Sacrifices?

The AP reports that in a speech yesterday, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said that, “Israel was quitting Gaza because of Palestinian ‘sacrifices’ and ‘patience.’”

Sacrifices? Patience? I wondered what he meant by that (since the only “sacrifices” I’ve seen from the Palestinians lately are suicide bombers), so I kept reading. A few paragraphs later I read:

On Friday, two Hamas militants were wounded when an explosive device they were carrying accidentally blew up before they could plant it near the evacuated Kfar Darom settlement, Palestinian officials said.

The extent of their injuries was unknown, said the security officials, who cannot be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media. The militants apparently wanted to target Israeli troops still guarding the emptied settlement to bolster Hamas claims of having driven the Israelis from Gaza.

Oh! These guys sacrificed their bodies when the bomb they were carrying went off prematurely. Though, I still don’t see any patience. Apparently, they couldn’t wait to set this bomb off. Maybe it’s like Christmas Morning to them. To me it’s just poetic justice.

The Master has an excellent column on the Gaza pullout. A highlight:

The Gaza withdrawal is not the beginning but the end. Apart from perhaps some evacuations of outlying settlements on the West Bank, it is the end of the concession road for Israel. And it is the beginning of the new era of self-sufficiency and separation in which Israel ensures its security not by concessions but by fortification, barrier creation, realism and patient waiting.

A few years ago, at the height of Israeli frustration with Arafat, the Israelis toyed with the idea of simply pulling back to reasonable borders, fortifying the borders, and calling an end to negotiations. Perhaps they have decided to take that route this time. The Master seems to think so. And it isn’t a bad idea. The new Palestinian leadership hasn’t lived up to the hype and hope. Israel must defend herself from continued Palestinian terror attacks since the Palestinian authority has done nothing to stop those attacks.

As the Master points out, the Palestinians are mistaken if they believe this is the beginning of massive Israeli withdrawals in the West Bank. This is Israel deciding unilaterally where the borders will be since the Palestinians have still not proven themselves to be partners in peace.

Sha-alu Shalom Yerushalayim
Psalm 122:6

–J.E. Heath
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