Masterful sleight of hand has once again allowed the Palestinian leadership to profess peace, while keeping terror on a slow flame.  The reward of yet more billions in international aid was swiftly followed by hate broadcasts and terror.  Official Palestinian television mocked the “infidels” blown up in London.  Hamas rained mayhem on Israel, rushing to meet the “use-by” date on its stores of rockets and mortars.  They can’t let Sharon’s disengagement plan leave the rewards to Abu Mazen and his cronies.

Use by:  Gaza disengagement

DAVID FRANKFURTER

Hamas and much of Fatah pledged themselves to assist Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) by granting a prolonged period of quiet.  It gave room to maneuver in negotiations with Israel and the West.  Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) didn't join the tactical ceasefire, and together with rebel Fatah factions, kept terror on a low flame, reminding Israel and the world of the “danger which could be unleashed” if Abu Mazen did not get his way.  At each stage, as long as the shootings, suicide bombings and other terror attacks were foiled or kept at a tolerable level, Israel was restrained. 

It’s hard to understand why Israel absorbs shootings, rockets and hundreds of terror attempts foiled, without response.  I go numb at the idea that the attempted (let alone actual) death or maiming of innocent civilians is somehow tolerable.

On July 12, 2005 PIJ crossed the invisible line. Teenager Ahmad Sami Abu-Halil was sent to his suicide bomber’s death a day after finishing high school, killing five outside a shopping mall in the seaside city of Netanya.  Two days later, Israel entered Nablus killing one and arresting a second senior PIJ terrorist.  The Palestinians had once again achieved their objectives of keeping the conflict on a low flame, ready to turn it up whenever convenient.  The PA pays lip service to what is euphemistically labeled “security reforms”, and gives a sly wink: Abbas publicly says he won’t act against terror unless it is a direct threat to his own authority.  The Palestinian leadership portrays itself as willing, but unable, to stop the violence.  They continue to pretend to be bent on peace, while actually waging war.  Selectively, the militias take recreation leave, re-arm, and the Fatah Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades once again dip into the European funded salary budgets, by formally signing on to the PA Security Services.  Fortunately these new jobs aren’t strenuous enough to disturb their furlough.  Lt. Gen. William Ward testified before Congress that on any given day, only about 20,000 of the 58,000 PA “Security Service” employees turn up for work.

Then, hard on the heels of the London bombing, Abu Mazen’s goal was reached.  The G-8 endorsed $ 3 billion in fresh aid.  Abu Mazen had successfully emulated Arafat’s masterful post-Oslo sleight of hand, milking concessions by convincing the world that the Palestinian leadership is peacemaking, but just needs world support, patience and unrelenting pressure on Israel.  And, as icing on the cake, George Bush overturned objections on Capitol Hill and directed $50 million be paid directly into the Palestinian Authority Treasury - which has a long and unbroken history of corruption, theft and funding violence.

With astounding cynicism, PA controlled television immediately returned to its regular hate fare.  In an indirect reference to the previous day’s London bombings, Imam Suleiman Al-Satari’s Friday broadcast sermon was inspiring.  “Annihilate the Infidels ... Allah, count them and kill them to the last one, and don't leave even one.” A nice touch, especially given that the PA's broadcasting budget and the salaries of its television staff are so generously supported by the EU and the UK’s Department for International Development. No wonder Bush needed to sign a special order to bypass Senate imposed controls intended to stop American money from supporting or glorifying terror.

With Abu Mazen’s achievements maximized, and Hamas recuperated and restocked, it was time to flex muscle.  When Sharon got his disengagement plan underway, by closing Israeli passage to the Gaza strip to all but current residents, and reemphasised that full withdrawal will proceed regardless of Palestinian violence, Hamas realised that it could not miss a “last opportunity” to thump its chest.  They had to convince the Palestinian public that it was Hamas violence, and not PA diplomacy, that pushed Israel out of Gaza. 

In mid July, a steady rain of mortars and Qassam rockets came out of the Gaza strip for days on end.  If Hamas’ objective was to provoke Israel into military action, succeed it did.  The almost hourly barrage became intolerable, and when Dana Galkowicz was murdered two weeks after her twenty-second birthday, Israel acted against the warheads and their operators. The IDF sent air and ground troops to eliminate specific ammunition dumps and their operators. 

Those who are familiar with the writings of Ha'aretz columnist Amira Hass will know her as a Jewish Israeli resident of Ramallah, who is openly sympathetic to her adopted Palestinian hosts.  Her report gives a new perspective on Hamas’ latest cease-fire breach.

GAZA - A Palestinian journalist asked an armed Hamas militant yesterday why his organization had suddenly begun to fire Qassam rockets again after two months of quiet. His answer: “Do you know how many Qassams we have? What are we going to do with them next month, after disengagement?”

Some people say that six months after being manufactured, the Qassams explode by themselves. If so, it might explain the urgency Hamas suddenly feels to get rid of them. But the issue behind the escalation of violence is fundamentally one of internal Palestinian competition.

Put yourselves in the shoes of the family of  pretty, young Dana Galkowicz.  Sitting on the patio, inside ‘undisputed’ Israeli territory, watching the sun go down at the end of a long day.  Murdered by a Qassam manufactured under the watchful eye of the Palestinian Authority, and international guarantees of a “quiet period”.  Killed because the Palestinians were acting out some internal squabble.  Or just because the rocket was reaching its use-by date.

© David Frankfurter 2005.  All rights reserved.