palestine. Further research (meaning I can use google) has revealed that this Sadat guy is pretty popular too but he doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist and was in opposition to the Oslo process. He was Secretary-General of the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) beginning in 2001 after the previous secretary was assassinated. The PFLP is basically Fatah's armed wing that they keep all hush-hush like when you have a retarded child that you keep in the basement just to feed annoying salesmen and Jehovah's Witnesses. Anyway, Sadat was accused of planning the assassination of Israel's tourism minister, who was the founder of right wing party Moledet and advocated the forced transfer of Israel's Arabs to neighboring countries.
   
   So...what was my point? Oh yeah, transferring prisoners between Israel and Palestine is complicated.
   
   Good god this update is exhausting. One more item.
   
   
3. Operation Price Tag is still in full swing. It was way back in October of 2008 that I first wrote about this lovely little grassroots movement wherein Israeli settlers damage Palestinian cemeteries, farms, and livestock, injure Palestinian children on their walks to school, and injure and sometimes kill Palestinians and/or Israeli soldiers who try to stop them in an attempt to curb opposition to the Israeli expansion project. How it works is, every time the Israeli governments clamps down and actually follows its own laws regarding the disposition of West Bank land, settlers in the area do some sort of damage that is designed to remind Palestinians and Israelis alike that there is a price tag to their opposition. I found the latest incarnation of this movement on Ha'aretz yesterday and here is the gist:

   Recent violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, has been linked by some activists to the Israeli government's decision to impose a temporary, partial freeze on building in the enclaves.
   
   Through a strategy known as the "price tag", the settlers have targeted Palestinians and their property whenever the Israeli government is seen moving, or thinking of moving against the settlements, which are deemed illegal by world powers.
   
   Israeli police this month arrested four settlers on suspicion of involvement in an arson attack last month on a mosque near Nablus. Carpets and holy books were burnt in that attack.

   These backlashes typically follow the evacuation of an illegal West Bank settlement by Israeli officials. Meanwhile, the freeze continues in name only as concrete foundations continue to be poured throughout areas planned for West Bank settlement.
   

And that's all kids. My snarky mockery will continue unabated as I'm in-country for a stay now.

Let Mama Kiss It Make It Better

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, hosted a conference this week where various world dignitaries patted themselves on the back for their generosity. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the rebuilding of Gaza (Israel's Operation Cast Lead caused about $5 billion of damage) and to decide who would be paying for what. While the U.S., France, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Japan were among those present, Hamas was not. Hamas, the democratically elected government of Gaza, was not invited.

But no matter. I'm sure the reconstruction of Gaza will be successful without the cooperation of the quasi-state's government.

The pledges are in, and the most noticeable results are as follows:

• Saudi Arabia: $1 billion
  
• The U.S.: $900 million
  
• Lebanon: $1 million (a token gesture of solidarity)
  

The caveat is that the majority of the donations will go to the PA, an administrative body that has almost no power in Gaza. Some countries have opted to oversee their own pet reconstruction projects in Gaza, thereby circumventing Hamas' infrastructure alltogether. As usual with the region, their world seems bent on ignoring the facts on the ground.

Let's assume that the reconstruction of Gaza can actually be completed without Hamas' coordination- what then? Israel's attack, which caused all the damage, was in response to the continuous barrage of rocket fire from Gaza. These rockets are still flying, almost every day. Almost like the operation never happened. Almost like Hamas was not deterred at all. In fact, Ha'aretz reports that Gaza militants have fired 110 rockets at Israel since the ceasefire began on January 18th.

Israel bides its time. After one rocket hit the semi-large city of Ashquelon, Israel filed a complaint with the UN. After seven qassam rockets hit Southern Israel in one day, Olmert made vague threats. How long can this go on?

Making no judgments about the moral rightness or wrongness of firing the rockets or of Israel's response to it, the facts on the ground are that Israel will not continue to accept this kind of life for its citizens. They will strike again. And again. Until the rockets stop and/or Hamas has been eradicated and replaced with Fatah loyalists. Why bother rebuilding Gaza without first securing a just and lasting peace for both sides?

The reconstruction is irrelevant and unrealistic. Like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. It makes us all feel like we're doing something, though. And when dealing with two groups as hard-headed as Israelis and Palestinians, sometimes a band-aid is a necessary symbol.

Hamas Advertises for PR Guru

How do these guys manage to make themselves look so bad? It's just like that anniversary parade fiasco. Every time I start feeling those predictable stirrings of underdog pity, they do something like this. They need to hire a New York publicist. Just, a full time spin doctor with a blackberry full of names.

Ha'aretz reports:

Amnesty International two weeks ago accused Hamas of carrying out a "deadly campaign" against its Palestinian opponents and critics in the Gaza Strip, particularly those they accuse of "collaborating" with Israel.

The newspaper reports that 17 men have already been executed since Israel's offensive ended. They were convicted of collaborating with Israel.

So. Dumb.

Obama's Envoy Cracks the Case

Obama sent his brand new Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, to the region yesterday to see what he could figure out about this whole Gaza situation, and he came up with a brilliant plan!

President Barack Obama's new Mideast envoy called Wednesday for an end to Hamas weapons smuggling and a reopening of Gaza's borders, seeking to strengthen the shaky cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants thrown into turmoil by new violence.

This is a totally original idea, one nobody has ever thought of before. Stopping the missile fire?? Of course. I'm sure Prime Minister Olmert and his cabinet of bone-weary ministers are kicking themselves for not having thought of it themselves. And Hamas must be wondering why they never thought of trying to get the borders reopened.

"Oh, you want the borders opened? Why didn't you just ask!" Israel says to Hamas.

Cracker-Jack start, Mitchell!

Can't wait to see how he plans to make this happen.

[Source]

Damage Control

Three weeks and 1,285 lives later, both Israel and Gaza are cleaning up the mess. As I mentioned a few days ago, weakening Hamas was not the sole objective of the offensive. IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted in the summer of 2006, is still behind enemy lines, although whether he is alive or dead remains to be seen. Public pressure to retrieve Shalit is tremendous. Protests are held demanding that the government facilitate his release, letter writing campaigns are run, and Ha'aretz newspaper has a perpetually-running PSA on its front page, reminding readers how long Shalit has been in captivity (942 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 42 seconds, as I'm writing this). The fact that time ran out on this operation before Shalit could be rescued is a crushing blow to the current administration, especially Tzipi Livni, who may be blamed for the failure, hurting her chances in the upcoming election for Prime Minister.

So Israel is doing its media spin thing. The AP's Ben Hubbard writes today:

Israel indicated Thursday that it wants to swap Palestinians held in Israeli jails for an Israeli soldier captured in 2006 as part of a longer-term truce after three weeks of fighting in Gaza.

Israeli media said some Cabinet ministers have softened their positions on releasing dangerous Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the soldier, Sgt. Gilad Schalit, signaling the government is trying to work out a deal with Hamas ahead of Israeli elections next month.

What makes this story a big yawn-fest for those who have been paying attention is that Israel has been saying this for at least six months. The two governments were negotiating, through the ubiquitous moderator Egypt, back in July about how many prisoners Hamas would get in exchange for Shalit. Israeli leaders will have to balance the unpopularity of releasing convicted murderers against the popularity of bringing Shalit home.

In an effort to make it seem like everything is going according to plan, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said recently, "I believe the war created levers that could hasten Gilad Schalit's return home." Meaning Israel had applied sufficient pressure to make Hamas more docile.

Olmert could be referring to the destruction of hundreds of underground tunnels Hamas uses to smuggle weapons into Gaza. The recent offensive destroyed or damaged 60-90% of those tunnels (depending on which side you ask), which numbered upwards of a thousand. But, according to the AP's Alfred de Montesquiou, tunnel operators are already fixing the damage and could be back in business within days. As a result of the collective punishment methods Israel utilizes to try to weaken Hamas, goods, not just guns, are in short supply in Gaza. Tunnel operators describe the goods they smuggle as potato chips, cigarettes, baby formula, underwear, and even animals for the zoo.

About weapons smuggling, Montesquiou writes:

While both traffickers insisted they had never considered bringing weapons for Hamas, Abu Bilal, another colleague repairing his own tunnel, said he wouldn't mind doing so. "But frankly, the resistance never asks us to," he said. "I think they've got their own tunnels and don't want to pay us," he said.

What's materializing as the smoke clears is that neither side has achieved its goals- both are right back where they started, politically- but both are claiming victory. Meanwhile, 6,000 Gazans are dead or injured and southern Israel will continue to be bombarded with Hamas' qassam rockets until both Israel and whoever rules Gaza learns to use diplomacy instead of brute force.

Wait For It...

A couple of weeks before the IDF began bombing Gaza, I warned some of my Palestinian friends that a major Gaza operation would be coming. They asked me how I knew. I said a good friend of mine, an Israeli former Special Forces soldier, had been called for reserve duty and the only information he was given was that it had to do with Gaza.

My Palestinian friends shrugged this off, saying, "They do this shit all the time. It means nothing."

When the bombing began, my friends said it would last a few days and then stop. They said Israel was only making a statement, sending a warning to Hamas about the rocket fire. I told them there would be a ground invasion, and I said that weakening Hamas was not their prime objective.

Well, there's certainly no satisfaction in being right about this. I wish I had been wrong. But my predictions haven't stopped coming. Weakening Hamas is a pleasant side effect of the operation, but the IDF's primary objective is recovering Gilad Shalit, alive or dead. Dead, most likely, at this point.

Shalit was abducted by Hamas in the summer of 2006 during a cross border raid. He has been held all this time. As of July of 2008 he was alive, but this week Hamas has been hinting that he may or may not be alive anymore. Words were to the effect of, "It is no longer our concern." This leads me to believe he's dead, which isn't going to be good for anyone. Not for Hamas, not for the morale of the Israeli people, and not for the politicians running in the upcoming election.

That's right, Israelis will vote for their prime minister presently and whoever is responsible for bringing back the country's beloved Missing Soldier will win the prize. Gilad Shalit is no longer just a person. He is a symbol. If he is found alive, national pride in Israel will flourish. If he is found dead, Israelis' hatred of "the other" will be further cemented and the Gaza operation will likely end later and with more civilians dead. The possibility that Shalit is alive is quite possibly the only factor applying what little restraint there is in this campaign.

On a personal note, I am deeply saddened by the hatred I see coming out of both my Palestinian friends and my Israeli friends. Those who could enjoy each others' company before this operation began can no longer be in the same room together. They see each other as monsters, no longer human beings. Sometimes it is too complicated for the mind to grasp the complexities of humanity in others, or even in ourselves.

But I know the truth. Each soldier who bombs a house, shoots a man, arrests a child...these soldiers are also someone's son, husband, or father. The same as the Hamas operatives who shoot qassam rockets across the border into civilian areas are sons, husbands, and fathers. It is not easy to accept, but it is true. I believe that true progress can only be made with this in mind.

If you believe your own actions are justifiable, then you must believe someone else's actions are too.

UPDATE: An AP article from today says:

Israel said it was approaching the "endgame" of its three-week offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers and scheduled a Security Cabinet vote Saturday on a truce proposed by Egypt. Under the cease-fire plan, fighting would stop immediately for 10 days, but Israeli forces would initially remain in Gaza and the border crossings into the territory would remain closed until security arrangements are made to ensure Hamas militants do not rearm.

According to my theory, Israel scheduling a vote on the ceasefire for Saturday means they think they have located Shalit and are probably planning a night rescue for...that would be tonight. If they were right and they were successful, tomorrow's news will reveal that. If they were wrong or unsuccessful, I doubt anyone will ever hear about it.

Playground Antics from Hamas

More than 150,000 Gazans filled an arena today to celebrate the 21st anniversary of militant group Hamas. The highlight of the event was when Hamas paraded a mock Gilad Shalit before the crowd. He was in fact a Hamas loyalist, but was dressed in an IDF uniform and begged to be released, in Hebrew.

This is not the first time I have been disappointed by Hamas- the abduction of Shalit two years ago is case in point- but never have I seen them so thoroughly disgrace their own name and harm their own cause. Palestinians, especially Gazans, are rightly angry and have a right to fight. I believe they even have a right to fight dirty, since the playing field is not even. But an event like the one yesterday only tells the world that Palestinians, especially those loyal to Hamas, are not worthy of the world's sympathy.

Men of honor do not parade someone else's pain to incite celebration. Men of honor do not find happiness in cowardly actions.

Link to Ha'aretz article here.

Palestinian Infighting Now Infamous

Al Jazeera writer Ramzy Baroud questions whether the idea of "Palestinian Unity" has any meaning anymore in his article Palestinian Unity: Goal or Mantra?

Palestinian disunity, and political -- if not, geopolitical -- fragmentation is eroding the Palestinian cause more than all Israeli efforts, walls and military incursions combined. The painful-to-watch televised bickering between representatives of various Palestinian factions has led to confusion among traditionally pro-Palestinian groups worldwide. The political objectives -- once agreed upon as "constants" -- and symbols that once united Palestinians everywhere are now wide open for extreme interpretation.

In fact, "respecting the sanctity of Palestinian blood", which for long served as the lowest possible denominator agreed on by every Palestinian grouping, has been violated many times in recent months and years; too many times to count. Repeating the slogan is, at this point, an empty mantra, joining the numerous other mantras that have for long served as a sedative for the hapless masses, whether Arabs, Palestinians or both.

I read Al Jazeera and Israel's Haaretz news everyday, and it's not often that they both say the same thing, but when they do, I find it bears repeating. Further underscoring my commentation of Abbas' temper tantrum the PA again uses the media to issue veiled threats to Hamas.

Haaretz writes:

RAMALLAH - The Palestinian Authority must be ready to use force against Hamas in Gaza "to reunify the homeland," said the head of PA forces in the West Bank, Gen. Dhiab al-Ali (Abu al-Fatah), considered the Palestinian chief of staff.

"If Gaza remains mutinous, the Palestinian Authority will have no choice but to use force against it," Ali said in a recent interview with Haaretz at his Ramallah offices.

Ali said the PA has not ruled out using force if the territory remains in Hamas' hands.

"There haven't yet been consultations with the Israelis on the issue," Ali said. "We hope we won't need that option - for us it's the last choice for unifying the homeland - but we must be prepared to implement it."

No senior PA official close to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ever expressed such views to the media, and especially not shortly before a Fatah delegation is set to attend talks in Cairo on a possible detente with Hamas.

The mention of Israel backing up Fatah forces in a Gaza takeover is both heartbreakingly optimistic and a confirmation of a recent quip by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Firstly, Fatah doesn't have forces, per se. As I wrote back on August 9th, the U.S. is funding the creation of Palestinian security forces, but the first battalion of 500 soldiers has just finished training. This is hardly a force one goes off conquering non-contiguous pieces of land with.

Secondly, Hamas released a statement July 29, saying:

"Now the Zionists are protecting you," Hamas said in a statement addressed to security forces in the West Bank. "You know that once the protection of the Zionists is over, people will enter your headquarters and kick you out," it said.

"You must know we are not acting against you now in the West Bank because ... we know the Zionists will immediately back you."

Abbas and his cabinet do not seem concerned with countering this statement. In fact, it seems they rather enjoy the world knowing they are under Israel's protection, as the faction most cooperative with Israel's agenda. The problem is, they have secured Israel's cooperation at the expense of their peoples' needs and wants, which is perhaps what causes the infighting Baroud mentioned above.

Palestinian President Throws Temper Tantrum

I've decided it's time for an update of my continuing coverage of Gilad Shalit. This update was inspired by a July 29 message sent by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and subsequently leaked to the press. The message was sent through Hussein al-Sheikh, head of PA civil affairs, to Israeli General Gadi Shamni.

It was a warning to Israel that if they released certain prisoners in their custody loyal to Hamas, that Abbas would dismantle the Palestinian Authority. Not simply resign, but dismantle the actual government.

Let's put aside the audacity and childishness of that warning for a minute and move on to the particulars involved here.

Hamas has held IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in Gaza for over two years now. After he was captured, Israel captured 64 members of the democratically elected Hamas-majority government, including eight cabinet members, twenty legislative council members, and the mayor of Qalqilyah and his deputy.

Just try for a minute to imagine what that would look like in any other country. What the international response would be. How fast it would get resolved. Just visualize.

40 of those elected officials are still in Israeli prisons.

Israel continues to hold them as a bargaining chip to exchange for Shalit. Hamas has since demanded their release, along with about a thousand other Israeli prisoners, some of which have been accused or convicted of murder.

Meanwhile, in June of 2007, Hamas took over Gaza, which was basically a declaration of war against the Fatah-majority government that remained in the West Bank. Since then Abbas and Israel have teamed up to destroy Hamas' infrastructure and avenues of funding. However, as I have mentioned, neither the PA nor Israel has managed to replace the community services they destroyed in the process. Numerous charities, medical centers, summer camps for kids, after school programs, and the like have been shut down in this process.

But back to that whole Shalit issue. Haaretz says:

According to an Israeli source well-versed in what is happening in the PA, publication of Abbas' threat to dismantle the PA if Israel releases the Hamas parliamentarians is liable to discredit him massively in the eyes of many Palestinians.

In addition, the source noted, this threat creates another obstacle to Israel's efforts to reach an agreement for Shalit's release.

This suggests first that this "statement" could be a Hamas-engineered ploy and second, that the journalist who wrote those very words has no qualms with causing Abbas to lose face.

But most interesting about this passage is the last sentence. This seems the most logical direction to take this development, but I don't think it's true. While the public is led this way and that and Shalit's family is dragged along, I don't think Hamas has ever had any intention of releasing Shalit. You may ask why they abducted him if not to trade for their own people, but instead of looking at what has happened since his abduction, look at what hasn't happened.

Hamas has fired missiles into Israel's cities and towns almost every day in the last two years. Gilad Shalit may be the only factor compelling enough to prevent a sweeping IDF operation in Gaza.

He's not a bargaining chip, he's an insurance policy.

And his worldwide fame at this point makes him more valuable than any nameless Israeli who dies as a result of those missiles, and certainly more valuable than any Palestinian politician.

Including Mahmoud Abbas. Israel and Uncle Sam are perfectly capable of installing a more agreeable PA president just as they installed this one.

And in response to the possibility that Abbas' temper tantrum could have been engineered by Hamas, the Haaretz writer adds:

Since his election as PA president in January 2005, Abbas has repeatedly threatened to resign - sometimes due to lack of progress in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, or due to internal power struggles within his Fatah movement. However, he has never yet carried out his threat.

In related news, Hamas and Fatah continue to antagonize each other like children, leading Hamas to retort most recently to Fatah that they are only safe and still in power in the West Bank because they enjoy Israel's protection.

Haaretz says, in a separate article:

Abbas' security forces have detained at least 150 Hamas supporters in the West Bank in response to a sweep in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas seized nearly 200 Fatah sympathizers after a bomb blast killed five Hamas militants and a girl on Friday. Hamas blamed the bombing on Fatah, which denies involvement.

These sorts of mysterious bombings are common here. Both sides accuse the other. It reminds me again and again of an ancient and well-proven warfare tactic: when you have two enemies, you don't fight them both, you get them to fight each other.

The US did it in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan twenty years ago. When we wanted to destabilize Iraq, we gave weapons to the Kurds. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, we gave weapons to the Afghanis. When Iran and Iraq went to war, we sold weapons to both of them and then sent the profits to the Contras in Nicaragua.

Let's look at the big picture, folks.

Siege-Breakers Take Heat Off Smugglers

The buzz about those those seige-breakers I wrote about is getting louder. Probably because they actually succeeded in breaking the siege and arriving in Gaza.

The event was very poorly publicized when the ships first set sail from their original location in Greece, but with each stop on each island closer to Gaza, they received more publicity. During the last leg of their trip, Israel sent word that they would be allowed to pass through to Gaza because Israeli intelligence had determined that they were not a security threat.

Today, two days after they docked in Gaza, the human rights organizers in charge of the event plan to join a Gazan fishing expedition to provide cover for the fisherman, who are not allowed far enough off the coast to catch adequate numbers of fish to support their families and their economy.

While breaking the siege has a lot of symbolic importance, the practical benefit for the people of Gaza is minimal. The two ships, the SS Liberty and the SS Free Gaza, while carrying 45 human rights activists, did not bring much in the way of necessary material items to a people who are short on almost everything, from food to soap.

Ynet says:

A Gaza activist told Ynet Saturday that local residents were disappointed by the small quantities of food brought in by two boats carrying international leftist activists.

"Many people thought these boats will make a significant contribution to break the siege, not only politically but also in terms of brining in goods, equipment, food, and medicine," he said. "However, once it turned out these boats contain too little food and mostly activists…some people left the beach disappointed."

Perhaps it would be more efficient to support the smuggler network already operating roughly 100 tunnels under Gaza. It is this network that has been responsible for such feats as providing Gazan mothers with baby formula and sexy underwear and delivering drugged lions in sacks for Gaza's zoo.

But of course, these are not the only items being smuggled through the tunnels. And the confirmation of their existence puts to bed previous questions I had about how al-Qaida is providing weapons to Hamas.

Next on the Menu: IDF Soldier Gilad Shalit

Missing soldier Gilad Shalit.

If such a thing is possible, the fate of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit is even more on the minds of Israeli citizens today. Last week, in a prisoner exchange deal, the bodies of soldiers Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were released in exchange for several Hezbollah prisoners.

This, mercifully and tragically, allowed the families of the two soldiers to turn their energies toward pressuring the government for a prisoner swap involving Shalit, who was taken in a cross-border raid in 2006.

Shalit's company was released from the army today and his fellow soldiers used the opportunity to draw attention to his plight and remind leaders that he would not be forgotten. After their release, the soldiers marched the nine kilometers from Bakum base to the Defense Minister's Bureau in Tel Aviv, where they met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Haaretz says about the meeting:

Shalit's comrades met with Barak and asked him - as someone who once served as a commanding officer - to work toward achieving his release. They said that the meeting was pleasant, and that Barak told them efforts are under way to secure Shalit's freedom.

A rally was then held in Rabin Square, where hundreds of supporters gathered to express their hope for Shalit's release.

They reported after their meeting with Barak that he was keeping mum about the swap for good reason:

The reservists also said Barak told them part of the process is being conducted in secrecy so as to avoid the talks being sabotaged.

However, Hamas higher-ups are possibly not being as tight-lipped because the Arab press has begun reporting details about the negotiations.

Al-Bayan, a newspaper published in the UAE, reported the process currently being discussed:

Under the initiative, Israel would release several dozen prisoners a confidence-building measure, including Hamas parliamentarians and ministers arrested after Shalit's abduction in June 2006. In return, Shalit would be brought to Egypt, where his family would be able to visit him. After this stage, negotiations for the release of more Palestinian prisoners and Shalit's return home would continue.

Israel has already approved 71 names on a list of over 800 prisoners, including some who are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in terrorist attacks. Israel expects to release several such prisoners, but is also hoping Egypt will pressure Hamas to be more flexible about the negotiations.

Because military service is mandatory in Israel, the government has a very strong sense of responsibility toward keeping soldiers out of danger and securing their release should they be captured. A missing Israeli soldier is likely to receive much more attention than a missing soldier in any other army.

Hamas Ups the Stakes in Prisoner Exchange

Abducted soldier Gilad Shalit continues waiting for his homecoming as negotiations have stalled. Hamas originally planned to wait until after Israel completed its prisoner swap with Hezbollah to continue negotiating Shalit's release. On Wednesday, Israel released five prisoners to Hezbollah in exchange for the bodies of two IDF soldiers abducted two years ago. But many feared that if the prisoner exchange was successful, Hamas would make more demands of Israel in exchange for Shalit.

These fears may be warranted as Hamas has now become more firm in its demands.

Hamas originally asked for the release of some 800 prisoners. Israel approved 71 of those names, and Hamas seemed amenable to continuing negotiations. But now that Hezbollah has received five prisoners for two dead bodies, Hamas may be wondering how much a live soldier is worth.

Haaretz says:

Israel and Hamas have not yet agreed to renew negotiations over the release of kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, despite the completion of the Hezbollah prisoner swap and the relative quiet on the southern front that were supposed to advance talks on a swap with Hamas.

Hamas seems now to be refusing to back down from the list of hundreds of prisoners whose release it demands. However, Israel has only approved 71 names on the list.

Closure of Charities: Details Revealed

This past week, I've written about the IDF closing West Bank Charities and an orphanage in Hebron and many of you asked me why. I couldn't answer because the contributing information was given by one-sided sources.

Yesterday, Haaretz published an article that discusses the reasons the organizations were shut down, the possible repercussions for all involved, and the limitations of these types of tactics. I will do my best to sum up here.

The only information I had before this article about why the IDF shut the charities down was that they were somehow related to Hamas, either being funded by them or were funding them. This article reveals that the strongest connection they have to Hamas is probably secondhand:

Legally, the technology incubator is also criminalized by the fact that it takes money from an organization that aids charities run by Hamas. An educational institution in Hebron that helps underprivileged children via money from an United Arab Emirates charity fund, and the Hamas summer camp which that fund also aids, both have become criminal institutions.

In other words, if you accept donations from a fund that also aids Hamas, your organization is now illegal. And this is what has happened to most of the 36 organizations that Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared illegal on May 26.

Next, let's pretend that Hamas does not have roots all the way into the core of the Palestinian territories and that this economic blacklisting will actually stop them. Where will the Palestinian people then receive these services?

For those who believe Hamas' development and expansion can be delayed, finding the money source is an important means...Hamas' civil activity has no substitute in the Palestinian Authority. The small clinic in Gaza, the summer camps for children, the food distribution stations in the refugee camps, the enrichment classes for youth ¬ the PA and the municipalities are having difficulty offering alternatives. Hamas' civil activity often takes place in private homes and even in schools administered by the PA Education Ministry.

In effect, by hindering Hamas' power to offer constructive assistance to its people, Israel is causing the realization of its own fears. Without its "civil activity" Hamas is no more than a bunch of rogue revolutionaries.

And I wonder if it's better to prove this or to make its opposite true.

In any relationship, there must be compromise. And a prime example of this type of compromise is the struggle between being right and being happy. You cannot have both all the time. Perhaps it would be better for the couple if Israel would stop trying to prove that Hamas is up to no good, and start encouraging Hamas in its non-violence enterprises.

As for the limitations of this tactic, Haaretz says:

Israel has an even more difficult problem ¬ its ability to supervise the cash flow to these associations is much more limited. Monies transferred from Arab countries to the territories go through an Israeli clearinghouse by means of three banks, and each time the name of one of the organizations appears, the computer spits out the data, but it is very easy to rename the organizations or transfer money in cash.

So, realistically, this move has made a lot of people angry with Israel but the actual benefits could be minimal.

Haaretz offers an improvement to the plan:

Banning these organizations does have declarative importance and it does open a front against Hamas, but it appears that practically speaking, it will be difficult to realize...In order to succeed, Israel needs to cooperate closely with the PA, which can at least supervise the movement of money in banks or establish a "clean fund" that receives money from permitted sources. However, the PA is yet to establish such a fund.

But Israel can no more cooperate with the PA than the PA can cooperate with Hamas:

The PA does randomly strike at Hamas institutions in the West Bank (in Gaza it cannot do anything), but it also cannot appear to be damaging charities and welfare groups, especially when reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah is on the agenda.

These three entities are all weakening each other. And if they succeed in breaking each other, nobody will benefit. They will each be the subjects of someone else's occupation- perhaps Jordan and Egypt again. Or perhaps the United States.

Israel Raids, Closes West Bank Charities

Wow.

In a move that cheapens Israel's efforts toward a cease fire, IDF forces have raided a mall and several other organizations in the West Bank city of Nablus today.

Haaretz says Israel's Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, signed an order directing the IDF to shut down 5 businesses reported to be in some way associated with Hamas, such as a mall, a medical society, and two charitable organizations that aid refugee camps. 36 other organizations worldwide were banned from Israel and Palestinian territories.

Haaretz says:

Over the last few years, Hamas has built an "organizational system that, if necessary, could serve as the basis for a state," a senior IDF official told Haaretz.

So, they negotiate a cease fire with Hamas that applies only to Gaza, but then step up their efforts to destroy West Bank infrastructure. It seems like Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas are all oblivious to the fact that they are dependent on each other. If the PA and Hamas were to treat each other like rival political parties and not rival nations, the destruction of this infrastructure might slow and eventually stop. And if Israel were to acknowledge each as such, they might turn their attention away from hating Israel for just a minute.

The main difference between a terrorist organization and a political party is acknowledgment. Imagine if Israel were to do the unthinkable and actually acknowledge all Palestinian factions.

Then they would become each others' problem.

Further news from Haaretz:

The IDF raided the Nablus mall and the five charities early Tuesday and left notices to the owners regarding the closure order, residents said. It said the mall will be closed for five years starting the middle of August, while the charities will be closed for two years. The army seized computers and files from the places.

The Cease Fire Sitch

Despite the cease fire, missiles are still being fired from Gaza, but not from Hamas this time. Now, al-Aqsa has a whole new beef with Israel. al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a Fatah offshoot, claims that the Israeli military has been behaving very badly in the West Bank and refuses to stop firing from Gaza until the cease fire is extended to the West Bank.

The first attack since the cease fire agreement was reached occurred on Wednesday, when two qassam rockets were fired into the Negev. al-Aqsa claimed responsibility and said it was in response to two people killed by the IDF in the West Bank city of Nablus. IDF officials claim the two men were planning a terrorist attack on Israel and that weapons and ammunition were found in their homes. Arabs claim the two men were students studying at the university in Nablus and were killed unjustifiably. No doubt the truth is somewhere in the middle, but meanwhile, Israel and the various Palestinian factions are playing the blame game.

Hamas is blaming the rocket attacks on Fatah (and al-Aqsa), al-Aqsa is blaming the IDF for West Bank killings, and the IDF is blaming Hamas for not stopping the missile fire. It's one big circle jerk, with innocent civilians not getting to have any of the fun.

The official terms of the cease fire are that Israel would open Gaza crossings, which has been delayed due to the rocket fire. World media, fueled by the UN, has been highly critical of Israel for keeping the Gaza borders closed despite the terms of the cease fire, but Israel's Haaretz News reminds readers that the IDF has not responded to the missiles with airstrikes, as they have in the past. Israel is under increasing pressure from its citizens to stop the missile fire and equal pressure from the rest of the world not to hurt Palestinians anymore.

Meanwhile, discussion of the theoretical cease fire continues. Israelis inch closer to the edge of their seats as the return of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit becomes more and more of a possibility. Haaretz says:

The London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al Hayat reported on Thursday that Egypt had given Israel a list of 1,000 prisoners Hamas wants freed in return for Shalit, but Israel objected to 75 percent of them. According to the paper's sources, the deal in the works is set to include the release of 150 Palestinian inmates in the first stage, in return for Shalit being transferred to Egypt, where his family will be able to visit him. On Shalit's return to Israel, 800 additional prisoners will be released in two stages.

800 prisoners for one man...even 10 for one, seems like a lopsided deal, but Yoel Marcus at Haaretz writes:

Since 1948, the number of Israeli prisoners held by the other side has been very small, compared with thousands in our hands over the years. The numerical formula, in other words, will always be lopsided. In a one-for-one exchange, we will still have thousands left over on our side. On top of that, we are talking about a deal between two sides that are unequal in many ways: Israel, a democratic country with organized procedures and a free, open press, versus organizations controlled by lone wolves, a decision-making process that is very different from our own, and a closed, censored media.

So the UN is pressuring Israel, Israel is pressuring Hamas, and Hamas is pressuring the underdog factions. In Gaza, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh uses the press to ask al-Aqsa and Islamic Jihad to knock it off:

"We expect everyone to respect the agreement so that the Palestinian people achieve what they look for, an end to this suffering and breaking the siege," he told reporters outside a Gaza mosque after Muslim prayers.

And who is listening to the underdog factions? Nobody.

Cease Fire Still Cooking Despite Attacks

I spent five days at kibbutz Ziqim, which is located just North of the Gaza border. Kibbutz Ziqim is bombed regularly by Hamas, and hiding from missile fire has become a way of life for them. This kibbutz is known for being very left wing politically, despite the constant attacks.

I made a movie in two parts. Part one was filmed during a period when there were no bombs for seven days, which is very unusual. Residents Rueven and Ora discuss politics during this relative period of peace and quiet.



Part two was filmed during and after a heavy missile attack. 20 qassam rockets fell inside the kibbutz over about 30 minutes, which is also very unusual. When I questioned the residents about why they thought the missile fire was resumed so heavily, they surmised that the period of quiet was actually a chance to stockpile more weapons, not Hamas' acceptance of a cease-fire agreement, which they originally thought.



As the dust settled, so to speak, on this whole matter, several facts came to light. The first news about the barrage was released barely an hour after it ended and stated that the heavy missile fire was designed to distract Israel so that a "heavy vehicle" which approached the border at "alarming speed" could carry out "a major terror attack."

Israel's Haaretz news says:

The IDF said that Gaza militants were planning to use the heavy barrage as a diversion in order to carry out a massive attack at the border fence between Israel and the Strip.

A heavy vehicle approached IDF troops stationed at the Gaza border fence at an alarming speed, the IDF described the attempted attack. The soldiers opened fire and forced the vehicle to stop. The IDF said that it was the soldiers' quick response that likely prevented a serious attack.

Could this be any more vague? Given that a major terror attack was carried out in the form of qassam rockets, it's understandable that Israel was desperate for news about the event, what caused it, and what the results were. But I'm left wondering where this information came from since it differs so drastically from later news reports.

A report released later said the missile attack was in retaliation for the destruction a Hamas member's house and the deaths of those inside:

The intense shelling was probably the result of an explosion in an apartment building in the town Beit Lahiya in the northern Strip yesterday afternoon, killing seven Palestinians and injuring dozens. Most of those killed were Hamas activists, and the two-story building and several other homes in the town were destroyed.

And then:

Hamas, which initially accused Israel of causing the explosion in the home of a Hamas man, later toned down its accusations after Israel firmly denied any involvement in the incident. Israeli sources said the incident was probably caused by Palestinians making a bomb.

If you look up "knee jerk reaction" in the dictionary, you will read a description of these events. If a Hamas member's house exploded, obviously it's because Israel bombed it. Or wait, if a Hamas member's house exploded, obviously it's because he was making a bomb.

You started it! No you started it! No, you! I'm telling mom!

The above article also states that, despite the attack, Israel is still pursuing a cease fire agreement with Hamas and is not seriously planning to attack Gaza.

And the latest update from Haaretz says that Israel is even planning to let the issue of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit drop for the time being, although this information, as usual, is not straight from the horse's mouth.

An Egyptian source said that Israel has agreed not to condition a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip on the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on Saturday.

If this last information is true, it marks a turning point in Israel's attitude toward Gaza and toward a cease-fire. Which is not surprising after the damage caused on Thursday. The question remains whether Israel will still be so flexible after the dust has settled and the people are not so rattled.

Left wing Israelis favor securing Shalit's release, even if it means putting up with more rocket fire until a peace agreement can be reached. Right wing Israelis, especially those in Sderot, where the damage is the worst, favor a major Gaza operation, even if it means Shalit's death. It seems that, in the long run, this soldier's life depends upon which side is more vocal and who the government is listening to.

A letter from Shalit to his family was released Wednesday, wherein he revealed knowledge of current events. Which means he knows that he is the center of these negotiations and that no matter the result people are dying. Either from missile attacks or in a battle in Gaza.

And what of the supposed terror attack attempted at the border?

The IDF foiled a large-scale terror attack yesterday when Palestinian militants attempted to bring an apparently booby-trapped bulldozer close to the border fence. Israeli soldiers fired anti-tank missiles at the bulldozer and stopped it. The militants jumped off and fled back to the Strip.

The IDF said that Gaza militants had been planning to use the heavy barrage as a diversion while carrying out the attack with the bulldozer near the fence.

Apparently? Booby trapped? Bulldozer???

Everything about that news snippet is bizarre. Just...everything. I have so many questions.

Where did they get a bulldozer? What were they going to do with it? In what way was it "booby trapped"? How did they jump off and run away after their bulldozer was hit with anti-tank missiles?

UPDATE:
Alternative sources (my Israeli friends who can translate the tv news for me) reveal that the bulldozer was outfitted with heavy armor and that, actually, the one man inside the bulldozer stopped his vehicle 100 meters from the border fence and ran away before the IDF fired on him. As he ran away though, they did shoot at him. And kill him. The IDF then shot at the bulldozer, at which time it exploded.

Tug of War Continues over Abducted Soldier

New developments in the Hamas-Israel cease fire have hinted again at both sides' unwillingness to make a deal. Israel has, throughout the negotiations, insisted that the release of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit be part of a cease fire. Hamas' biggest request is the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Both sides have now conceded at least part of the other's request, but yet both sides still maintain the other is not willing to compromise.

Hamas yesterday released a letter from Shalit to his family in which he states he is being treated well but he wants the government to secure his return as soon as possible. Hamas released a statement today saying that Israel should, in turn, release some Palestinian prisoners as a show of good faith. Hamas leaders suggested releasing women prisoners or minors as a compromise and step toward a truce. Israel has not responded to that request.

Instead, Israel says:

A defense source involved in the efforts to gain Shalit's release said Tuesday that the letter Hamas delivered to Shalit's family, via the Carter Center in Ramallah, was not related to the attempts to conclude a truce, and its timing was coincidental. "The letter was delayed for some time for a variety for reasons," the source said.

He added that the talks with Hamas over a prisoner exchange are at an impasse because of the group's unwillingness to be flexible.

On the other side of the fence, Hamas has created a list of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of a cease-fire agreement. It has not confirmed that Shalit would be released in return. Israel has approved 70 names on that list, but Hamas has still not returned reassurances that Shalit will be traded for these prisoners. Israel has denied the release of the other prisoners on the list "because they were directly responsible for the murder of Israelis."

The sheer number of prisoners on the wish list brings up some questions and concerns. Firstly, what are the other 70 guilty of that they could all be released in exchange for one man? It brings to mind a statistic: 40% of the adult male Palestinian population has seen the inside of a prison. And by "adult" I mean post-pubescent, not the traditionally acceptable boundary of 18 years or older. This statistic makes it abundantly clear that Israel is a bit jail-happy. They don't need much of a reason to throw Arabs in jail, and keep them there. So their willingness to release 70 convicted criminals makes me wonder what exactly those criminals were convicted of. Perhaps throwing stones. Perhaps organizing a political movement. Perhaps associating with members of Hamas, Fatah, or Hezbollah. The bottom line is that, by Israel's own admission, they are not responsible for any deaths.

But as missiles continue to be fired into Israel from Gaza on a daily basis, the people responsible for Israeli deaths will be a government which does not take any and all steps necessary to secure a cease-fire.

But instead, Olmert and his cronies are trying to drum up support for a sweeping Gaza operation that will mean the deaths of far more Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians than have been killed by Hamas' rockets.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met with the heads of the defense establishment Tuesday in preparation for today's diplomatic-security cabinet meeting. No details of their meeting were released, as Olmert and Barak said they would prefer to keep Israel's intentions secret from Hamas.

"We must not talk very much," Barak told the full cabinet Tuesday. "When the moment is right, we will take action. It is important that the cabinet listen well to what the army says can be achieved, and what cannot be achieved, via an operation in the Gaza Strip."

Israel has discussed a third option: resuming assassinations of Hamas' leaders, which would pressure the group to accept Israel's terms for the cease-fire.

Israel PM Aparently 6 Years Old

Peace talks between Israel, West Bank, And Hamas-ruled Gaza have slowed while Israel observes several memorial ceremonies for victims of terrorist attacks this week, culminating in the 60th anniversary of the country. This anniversary is also observed by Palestinians but is called Nakba, which means "disaster" and refers to the UN decision in 1948 to partition what was one Palestine into two different nations.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed an unusually strong sentiment toward peace in one memorial speech:

"There is nothing we desire more than to end the conflict with our neighbors, and there is nothing that would benefit both sides more than the end of the conflict," Olmert said.

But later in the same speech implied that the fault lies on one side in a juvenille "He started it!" maneuver:

"Had our neighbors responded in 1948 to our hand extended in peace - how many victims would have been spared from both sides! How tremendous the suffering and loss, and how powerful the pain and grief which would have been prevented!

And in another speech this week he even further distanced himself from fault with a condescending moral judgement:

"I cannot help but think of how deep the moral gap is between us and our enemies, he said. We make every possible effort to limit and focus our attacks on the terrorists and we never intentionally harm the innocent ... We don't have mothers who joyfully send their children to blow themselves up in packed buses or in busy malls," he said.

More opinionings to come about this week's celebrations/protests as they happen.