Even the Americans have learned something from their
experience in Iraq. "This is a negative insurgency," Brig.
Gen. Erwin Lessel, deputy director of operations for the
multinational forces, told a reporter for the New York
Times. "Unlike a classical insurgency, these groups don't
offer anything."
This is true of the Palestinians as well. All they advocate
is Jihad and shihad — that Arabs of all
ages should be willing to martyr themselves as long as they
murder a few Jews at the same time. The only program that
they follow is to murder and maim.
People in the West who have been brought up to believe in
progress and the spread of civilization, tend to believe that
"deep down" everyone thinks like them. They have been taught
that every national movement is driven by politics or by
economic interests. The Western press repeats incessantly
that the Palestinians are fighting because they want a state
of their own. They ignore the facts of recent history which
are that the fighting broke out right after they were offered
a state by Israeli Prime Minister Barak.
Proof that their prime motive has become destruction of Jews
and has nothing to do with self-interest in any reasonable
sense is the fact that they are largely unconcerned about
murdering fellow Palestinians — including themselves
— as long as they can also murder a few Jews.
Last week two suicide bombers attacked the Karni Crossing.
This is a vital crossover point through which pass
Palestinian produce on its way to Israeli markets and Israeli
products on their way to Palestinian markets. The people and
products that pass through it are vital to the daily life of
virtually all residents of Gaza.
For security reasons that are evident to anyone — so
that the guards can survey the surrounding area to ensure
that suspicious folks do not get close — the Crossing
was only open during daylight hours. In response to constant
humanitarian pressure to ease life for the innocent
Palestinians, Israel had recently consented to keep it open
until 11 p.m., and was considering operating it 24 hours a
day. All this to make it easier for Palestinian commerce, to
ease the difficulties that the demands of security impose.
This easing was almost immediately exploited by the murderers
to approach the gate that leads into the Israeli part under
cover of darkness, to attach a huge bomb to it and blast
their way through, and then to come through with guns
blazing, murdering Israeli civilians until they were shot by
the defenders.
It goes without saying that now the Karni Crossing will be
closed entirely for some time.
Those responsible are not the Israeli authorities who do the
actual closing, but the bloodthirsty terrorists who care
nothing for human life and human suffering. If the
Palestinians stop the terror, Israel will no doubt move very
quickly to ease life for the Palestinians who are not
involved in terror.
When Israelis are murdered, the Palestinians dance in the
streets. Families return to their apartments in the line of
fire from both Palestinian terrorists and Israeli defenders
even after being hospitalized.
Some Palestinian spokesmen have claimed that they have an
advantage since they are not afraid to die and the Jews are
weak because we are too concerned about living.
"No nation can negotiate with terrorists," US President Bush
said, "for there is no way to make peace with those whose
only goal is death."
It is also hard and painful to make war with them. But we are
sure that life will triumph over death, and especially we who
have the true wellspring of life: Eitz chaim hi
lamachazimim boh.
