ISRAEL AND HAMAS

I am reading all those pieces about the latest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and getting irritated by the minute.

At first glance, one might ask - why kidnap a 19-year-old soldier who obviously has no real advantageous knowledge about anything remotely relevant? Is the release of those women and children really what the Palestinian terrorists want?

I say no. This was a carefully planned attack - not only on Israel but also on the Palestinian leadership, who is split between a somewhat peaceful coexistence with Israel and an all-out war. This is about reinforcing the need for jihad more than anything else. It is about not allowing any peace talks to resume and proceed to some tangible conclusion. This is about justifying the use of terror tactics and about leaving Israel no other option but to retaliate. That is key - they want Israel to retaliate.

The inability of the Palestinian people to realize that they are themselves mere puppets when it comes to all this… That is astonishing too. As long as they support actions such as the latest attack and their government's role in it as well, they will remain isolated and hungry and their lives will be in danger. I don’t see exactly what’s in it for them. And even if one might argue that they are so destitute that they don't have much to lose, I still cling to ideals such as dignity and the value of life.

Most annoying though is the arrogance of some of those Palestinian figures. Ali Jarbawi, a professor and dean at Birzeit University, had the nerve to say that this is what happens when Israel enacts unilateral policies under the assumption that there is no “Palestinian partner". Hell yes! That is exactly the case - there isn’t a Palestinian partner willing to engage in rational, reasonable talks with the Israeli government.

There is, however, a Palestinian neighbor who fires Qassam rockets at Israeli towns regularly; there is a Palestinian leadership who won't even recognize the Israeli state; there is a Palestinian population thriving on jihadist propaganda and such propaganda, combined with the lack of food and the corruption of the Palestinian leaders, can do wonders for any Holy War.

So no, I don’t think I can envision a Palestinian partner right now. Not since Hamas won those ill-fated Palestinian elections.

I confess I am pessimistic about the fate of Cpl. Gilad Shalit. The last kidnapped Israeli soldier was Nachson Wachsman, in 1994 - also 19 years old. Wachsman died during the rescue operation. Not to mention the mystery surrounding Ron Arad, the pilot shot down in Lebanon in 1986 and whose whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

Call me naïve, but I still wait for the day when the Palestinians will stop blaming the Israelis (and Jews for that matter) for not seizing what was given to them as a result of the UN Partition Plan. Impossible? Probably.

Still, if one wants to talk about which, among the two Abramamic religions, was in Israel (the land known as Israel today) first, that would actually have been the Jews (or Hebrews). After all, the Hebrews have been Hebrews (or Jews) for longer than the Muslims have been Muslims. And if there is need to go back even further, sure - they were both there at the same time, as they are both offshoots of the same ethnic and linguistic group. Why can't anyone remember that?