July 23, 2008
A friend of ours remarked at dinner the other night that we live in a tough neighborhood. He was not referring specifically to Haifa, but more to the general atmosphere in this part of the world.
For the second time in three weeks a Palestinian resident from East Jerusalem went on a rampage with a bulldozer in central Jerusalem. This took place on fashionable King David Street, near the King David Hotel in mid-day; a neighborhood very familiar to us when we stay in Jerusalem. How many times have we walked on that same street. Barak Obama spent the night at the King David Hotel last night.
Eighteen Israeli civilians were injured, one seriously, before the driver of the bulldozer was shot and killed by a Border Police officer and a civilian. It is worth noting that many citizens of Jerusalem have permits and carry sidearms.
Security sources expressed concern yesterday at the sharp rise in the number of attacks in the capital, and the role of East Jerusalem's Arab residents in them. Since the start of the new year there have been five major attacks in Jerusalem, claiming the lives of 12 Israelis.
The combination of a lone gunman, who decides to attack without having an organizational structure behind him, and the freedom of movement an Israeli identity card guarantees East Jerusalem Arabs, apparently constitutes a weak point in the security situation, making it difficult to prevent similar attacks in the future.
There are some in Israel's security service who advocate destroying the homes of the perpetrators in order to preserve deterrence. At the same time Jewish settlement activity in Arab neighborhoods of the city is on the increase in an effort to push Arabs out of East Jerusalem.
The rage of the bulldozer drivers suggests a breakdown in Palestinian leadership. One man, then another, and another, and another, wake up one morning and, just like that, go into the street to attack yeshiva boys, run over children under the wheels of a bulldozer, shoot at Border Police officers.
Akiva Eldar writes in this morning's "Haaretz" that fanatical minorities on both sides are dragging two nations behind them into the abyss. Somewhere, somehow, there has to be a formula that will begin to move these two peoples toward a two state solution, allowing each nation to live without fear or threat and with a measure of trust. At this point, unfortunately, it does not look like the political will toward achieving this goal is there.
Frank
For the second time in three weeks a Palestinian resident from East Jerusalem went on a rampage with a bulldozer in central Jerusalem. This took place on fashionable King David Street, near the King David Hotel in mid-day; a neighborhood very familiar to us when we stay in Jerusalem. How many times have we walked on that same street. Barak Obama spent the night at the King David Hotel last night.
Eighteen Israeli civilians were injured, one seriously, before the driver of the bulldozer was shot and killed by a Border Police officer and a civilian. It is worth noting that many citizens of Jerusalem have permits and carry sidearms.
Security sources expressed concern yesterday at the sharp rise in the number of attacks in the capital, and the role of East Jerusalem's Arab residents in them. Since the start of the new year there have been five major attacks in Jerusalem, claiming the lives of 12 Israelis.
The combination of a lone gunman, who decides to attack without having an organizational structure behind him, and the freedom of movement an Israeli identity card guarantees East Jerusalem Arabs, apparently constitutes a weak point in the security situation, making it difficult to prevent similar attacks in the future.
There are some in Israel's security service who advocate destroying the homes of the perpetrators in order to preserve deterrence. At the same time Jewish settlement activity in Arab neighborhoods of the city is on the increase in an effort to push Arabs out of East Jerusalem.
The rage of the bulldozer drivers suggests a breakdown in Palestinian leadership. One man, then another, and another, and another, wake up one morning and, just like that, go into the street to attack yeshiva boys, run over children under the wheels of a bulldozer, shoot at Border Police officers.
Akiva Eldar writes in this morning's "Haaretz" that fanatical minorities on both sides are dragging two nations behind them into the abyss. Somewhere, somehow, there has to be a formula that will begin to move these two peoples toward a two state solution, allowing each nation to live without fear or threat and with a measure of trust. At this point, unfortunately, it does not look like the political will toward achieving this goal is there.
Frank
posted by Frank and Pat Fischer at
6:58 AM
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