Friday, July 04, 2008

Time to reflect on realistic options

July 4, 2008

Time to reflect on realistic options

ISRAELI intelligence reports suggest that Wednesday's bulldozer attack in occupied Jerusalem was the work of a group aligned with Lebanon's Hizbollah. The reports say that the attack was in in revenge for the Israeli killing of the Lebanese group’s military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, in Damascus last February, and came in line with Hizbollah leaders' pledge that the Mughniyeh killing would be avenged by unconventional means that would shock Israelis.
Thursday's attack was claimed by at least three groups, but the most credible among them appeared to be one made by a group calling itself the Galilee Liberation Brigades, which has claimed two earlier suicide attacks in occupied Jerusalem. The three attacks were carried out by lone Palestinians living in occupied Jerusalem.
The claim of responsibility by the Galilee Liberation Brigades was broadcast by Hizballah’s Al Manar TV station in Lebanon.
Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who addressed a a news conference in Beirut just hours after Thursday's attack, did not refer to the incident. He spoke only about an impending prisoner exchange with Israel and confirmed that Hizbollah would be fulfilling its end of the bargain as committed in indirect negotiations with Israel.
Obviously, Israeli intelligence believes that it was no accident that Nasrallah's press conference came shortly after the Jerusalem attack and that his “diplomatic” statements without any reference to the attack was aimed at demonstrating to his fellow Arabs and Muslims that actions spoke louder than words (However, there is no explanation why Hizbollah would stay away from claiming that it had fulfilled its pledge of revenge for the Mughniyeh killing).
Indeed, Israel is free to interpret Hizbollah statements and actions anyway it finds fit as long as it stays away from inflicting harm on the people of Lebanon. The Lebanese have paid a bitter price for external meddling in their internal affairs and it is high time they are left alone to live in peace and rebuild their lives.
On the other end, it was unclear whether Israel would use the Jerusalem attack as a means of pressure against the Palestinian Hamas
ISRAELI intelligence reports suggest that Wednesday's bulldozer attack in occupied Jerusalem was the work of a group aligned with Lebanon's Hizbollah. The reports say that the attack was in revenge for the Israeli killing of the Lebanese group’s military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, in Damascus last February, and came in line with Hizbollah leaders' pledge that the Mughniyeh killing would be avenged by unconventional means that would shock Israelis.
Thursday's attack was claimed by at least three groups, but the most credible among them appeared to be one made by a group calling itself the Galilee Liberation Brigades, which has claimed two earlier suicide attacks in occupied Jerusalem. The three attacks were carried out by lone Palestinians living in occupied Jerusalem.
Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who addressed a news conference in Beirut just hours after Thursday's attack, did not refer to the incident. He spoke only about an impending prisoner exchange with Israel and confirmed that Hizbollah would be fulfilling its end of the bargain as committed in indirect negotiations with Israel.
Obviously, Israeli intelligence believes that it was no accident that Nasrallah's press conference came shortly after the Jerusalem attack and that his “diplomatic” statement without any reference to the attack was aimed at demonstrating to his fellow Arabs and Muslims that actions spoke louder than words.
Indeed, Israel is free to interpret Hizbollah statements and actions anyway it finds fit as long as it stays away from inflicting harm on the people of Lebanon. The Lebanese have paid a bitter price for external meddling in their internal affairs and it is high time they are left alone to live in peace and rebuild their lives.
On the other end, it was unclear whether Israel would use the Jerusalem attack as a means of pressure against the Palestinian Hamas movement and reimpose a blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas's response to the attack was that it was not responsible for the action but that such assaults were the natural reaction to Israel's brutal occupation of the Palestinian territories.
There is no reason to believe that Hamas, which has demonstrated a firm commitment to the truce it agreed with Israel last month, would engage in actions that contradict its pledges. Of all people, the Israelis know it well. Hopefully, Israel would not resort to deception and use Thursday's attack as a pretext to inflict harm on the people of Gaza by reimposing its blockade of the territory.
Surely, the Israelis are wise enough not to undermine the state of relative calm on the Gaza front with actions that they know well would unfounded. It is time for all sides to reflect on their options with a view to figuring out whether confrontation or moderation is the means to work out peace, tranquillity and life in security, safety and indeed dignity for their people.