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.

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 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.

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.

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.