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Source: http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/besa/docs/perspectives139.pdf
Confrontation along Israel's Borders: New Realities and a New Challenge
(BESA Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Mordechai Kedar - For years, I have been hearing of plans by Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria to march en masse toward the Israeli border, under the watchful, headline-making eye of the international media. The violent confrontations along Israel's borders of this past Sunday were made possible by a number of regional and diplomatic factors that have coalesced together. First and foremost is the development of a "Yes, we can" sentiment - the belief that unarmed masses can overcome and defeat dictators. Another element is the link between Syria, Lebanon and Gaza - the Iranian link. These three arenas are all under the influence of the ayatollahs. When Israel's enemies see it compromising its core principles under external pressure, hopes rise that additional pressure will be rewarded with further concessions. Strong pressure from Palestinian refugees, for instance, will lead war-weary Israelis to give up on that point too - Israel's adversaries think.