2005-10-28—Islamic Jihad and Iran |
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jewishsightseeing.com, October 28,
2005 |
By Ira Sharkansky
Two items are worth commenting about: First,
the suicide bombing in Hadera, and Israel's responses. Second,
the comments of Iran's president advocating the destruction of Israel, and
responses.
The first may turn out to end the career of Mahmoud Abbas as
the head of the Palestine National Authority. Currently senior Israeli
officials are expressing different views. Some say he is useless and must
go; perhaps there is a younger, more realistic generation of leaders that is
willing to meet Israel's minimum conditions for good relations, i.e., work
seriously to curtail the terrorists. Others say that Abbas is the best
available; perhaps one day we can work with him; until he acts seriously,
however, Israel must work against the sources of terror.
The prime minister has said that the pressure will continue
until terror ends. He has said that more than once and more than twice
during the past five years. We will see how serious he is this time. So far
the army is blocking off areas of the West Bank and picking off individuals
for questioning and confinement. The head of Islamic Jihad in Jenin was
snared as he was being interviewed via telephone by an Israeli TV channel.
The interviewer asserted that the channel did not help the military locate
its target. Let's hear it from those who wish to defend the independence of
journalists.
Prime Minister Sharon is also saying that he will not meet
with Abbas until he begins to work against terror. The United States State
Department says that Israel has the right to defend itself, but that it
should ponder the implications of its actions. It also says that Israeli
officials should meet with Palestinian officials. Dialog can advance the
peace process.
I will sign on to American platitudes with somewhat more
enthusiasm when American officials start dialogs with the sources of
violence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Okay. I know they have a problem. I am not
sure they know who are the sources of that violence.
The air force is bombing empty areas of Gaza used as the
launching sites of missiles, and the roads to those sites. It is also flying
fast over Gaza and frightening the residents with sonic booms. Perhaps more
practical was last night's targeted killing of an Islamic Jihad figure who
has been involved in sending missiles into Israel. His organization promised
retaliation, and claimed to have fired four missiles toward Israel. None of
them, apparently, made it out of Gaza's airspace. Maybe we got the right
guy.
The proclamation of Iran's president, that Israel has no
right to exist, is depressing. It conveys the depth of hatred and indicates
once again that Jews' struggle for acceptance is not yet close to its end.
On the other hand, the proclamation is the best thing that
has happened for Israel's public relations since the United Nations voted
that Zionism is racism. Once again the idiots have gone too far. Official
condemnation has been very widespread. We have yet to see that condemnations
will end Iran's nuclear and missile programs.
All told, five Israeli deaths in Hadera and the Iranian
declaration make this a bad week for us. But they may make it a worse week
for those who want to destroy us.
Sharkansky is a member of the political science department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem |