2005-06-09-Gaza missiles

By Ira Sharkansky

Israeli polls now indicated that public support for withdrawal from Gaza is down below 50 percent. Earlier support was in the range of 70 percent. Crude rockets and mortars continue to fall on Israeli settlements in Gaza and nearby Israel. The government is resisting a serious response, seemingly to avoid blame for scuttling the peace process. Officials warn that Israel's tolerance is limited. So far, the missiles have not killed any Jews. The rockets are not sophisticated enough to aim with any precision, so where they fall is largely a matter of luck. Earlier this week, one fell on a workshop in a Jewish settlement; it killed two Palestinians and one Chinese worker. Israel responded by having a helicopter gunship fire at Palestinians transporting more missiles. The head of the Palestinian Authority responded to that by saying that Israel was breaking the cease fire. If a missile kills Jews, the Israeli response is likely to be more serious. Discrimination? Of course. Political reality? Sure.

Palestine should change its name to Neverland. It is probably safe from being put on trial for anything by an international court of justice.

Yesterday Ariel Sharon talked about continued Palestinian attacks, a lack of Palestinian action against violence, and reduced Israeli support for withdrawal. He said that withdrawal from Gaza would go ahead as planned, but warned that later concessions toward the Palestinians may not be possible if the Palestinian Authority does not alter its tolerance of violence. Even Shimon Peres says that Palestinian statebuilding cannot go forward without the disarming of the bands who try to kill Israelis. Neverland's future is doubtful. George Bush and European leaders want a state there, but they also oppose terror.

Meanwhile, we continue our lives, more or less peacefully, close up against an Arab society. The pastoral scene in one of the pictures attached is across the street. I took the photo from my balcony.

The other picture is less charming. I took it along our nightly stroll, about a kilometer from here. It shows the wall, still abuilding between most of us and most of them.

Sharkansky is a member of the political science department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem