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Under Cover of Hudna
(Ha'aretz) - Aluf Benn Why is Israel so suspicious of the hudna among the Palestinian organizations? Experience shows that the Arabs have exploited cease-fires in the past to accumulate strength for the next round of conflict. In Jerusalem they know that the minute a cease-fire is declared, even a temporary one, it would satisfy the international community and even Israeli public opinion. If there really is quiet and the terrorist attacks cease, no one in the world will be interested in Israel's claims about "the strengthening of the terror organizations." The ball will be kicked into the Israeli court and the Sharon government will be required to fulfill its part of the road map on the way to a Palestinian state. Israel agreed to give the Palestinians three to six weeks before they take apart Hamas in Gaza. Israel estimates that in this period Hamas won't have time to rebuild its power. Yet if calm is achieved, the U.S. will have difficulty pressuring the Palestinians to embark on a civil war and Israel will be deprived of its military freedom in the territories.