Facing Up To The Challenge Of Reality In Gaza

The Qassam rockets that slammed into Sderot today along with the huge tunnel discovered near the Karni crossing served as bleak reminders that the Gaza
challenge cannot be ignored.

A challenge that is growing by leaps and bounds as weapons and military know-how pour in from Egypt while the various militias compete to build an extensive network of tunnels and other facilities for the war against Israel.

The Gaza threat is hardly a "local" nuisance. The capabilities being developed will put a considerable part of Israel within striking distance - this when major strategic facilities are already within range of weapons systems that have already be operated from Gaza. And while a painfully escalating ongoing war of attrition, in-and-of-itself, would be detrimental to the Jewish State, this pales in comparison to the danger the Gaza threat poses should Palestinian attacks take place within the framework of a regional clash.

What, then, is the solution?

Give Egypt a more active role? They haven't taken seriously their
obligation to control the flood of weapons from Egypt into Gaza and their chief interest so far has appeared to be preserving the strength of the various illegal militias.

International inspectors? They've been a farce at the Rafah Crossing. How about negotiating a "hudna"? But all "hudna" means is that the Palestinians can focus their resources on preparing for battle as they don't have to fear Israeli strikes on their facilities.

How about going to final status talks? In the best of realistic scenarios it means ultimately facing the very same threat but with the added complication that Gaza is an internationally recognized sovereign entity.

So what's left?

Retaking overall control of Gaza would hardly be a picnic. But it is still very doable. And at a cost that's a bargain as compared to the cost of postponing the inevitable.

EU Begins Paying Aid To Palestinians

The European Union said Friday it has begun paying "social allowances" to 625,000 Palestinians left unpaid and impoverished because of the financial crisis besetting the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

The funds - made through a program overseen by the World Bank - bypass the Palestinian Authority government and benefit "those who have suffered a significant loss of income" when much foreign aid and some of the Palestinians' own revenues dried up after Hamas came to power earlier this year.
Besides direct cash payments of about US$347 to each person, EU money will finance Palestinian health services and utilities, notably fuel to run generators.

Among the 625,000 Palestinians now receiving direct financial support are 11,500 health workers who are no longer being paid, said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

The EU is funneling some US$771,000 a month through the program, launched in July for a three-month period. Ferrero-Waldner said she hoped a review this month would result in its continuation.

In all, the EU has put aside $135 million to be disbursed through the aid plan. The 25 EU states are contributing another €35 million $45 million.

"We have kept our promise to help relieve the suffering of the Palestinian people during the current crisis," she told reporters before the start of a two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers who considered ways to revive the Middle East peace process after the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Ferrero-Waldner said that, to date, the EU special funding program has paid for, among other things, medical supplies to 413 primary health care centers and 22 hospitals, and the purchase of 1.5 million liters of fuel to run air conditioning and generators at hospitals and water facilities, after the Gaza power plant was knocked out by Israel in July.

Also Friday, the EU pledged $64 million in humanitarian aid to Palestinians at a donors' conference in Sweden. UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland said several other "impressive new pledges" were made at the meeting that focused on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

"I believe today we will take a big step forward toward raising more than $200 million for an EU emergency appeal to help Palestinians," he said in Stockholm.

Jerusalem Post
09.02.2006