[New Republic] Marty Peretz - Fifty Israeli trucks attempting to deliver fuel and food supplies to Palestinians in Gaza came under Palestinian mortar fire, Israel Radio reported. The New York Times added, "In addition, a mortar shell hit the Nahal Oz fuel terminal on Israel's border with Gaza as badly needed fuel was being transferred into the Palestinian area to supply the local power station." Jerusalem should not endanger one Israeli life to deliver anything to Gaza. It shouldn't have been making deliveries during the last two years when Hamas and comrades were firing missiles and rockets into the towns and kibbutzim of the Negev and into the ancient port city of Ashkelon. Gaza can get all the fuel and food it needs from Egypt, if the Egyptians want to provide it. Ms. Rice was a none-too-passive party to the 2005 full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. That turned into a disaster. Now she is working on her next disaster and trying to trim from the borders of Israel some measly bits of territory to grease the wheels. Everybody understood and really understands that Israel would retain a few large settlement blocks and the land between Jerusalem and the 40,000-plus people in Ma'aleh Adumin. A "return to the 1967 borders" is a slogan, it is not a peace map. First, those are not borders. They were never recognized as borders by any of the Arabs; they were fragile cease-fire lines. Second, history doesn't stop for the convenience of the Palestinians. They have to deal with history as it was made.
2008-05-05 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive