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Thursday, June 12, 2008
Today's News
- Suspicion: Palestinians Tried to Infiltrate Israel With Booby-Trapped Vehicle
- by Hanan Greenberg (YNet)
As Israel’s Gaza-vicinity communities were hit with dozens of mortars and rockets, Palestinian terrorists reportedly attempted to infiltrate the country with an explosives-laden vehicle.
IDF soldiers identified a bulldozer suspiciously approaching the security fence in northern Gaza, not far from the Israeli community of Netiv Ha’asara. At some point the bulldozer came to a halt and a man was seen stepping out of it and fleeing the scene. The troops proceeded to open fire and hit the man. No injuries were reported among the soldiers, and an investigation has been launched into the incident.
- From ‘Closer-Than-Ever’ Operation to Truce
- by Yaakov Katz (The Jerusalem Post)
On Wednesday, after months of stalling, the security cabinet finally made a decision not to launch an operation, but to proceed with the Egyptian- mediated cease-fire track. [Today], Barak’s senior aide Amos Gilad will fly to Cairo to convey Israel’s official decision to accept the truce. …
According to officials involved in the talks with Egypt, a cease-fire will likely go into effect before the weekend. The person who pushed in the cabinet for accepting the truce was none other than Barak, the same Barak who said less than a week ago that a military operation was closer than ever.
- U.S. Army Training Egyptians to Find, Destroy Arms Tunnels
- by Barak Ravid (Haaretz)
The United States Army has begun training Egyptian soldiers to locate and destroy tunnels, in an effort to improve the Egyptian army’s ability to cope with arms-smuggling from Sinai to the Gaza Strip.
A second, larger group of Egyptian soldiers is also due to arrive shortly for training, which is taking place at a U.S. Army base in Texas.
- How Has Gaza Changed Since Hamas Seized Control?
- by Reuters
A year after Hamas Islamists seized control of the Gaza Strip, the economy is in meltdown under an Israeli-led blockade, security on the streets is tight, and there are signs more conservative social trends are emerging. …
The majority of Gaza’s 3,900 factories have shut down since Israel tightened its blockade after Hamas’s takeover, barring most industrial materials. Palestinian officials estimate about 100,000 people have lost their jobs since June.
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Setting the Record Straight
"I think Israel’s security has got to come first there and I think that … in many ways this is a zero-sum game, that when we as a government spend our time and our energy and our effort on something like what I think is a misguided attempt right now to come to an agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, when I don’t believe the Palestinians are ready for such an agreement. … [W]hen we spend our time and our energy and our efforts focused so intensively on that kind of—of an arrangement, we do not have the time and the attention and the energy that we need and we ought to have focused on Iran. It’s a zero-sum game for us and I think we need to make different choices."
-Elizabeth Cheney, former Deputy Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, AIPAC Policy Conference Round Table, June 2, 2008
VS.
"The effort of General Dayton to build a strong effective professional military force for the Palestinians is succeeding; it’s a story of success. What it shows you—that when the United States of America wanted something will be done and insisted upon it, it happens and it succeeds. … And the last word about the American perspective and here you know it better than I do but I will say it. There is no way to preserve the American interest in the Middle East as long as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved."
–Member of Knesset and former Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General (ret.) Ephraim Sneh, AIPAC Policy Conference Round Table, June 2, 2008
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Gaza Under Hamas: One Year Later
TODAY'S FEATURE
Taghreed El-Khodary
"The United States needs to be thinking in the long term. People have tried Hamas and seen what it is capable of. But the most frustrating thing is that Israel and the United States are not helping to show them an alternative."
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by Taghreed El-Khodary, New York Times journalist in Gaza and Harvard University Nieman Fellow (2005-2006). Interviewed by Middle East Bulletin. This is the worst time that Gaza has ever gone through. The situation is deteriorating on a daily basis because of the harsh effects of the closure. It touches every element of daily life in Gaza. … [P]eople tell me that they are realizing that life is not all about food. Life is about other things, too. They tell me that they see Hamas has insured internal security and that’s maybe the only thing they have insured. … But people are saying, internal security is not everything, you need the other elements in life— you need to have a job, you need to see a future for your children. Young people need to plan for their future. They should not feel suffocated. And you have people wondering when and how the situation will improve. Access the full interview>>
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Middle East Analysis
by Brian Katulis, senior fellow, Center for American Progress, adviser Middle East Progress and Moran Banai, U.S. editor, Middle East Bulletin. Original commentary.
Gaza presents many ticking time bombs—ones that left unattended could derail broader efforts to revive the peace process. To prevent that from happening, the United States, working with key regional and global allies, needs to take the lead in focusing on measures to improve the quality of life in Gaza, provide Gazans with the hope for a better future, and initiate a plan to deescalate the violence. At the same time, the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah must demonstrate that it is cognizant of the difficulties of life in Gaza and that it is working assiduously to improve the situation.
The first priority should be taking practical steps that find a way to improve the quality of life of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip while taking into account Israel’s critical security concerns. Gazans should see that the policy of isolating Hamas is not intended to punish them. …
A de-escalation should aim to get a commitment from Hamas leaders to stop the rocket and mortar attacks with the aim of achieving calm on Israel’s southern borders. The issue of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured at the Kerem Shalom crossing nearly two years ago, and the possibility for prisoner exchanges, will likely have to be part of a de-escalation package. …
Defusing the Gaza time bombs requires taking tangible steps on the Annapolis process that began last November. … A final peace deal before President Bush leaves office continues to seem elusive, but President Abbas needs to demonstrate to the Palestinian people that his path of negotiations can bring results. Taking concrete steps to defuse the crisis in Gaza can prevent broader instability as well as revitalize a peace process that has suffered from too much inattention for years. Access the full article>>
by Nidal al-Mughrabi (Reuters)
A year after Hamas Islamists seized control of the Gaza Strip, Abu Hafss is waiting impatiently to see a sword remove the hand of a thief or a woman stoned to death for adultery. "Hamas does not implement the rule of God," the Palestinian ally of al Qaeda said. "We have seen no one have his hand cut off for stealing. We have seen no one stoned as an adulterer." Yet for all Abu Hafss’ disappointment with the approach Hamas has adopted since it routed secular rivals in Gaza a year ago, some analysts believe smaller, more radical groups like Abu Hafss’ secretive Jaysh al-Ummah (Army of the Nation) have benefited from the Hamas takeover to expand their membership.
Despite an official Hamas policy of respecting the rights of Gaza’s small Christian minority, there has been an increase in attacks on Christians in the past year, apparently by Islamists not content with the extent of Hamas’s "Islamisation" of Gaza. Among the outward signs of that have been a proliferation of beards on men and headscarves on some women, along with the virtual disappearance of alcohol and a ban on pornographic websites—though Hamas officials reject accusations that they are embarked on a program to impose Islamic law on daily life. …
In an environment where a tightened Israeli blockade against Hamas has increased hardships for people in the enclave, more radical forms of Islam appear to some analysts to be exercising a growing influence over some Palestinians. Access the full article>>
by Shaul Arieli, former commander of the northern brigade in the Gaza Strip and head of the Negotiations Management Center under PM Ehud Barak (bitterlemons.org)
The policy of "throwing away the keys" that characterized the IDF withdrawal and removal of settlements from the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2005 played right into Hamas’ hands as it sought to achieve political and social objectives based on a strategy of "armed struggle" and non-recognition of Israel. …
Until agreement is reached, if at all, both sides continue to pursue the military track in an attempt to augment ceasefire conditions. …
Recent political and domestic developments are also relevant to ceasefire conditions: The "Talansky affair," … The electoral campaign anticipated in Israel in the coming months, … The most recent visit to Tehran by Hamas leader Khaled Mishaal, … With recent statements by Fateh activists in mind, Hamas has of late concentrated on trying to bring about Qatari involvement in mediating between the two movements. …
Given these developments, Hamas is ironically prepared to relax its conditions and agree to a "test of intentions" before Israel opens the Gaza passages. It assesses that current and anticipated conditions—the absence of serious Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the weakening of Fatah, a new American president, Iran’s stronger position—will enable it to enjoy the "fruits" of a ceasefire more than Israel, until the ceasefire can in any case be improved upon. Access the full article>>
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Heard on the Street
Tony Blair, Quartet Special Envoy to the Middle East, address to the House of Commons, June 5, 2008:
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict "is even more important than I thought it was when I was prime minister … It is fundamental to sorting out the region, it is fundamental to peace between the world of Islam and the world of the West and it’s fundamental, of course most importantly, to a decent future for Israelis and Palestinians … What we need to do is to get a period of calm, to get a cease-fire in Gaza, progressively to start reopening the crossings, start to get proper humanitarian help through and then build our way back out of this to a situation where the people of Gaza can be helped."
Background Basics
One year later, we look back on the recommendations made by Center for American Progress Senior Fellows Mara Rudman and Brian Katulis for a plan of action to address the growing crisis in Gaza and the larger Israeli- Palestinian peace process:
Recommendations
1. “The United States must … bring all the countries with a direct stake in ensuring that the Palestinian people have a future considerably better than their recent past: not only Israel, but the entire Arab League must be brought into the conversation …”
On November 27, 2007, the United States hosted the Annapolis Conference, which included delegations from 49 countries, including Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Mideast Quartet, the Arab League Follow-up Committee, the G-8, permanent members of the UN Security Council and other key actors. At the conference, Israeli and Palestinian leaders announced a joint statement to seek a peace agreement by the end of 2008.
Following the conference, President Bush visited the Middle East in January and May, and Secretary of State Rice made multiple visits to the region in March, April and May. Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders have also discussed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in recent White House meetings.
2. “Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank should start by working toward a political resolution of their conflict …”
The Annapolis conference began direct, bilateral negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian governments, which have reportedly made little progress.
3. “Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank should … take steps to build a Palestinian state anchored in the West Bank …"
• Movement and access: Following Annapolis, Israel pledged to remove 60 roadblocks, but a subsequent April UN report found that Israel removed only 44. The Israeli Defense Forces recently agreed to remove ten roadblocks from Hebron.
• Joint security measures: In coordination with Israel, 300 Palestinian security forces deployed in Nablus in October 2007. These forces faced problems including continued Israeli raids, movement restrictions and an Israeli reluctance to supply certain equipment. On May 3, approximately 500 reportedly under-trained and under- equipped Palestinian policemen deployed to the militant stronghold of Jenin with the directive of combating crime and engaging in counter-terrorism efforts.
• Settlements: At Annapolis, Israel pledged to begin implementing Road Map obligations including a freeze on settlement expansion. The Israeli government, however, continues to approve construction tenders. The Bush Administration has criticized continued settlement expansion, and Palestinian officials cite Israel’s continued settlement expansion as a critical obstacle to progress.
• Palestinian political reform: The international community pledged $7.4 billion to support the Palestinian economy and government in December 2007. Palestinian PM Fayyad is enacting a reform plan to eliminate fraud within the PA by restoring order and security to the West Bank, soliciting donor funds from abroad and creating a clean image for the government.
• Arab League support for the Palestinian economy: The December conference included $835 million in pledges from Arab League states, only $215 million of which have been received. Members of the Arab League also participated in the recent Palestine Investment Conference in Bethlehem, where Saudi and Qatari companies signed agreements for $550 million in Palestinian construction projects.
4. “While making political progress in the West Bank the primary focus, we cannot abandon Gaza. First and foremost, members of the Arab League should take the lead in facilitating humanitarian operations in Gaza to address the growing crisis there.”
Since Hamas’ expulsion of Fatah government officials, all Gaza border crossings with Israel remain closed. Israel continues to allow UN-supplied humanitarian aid to reach Gazans. This closure has brought the Gazan economy to a standstill. In January, militants blew a series of holes in the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, allowing Gazans to enter Egypt for a brief period of time.
5. “In the near term, the Middle East Quartet should work jointly with Israel and the Arab League to negotiate a cease-fire. …"
In March, Yemen attempted to mediate a Fatah-Hamas agreement to renew direct negotiations between the two sides. On June 4, Abbas called for a “national dialogue” with Hamas without preconditions. The two factions recently sent representatives to hold talks under Senegalese auspices in Dakar, Senegal. Abbas also plans to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus in the coming weeks.
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Middle East Progress appreciates the support and cooperation of Americans for Peace Now, Geneva Initiative, Israel Policy Forum, and New Israel Fund.
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