Kofi Annan has just finished up the hard work of spectacularly failing to meet any of the promises that he and the UN made to Israel under 1701. No stronger UNIFIL mandate, no disarmed Hezbollah, and certainly no kidnapped soldiers back. So upon his entrance into Israel, he acted in the natural way that anyone in his position would act – he imperiously issued demands and condescendingly lectured Israeli officials. After he was done with that part of his routine, he really tied his performance together by insisting that Israel should make massive security concessions to Hamas and Hezbollah. Of course he did:
Earlier, Annan met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem. Annan noted in a press conference in Ramallah that he made his opinion clear during his meetings in Israel. Beyond maintaining life a way of life must also be maintained, he said, adding that the blockade on Gaza must be lifted and the crossings must be opened. Israel must not only allow goods in, but also allow Palestinians to export, he said. He made it clear that he has been exerting many efforts in a bid to halt the Israeli blockade on the PA, open the crossings and suspend the military operation in the Strip, but he also called on Palestinians to halt the firing of Qassam rockets and release kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
We link how he keeps returning to the idea that Israel needs to allow a wave of free movement in and out of the Gaza Strip. That way – if they really, really need to – the Palestinians will be able to smuggle one or two things out of the Gaza Strip. And if one of those things happens to have a vaguely kidnapped-IDF-soldier shape, well, certainly the Secretary General can’t be blamed for that. After all, he did politely request that Hamas let him go. This is really genius: ask the kidnappers to return their hostage, and then take away any incentive they might have to do so. But let’s not rush to judgment about Annan’s motives or competence – maybe he’s counting on Hamas’s well-known sense of fair play when it comes to their treatment of Israelis.
Here’s our suggestion: if the Palestinians want the Israelis to stop targeting them in counter-terrorism operations, they should stop planning and trying to execute terrorism:
The IDF and the Shin Bet thwarted a terrorist attack that Palestinians had planned to carry out via a terror tunnel, it was revealed on Wednesday. IDF troops discovered an underground tunnel earlier this week that had been dug by terror operatives on the outskirts of the Shajaiyeh neighborhood in Gaza City.
The opening of the 13-meter-deep, 150-meter-long tunnel was found inside a building at least one kilometer away from the Gaza security fence. It was believed that the target of the attack was the nearby Karni Crossing.
Don’t blame the Gazans though – it’s the Israeli Occupation of Gaza that makes them feel depressed and violent.
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