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Prepared for the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
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In-Depth Issues:
Israel Completes Withdrawal from Gaza - Ethan Bronner (New York Times)
Arab Reporter Confirms Hamas Fired Rockets Near TV Offices - Yoav Stern (Ha'aretz)
Israel Denies Gaza Munitions Had Depleted Uranium - Ian Deitch
(AP/Washington Post)
Intelligence Warns of Hizbullah Attack Avenging Mughniyeh - Yaakov Katz (Jerusalem Post)
Al-Qaeda Bungles Arms Experiment - Eli Lake
(Washington Times)
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
"With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat....For those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you." "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." (AP) See also Israeli Officials: Obama a True Friend - Roni Sofer Barack Obama is a "true friend of Israel" who identifies emotionally not only with the state, but also with the people of Israel, a senior official in Jerusalem said Tuesday. These sentiments reflect the view of Israel's political and security establishment. "We have become familiar with many of the new administration's members during joint activity spreading over 10-15 years," a Foreign Ministry official said. (Ynet News) European countries, oil-rich Arab kingdoms and the UN have all pledged money or aid for Gaza reconstruction, but none of the donors wants to deal with Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza but is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the EU and the U.S. Israeli Prime Minister Olmert repeated Tuesday that Israel would block the delivery of reconstruction aid and building materials to Gaza if they benefit Hamas. Israel's preferred partner is the PA, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, which was forcibly tossed out of Gaza by Hamas in June 2007. (Washington Post) See also Meeting of Arab Leaders on Gaza Ends in Discord - Diana Elias Arab leaders trying to come up with a plan to rebuild Gaza ended their meeting Tuesday in Kuwait in discord, unable to agree on whether to back Egyptian peace efforts or even set up a joint reconstruction fund. The violence in Gaza split Arab countries into two camps - one led by Syria and Qatar supporting Hamas hard-liners, and another led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia hoping to lure the Palestinians toward more moderation. (AP/Washington Post) See also Olmert to Ban: Rebuild Gaza Not Hamas - Herb Keinon (Jerusalem Post) Paris will talk to the Islamist Hamas movement when it shows it is ready to seek peace with Israel, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Tuesday. "We believe we will have to talk to them when they accept the peace process, when they agree to start negotiations," he told French lawmakers. Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier said, "We are prepared to talk to a [Palestinian] national unity government that respects the principle of the peace process and that will engage in negotiations with Israel on creating a Palestinian state living peacefully side by side with Israel." (AFP-France24) Waving green Islamic flags, Hamas held more than a dozen victory rallies across Gaza attended by thousands of supporters Tuesday. Addressing a crowd near Gaza City's demolished parliament building, Ismail Radwan, a Hamas leader, declared: "Gaza is not our goal. The liberation of all of Palestine, from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, God willing, will be achieved." Gaza resident Jawdat Abu Nahel dismissed Hamas' victory claims. "We can't talk about real victory because there were thousands of martyrs, and we didn't liberate anything," he said. (AP) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for assurance that any UN investigation of the damage resulting from the war in Gaza includes the damage Palestinian-fired rockets caused in Israel. Ban has agreed to do so, a top government official said. (Ha'aretz) Hamas is intentionally harming humanitarian aid transferred from Israel by firing mortars at the Karni, Kissufim and Kerem Shalom crossings, the IDF liaison office for Gaza said. Palestinians fired eight mortar shells from central Gaza on Tuesday and the Israel Air Force responded to the shelling. Military sources said a harsh aerial response can be expected if the cross-border attacks continue. The Palestinians also fired light weapons into Israel on Tuesday near the Kissufim crossing and also set off an explosive charge. (Ha'aretz) A Fatah official said that on Monday night alone, Hamas gunmen intercepted 12 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid that had been donated by the Jordanian government to Palestinians in Gaza. The trucks were on their way to UNRWA headquarters when Hamas gunmen stopped them and confiscated their contents. Jordanian authorities confirmed on Tuesday that Hamas gunmen had seized the trucks shortly after they entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Last week Fatah activists and eyewitnesses claimed that Hamas had confiscated fuel and food that was en route to hospitals and schools housing thousands of Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):
I knew Gaza well, so after the cease-fire I was able to see for myself. It was clear that bombing targets had been selected and then hit, often several times, with precision munitions. Buildings nearby had been damaged but, in most cases, I saw the primary target had borne the brunt. For the most part, I was struck by how cosmetically unchanged Gaza appeared to be. It has been a tatty, poorly-maintained mess for decades and the presence of fresh bombsites did not make any great difference. The same can be said for the mindset of many of Gaza's residents. So steeped is the Gazan mindset in the narrative of victimhood that there was no internally-focused groundswell of anger at what had happened. For 60 years Palestinians in Gaza have dwelled on victimhood, a supplicant people grown dependent on foreign aid and reliant on the role Israel plays as the scapegoat for all ills. What many Gazans find most amazing is the ratio of Israeli war dead to Palestinian. For each of the 13 Israelis (three civilians and ten soldiers) who died during the Gaza operation, more than a hundred Palestinians died. (Telegraph-UK) Some analysts may claim that the core of Hamas' military capability has survived in the bunkers and tunnels of Gaza City. But the military initiative is now Israel's. The Israel Defense Forces set the agenda, drove the fight, kept the enemy on its heels, destroyed significant enemy capability, and showed Hamas that IDF soldiers are now highly skilled in urban insurgent war. Israel is no longer merely Hamas' antagonist; it is its unquestioned military superior. The lesson will not be lost on Iran or Hizbullah. Israel taught Hamas that future provocation will be painfully costly. Israel also taught Hamas that no one but the Arab street really cares about the plight of Gaza under Hamas rule and, though noisy, the Arab street doesn't matter. The writer is director of the Center for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. (Globe and Mail-Canada) Observations: Will a Gaza Cease-Fire Work? - Alan M. Dershowitz (Hudson Institute-New York)
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