...Israel using their military to rescue a captured soldier, so long as they at least make some sort of convincing attempt not to harm civilians while doing so. I also agree that this benefits Hamas politically on a number of fronts and those benefits continue to grow as this situation continues. But the Shin Bet director said something very curious and worthy of further inspection:
The detention of Hamas parliamentarians in the early hours of Thursday morning had been planned several weeks ago and received approval from Mazuz on Wednesday. The same day, Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin presented Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with the list of Hamas officials slated for detention.
Shalit's been held for 6 days. The detention of Hamas parliamentarians was planned for "several weeks",
not in response to Shalit's capture. The Israeli Attorney General dismissied the idea that Shin Bet proposed of using these Hamas members as
hostages against Shalit's release. Good for him! Someone's still
thinking over there and they should get a medal for it.
But it has raised eyebrows all over the world just as it has in Israel about what, exactly, Olmert's plan with this is and what his goals are. This
opening paragraph from a Ha'Aretz editorial says succinctly what Americans, Canadians, Frenchmen, Arabs and most of the Israelis are thinking, the world over:
Bombing bridges that can be circumvented both by car and on foot; seizing an airport that has been in ruins for years; destroying a power station, plunging large parts of the Gaza Strip into darkness; distributing flyers suggesting that people be concerned about their fate; a menacing flight over Bashar Assad's palace; and arresting elected Hamas officials: The government wishes to convince us that all these actions are intended only to release the soldier Gilad Shalit.
It is clear, even now, that Olmert had something...larger in mind even before Shalit's capture. However, what those goals are is very fuzzy and I'm extremely concerned for the innocent Palestinians and Israelis who might suffer greatly in the
next move,
by either party in this grotesque misadventure.
PB