"Palestinians rushed into the abandoned settlements, firing guns, singing and in some cases setting fire to abandoned synagogues.Some of you will call me nasty names for presenting this as being symptomatic of a larger problem, but I question the civility of people who express their joy with arson, who talk about engaging in peace talks by promising more violence and who dance in joyous celebration at the mention of indiscriminate murder.Abbas said the joy of the Palestinians was understandable after years under Israeli rule. "They have to express their feelings," said Abbas."
The hard work is coming. The time of trying to gauge whether there is a real partner on the other side of the table or someone who is looking for a Trojan Horse.
On the upside of things I was pleased to read this in the same article.
Now the full weight of that responsibility will be felt and we shall see what kind of hand the other side holds. Still I need to mention that I am somewhat saddened to have to use terms like side in this manner because it reminds me that there is still so much work to do to bring in the humanity of the situation for everyone."After Israeli forces closed the Kissufim gate behind them, an IDF spokesman challenged Palestinian officials.
"From this point on, the full responsibility for events occurring in the Gaza Strip and for thwarting terror attacks against Israeli targets will be in the hands of the Palestinian Authority and its apparatuses," a statement said.
Gaza commander Brig. Gen. Aviv Kochavi expressed similar sentiments.
"For all that takes place in (the) Gaza strip lays on the Palestinians," he said. "The responsibility for the security of the Israelis is all ours.
"The very same soldiers that have left the (Kissufim) gate are those who are deploying now along the new line," Kochavi continued. "They are alert and they are ready to fulfill any mission and to face any challenge."
4 comments:
I am upset that the synagogues burned, but not specifically because they were synagogues. I was upset that the Israeli authorities bulldozed all those perfectly good houses before handing the land over.
It is symptomatic of the deep divisions in the area, but I have hope that the withdrawal from Gaza (which I never expected to see), might be the beginning of the end of the conflict.
I doubt it, my time in Israel convinced me there was little hope for reconcilation without some drastic changes in lifestyle/politics/education/religious leadership, but I hope so.
Mrs. A,
They couldn't possibly have given them the homes without a civil war breaking out in Gaza. There are far too many Palestinians relative to the houses.
The PA would have gone nuts trying to sort that one out, not that I mind all that much.
I am sure there was no simple solution, but it seems a waste, as well as ecologically & environmentally wrong to just bulldoze everything.
The ability to give/sell the houses could have given the PA some reqal authority maybe?
The problem with corruption inside the PA is a real issue.
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