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Last update - 00:00 08/02/2008
Open the Rafah crossing
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: Qassam, Palestinians 

Following a brief and sporadic hiatus, the cycle of violence recently resumed on both sides in the Gaza Strip. During the past three days, Israel killed at least 16 Palestinians, and heavy barrages of rockets slammed into Sderot and other communities bordering Gaza in response to Israel's retaliation for the suicide bombing in Dimona. The Israel Defense Forces used ground and air forces in the northern and southern Gaza Strip.

This cycle of bloodshed has already proved pointless. The Palestinians gain nothing by firing Qassam rockets, but Israel is not helping itself with its extensive operations in the Strip.

More killing in Gaza results in more Qassams launched against Sderot, and more Qassams result in more killing; an endless cycle of blood that leads nowhere.
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The short hiatus, 11 days, in the heavy Qassam strikes against the northern Negev was not coincidental. During those days the Rafah crossing was open. The Palestinians during those few days of relative liberty had something to lose.

Most of the Gaza residents took advantage of the period to stock up on basic supplies, fuel, food and medicine, following a long, oppressive blockade. It is also possible to assume that the terrorist groups took advantage of the breach in the wall to acquire weapons, ammunition and reinforcements, and apparently also tried to dispatch attackers against Israel through the southern border with Egypt.

Israel, just like Egypt, is of course unable to agree to a breached border that is open to all. On the other hand, the fact the Qassam attacks slowed to a near standstill during the days the crossing was open suggests that Israel should be interested in the orderly opening of a crossing to Egypt and in lifting the total blockade on the Strip - a siege that has so far not furthered any of Israel's goals.

This is not about repeating the recent lawlessness at the Rafah crossing. No state, and Egypt especially, would agree to having a breached border crossing at its frontier.

And Israel cannot accept the traffic of arms and terrorists in and out of the Strip. Therefore, Israel's interest should clearly be the controlled and supervised opening of the crossing at Rafah. If indeed, this happens, then perhaps the hiatus in the violence will be extended, as was the case recently. Therefore, Israel must lift its objections to the opening of the Rafah crossing, and work with Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union toward its supervised opening. Some IDF officials have already spoken in favor of opening the crossing.

An opening of the Gaza Strip could signal the start of a new chapter in the history of this poor and wretched territory.

This is not a move free of risk, and the concerns of Egypt and Israel regarding its implications are justified. It is possible to prepare for them through close supervision of the crossing. On the other hand, all the other alternatives, which only imply mutual bloodletting, are much worse.

The Qassam attacks will end only when the Palestinians have something to lose. This has so far not come about through Israeli retaliatory actions; it may occur if the blockade is lifted in the Gaza Strip, at least in the southern border.
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  1.   More of Haaretz`s Intellectually Fraudulent and Idiotic Cliches 06:06  |  Tod Zuckerman 08/02/08
  2.   PALESTINIANS RAPED BY WORLD. THEY GOT NOTHING TO LOSE. 09:04  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 08/02/08
  3.   PALESTINIANS ! YOUR LEADERS END MUST BE AS THE MUSSOLINI 09:32  |  DO IT 08/02/08
  4.   as usual with haaretz a total lack of critical logic 09:33  |  v hardman 08/02/08
  5.   Israeli greed is the largest obstacle to peace 09:40  |  Natallie Durson 08/02/08
  6.   WHAT HITLER MOST AFRAID OF ? 09:40  |  ... 08/02/08
  7.   Israel Gained by the Siege 10:00  |  Walid 08/02/08
  8.   Duh Somebody please tell IDF they are failing like in 2nd Leb War 10:11  |  Yossi Cronenberg 08/02/08
  9.   from blockades to boycotts 10:18  |  flimflam 08/02/08
  10.   #1 and arabic rape 10:25  |  Oddvark 08/02/08
  11.   to : Odvark ! WHY PALESTININAS RAPING THEIR OWN ? 11:02  |  ... 08/02/08
  12.   #3 Armies don`t solve political disputes 11:04  |  Michael II 08/02/08
  13.   Flimflam, go ahead, boycott Israel 11:06  |  Oddvark 08/02/08
  14.   haaretz editor "cycle of violence" is an ancient cliche 11:34  |  harzion 08/02/08
  15.   to provide variety the very original editor in desperation 11:41  |  harzion 08/02/08
  16.   the editor pities the gazans 11:44  |  harzion 08/02/08
  17.   editor is it israel that starts the fight? 11:47  |  harzion 08/02/08
  18.   the editor of haaretz does not realise things have changed 11:52  |  harzion 08/02/08
  19.   hamas is not unique 11:57  |  harzion 08/02/08
  20.   If the EU monitors are stationed in Egypt 12:08  |  Laura Heintze 08/02/08
  21.   #6 why? 12:13  |  Oddvark 08/02/08
  22.   Oddvark 12:18  |  flimflam 08/02/08
  23.   So what is the point here? 12:19  |  Hastaroth 08/02/08
  24.   a non sequitor 12:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/02/08
  25.   the gazans are starving 12:47  |  harzion 08/02/08
  26.   millions of congolese have been killed in the last 10 years 12:49  |  harzion 08/02/08
  27.   yemen has a standard of living well below gaza 12:51  |  harzion 08/02/08
  28.   the starving gazans rushed out to egypt to buy 12:54  |  harzion 08/02/08
  29.   cnn and saddam hussein 13:00  |  harzion 08/02/08
  30.   egyptian foreign minister to gazans 13:03  |  harzion 08/02/08
  31.   flimflam your hatred is not helpful 13:08  |  captain wentworth 08/02/08
  32.   flimflam and "israeli barbarity" 13:15  |  avi 08/02/08
  33.   flimflam "israel becoming a ghetto" 13:19  |  yaheskel 08/02/08
  34.   flimflam "doors will soon be closing on israel" 13:23  |  flotsam and jetsam 08/02/08
  35.   Goebbels Medias Sorcerers At Work To Advance The "Final Solution" 13:24  |  Joseph . E 08/02/08
  36.   Why open the Rafah crossing? 13:25  |  Walter 08/02/08
  37.   Wentworth: approving cuber-terror 13:34  |  flimflam 08/02/08
  38.   avi: the cautious barbarian 13:36  |  flimflam 08/02/08
  39.   flimflam so dont purchase. 13:52  |  wentworth 08/02/08
  40.   flimflam "israel stealing land" 13:54  |  avi 08/02/08
  41.   Israel did not end its occupation of Gaza 14:20  |  El-Birawi 08/02/08
  42.   IDIOTS! RETAKE GAZA,W.BANK,STOP TERRORISM,EXPAND JEWISH HOLYLAND) 14:26  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 08/02/08
  43.   It Can`t Continue This Way 14:32  |  Jane 08/02/08
  44.   Question for vhardman 14:35  |  Janice 08/02/08
  45.   Israel acts like rapist: puts the blame on the victim 14:44  |  POP 08/02/08
  46.   Why open the Rafah crossing ? 15:03  |  BenAmor 08/02/08
  47.   #44 Question for Janice 15:13  |  Hastaroth 08/02/08
  48.   Janice - Wrong Premises 15:16  |  Jane 08/02/08
  49.   Good editorial suggestion, but will last for a limited time 15:31  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  50.   Expel Azatim to Egypt, Feiglin for PM 15:32  |  Yehuda Maccabbee 08/02/08
  51.   When Palestinians March for Peace 16:15  |  Andrew 08/02/08
  52.   pope and "serial rapists" 16:16  |  norapehere 08/02/08
  53.   pope are you referring to the poet 16:17  |  norapehere 08/02/08
  54.   No more concessions! 16:25  |  B (The other one) 08/02/08
  55.   Nothing to loose? May be something to gain? 16:26  |  17 08/02/08
  56.   hamas blunders 16:32  |  harzion 08/02/08
  57.   vilnai could not believe his luck 16:38  |  sigmund 08/02/08
  58.   respond to violence with violence -- not with "good will" gesture 16:54  |  felix 08/02/08
  59.   Haaretz Misses The True Picture - Again! 16:55  |  Norman F Birnberg 08/02/08
  60.   Egypt reinforcing its troops along the Gaza Egypt border 17:04  |  ChanahS 08/02/08
  61.   We agree --remove the border with Egypt alltogether 17:19  |  Sal 08/02/08
  62.   Naivete in the Face of Experience 17:19  |  Don 08/02/08
  63.   Israel will now continue to occupy Gaza 17:34  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  64.   Good editorial suggestion, but will last for a limited time 17:34  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  65.   Tosefta 18:09  |  Don 08/02/08
  66.   Stupid Israel - does not listen to Tosefta ... 18:19  |  17 08/02/08
  67.   Tosefta: 6th option 18:28  |  Victor 08/02/08
  68.   #64 Tosefta, I`m in full agreement here, once again... 18:57  |  Smadar 08/02/08
  69.   Support for my suggestion 19:07  |  Yonatan 08/02/08
  70.   Support for my suggestion 19:12  |  Yonatan 08/02/08
  71.   Missing the big Gorilla (Smadar #67) 19:31  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  72.   #65 Don re: Hamas`s absolutism charter 20:21  |  Smadar 08/02/08
  73.   Smadar 20:28  |  Danite 08/02/08
  74.   Both sides 20:35  |  Mark Lincoln 08/02/08
  75.   It must continue this way Jane 20:38  |  Mark Lincoln 08/02/08
  76.   In praise of Hamas (Don #65) 20:46  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  77.   #71 Tosefta 20:58  |  Smadar 08/02/08
  78.   #9 Flimflam 20:59  |  MaryRose 08/02/08
  79.   Tosefta re Change 21:04  |  Don 08/02/08
  80.   #73 Danite 21:13  |  Smadar 08/02/08
  81.   #5 Natallie Dumbson 21:33  |  Labhras 08/02/08
  82.   Picking convenient tests (Don #77) 21:53  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  83.   Haaretz...you think Israel can choose...you wrong 22:02  |  The Dumbite Kid 08/02/08
  84.   Smadar wrong assumptions 22:12  |  danite 08/02/08
  85.   tosefta wants to negotiate with hamas 22:12  |  bedlam 08/02/08
  86.   Toseftas nonsense 22:15  |  danite 08/02/08
  87.   tosefta "israel should help hamas and abbas unite" 22:15  |  bedlam 08/02/08
  88.   At a Certain Level, I Agree 22:47  |  Ron 08/02/08
  89.   # 76 Tosefta - very, very deep analysis, fresh ideas and 22:48  |  17 08/02/08
  90.   tosefta and his views 23:02  |  bedlam 08/02/08
  91.   Picking convenient tests (Don #77) 23:13  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  92.   my name is smadar 23:27  |  loonylambkins 08/02/08
  93.   smadar"if we only talked to each other" 23:32  |  loonylambkins 08/02/08
  94.   17 dear harzion. if a neighbor or a person who ... 23:52  |  bozhidar balkas 08/02/08
  95.   On evolution-challenged nudniks 23:55  |  Tosefta 08/02/08
  96.   I agree 00:00  |  Avrum 09/02/08
  97.   #82, bedlam 00:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  98.   Open a border. Get Egypt & Fatah onboard. 00:31  |  Stephen. 09/02/08
  99.   Tosefta and Guardian - great man and great newspaper 00:35  |  17 09/02/08
  100.   Danite clings to nonesense 00:42  |  Ibrahim 09/02/08
  101.   # 90 Tosefta - on evolution - Tosefta is the best 00:48  |  17 09/02/08
  102.   Return of the shallow multi-headed Hydra (aka bedlam) 00:56  |  Tosefta 09/02/08
  103.   #87 & #88 Loonylamkins 00:59  |  Smadar 09/02/08
  104.   #68, Smadar 01:08  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  105.   #72, Smadar 01:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  106.   Tosefta # 102 - Very crowded delusions 01:19  |  17 09/02/08
  107.   What Evolution? 01:27  |  Mark Lincoln 09/02/08
  108.   Developing a plan - or evolving a situation 01:34  |  Mark Lincoln 09/02/08
  109.   Tosefta and evolution 01:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  110.   tosefta "hamas would evolve into swedes in a 01:54  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  111.   tosefta takes mishal at his word 01:59  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  112.   Typical HaAretz idiocy 02:04  |  Frank 09/02/08
  113.   so tosefta mishal the terrorist should be listened to like the 02:06  |  darwin 09/02/08
  114.   tosefta above all hamas is unbalanced. 02:11  |  darwin 09/02/08
  115.   #106, MarkL who confuses evolution with revolution 02:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  116.   #114, darwin, am I glad that you are alive and well 02:21  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  117.   smadar winning your first debate at the age of 6 02:31  |  loonylambkins 09/02/08
  118.   smadar you sound like that idiot obama 02:37  |  loonylambkins 09/02/08
  119.   End the occupation "stupid" 02:47  |  M.O. 09/02/08
  120.   # 6 Atilla...if only the Pals heard you 03:33  |  Lynn 09/02/08
  121.   #105 Cipora 03:40  |  Smadar 09/02/08
  122.   # 71 tosefta and the "big gorilla" 03:40  |  Lynn 09/02/08
  123.   # 109 Cipora JK with some people the only 03:51  |  Lynn 09/02/08
  124.   Wrong Cipora 04:28  |  Mark Lincoln 09/02/08
  125.   Cipora who can not understand either 04:33  |  Mark Lincoln 09/02/08
  126.   Darwin or Duhwin? 04:39  |  Mark Lincoln 09/02/08
  127.   HAARETZ EDITORS FOR PM; THEN LEARN HOW TO SWIM 04:41  |  Jorge 09/02/08
  128.   Ibrahim are you normal 05:18  |  Danite 09/02/08
  129.   Tosefta cant defend his own dumm theories 05:19  |  Danite 09/02/08
  130.   #124, Mark 05:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  131.   #125, Mark 05:53  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  132.   #123, Lynn 06:00  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
  133.   #118 Loonylambkins 06:53  |  Smadar 09/02/08
  134.   The Qassam attacks will end only when the Palestinians have 07:12  |  Robert 09/02/08
  135.   #109 Cipora 08:02  |  Kiwi girl 09/02/08
  136.   #117 sagacity lambkins has never been smadars strong point 08:13  |  v hardman 09/02/08
  137.   A Painkiller that will eventually create disaster 09:18  |  Sharif Hafez 09/02/08
  138.   mark lincoln on darwin and duhwin 09:25  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  139.   NOPE!...it`ll never work; we just can`t have that!! 09:49  |  eric 09/02/08
  140.   mark lincoln and google 10:55  |  wetback 09/02/08
  141.   To # 5 13:49  |  bumisab 09/02/08
  142.   Tosefta...Israel love you 14:57  |  The stupid ant 09/02/08
  143.   tosefta and the hamas party 15:31  |  dimonaman 09/02/08
  144.   @135 Kiwu "all mankind must come together", I am comming! 15:35  |  mankind 09/02/08
  145.   Open the Rafah crossing 16:07  |  tbora 09/02/08
  146.   It is evolving Cipora 16:13  |  Mark Lincoln 09/02/08
  147.   Hamas HAS been evolving 16:28  |  Mark Lincoln 09/02/08
  148.   #109 Evolution for Martians 16:58  |  Tosefta 09/02/08
  149.   Jewish wisdom for Danite #129 17:01  |  Miss Pixels 09/02/08
  150.   #146 mark in blinkers sees only straight ahead 17:46  |  v hardman 09/02/08
  151.   How does it feel to deal with the Neanderthals?(Mark Lincoln#146) 17:51  |  Tosefta 09/02/08
  152.   #105 Cipora Julianna kohn 18:10  |  Danite 09/02/08
  153.   open the rafah border 18:50  |  peter green 09/02/08
  154.   Danite: Israel at risk 19:37  |  flimflam 09/02/08
  155.   mark lincoln "its all israel`s fault" 20:23  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  156.   mark lincoln and "the israeli right" 20:28  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  157.   mark lincoln "hamas is more able to innovate then israel" 20:32  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  158.   mark lincoln "israel has not dealt well with abbas" 20:38  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  159.   mark lincoln and evolution 20:42  |  bedlam 09/02/08
  160.   Hamas to govern entire British mandate 20:51  |  Zvi 09/02/08
  161.   Danite 20:53  |  Ibrahim 09/02/08
  162.   Festival of hate 21:35  |  Colin Wright 09/02/08
  163.   tosefta homo sapien or homo habilis 21:37  |  giora 09/02/08
  164.   Evolution challenged Allies stopped further 21:55  |  17 09/02/08
  165.   Jewish Wisdom for Tosefta 22:00  |  Rabbi Gamliel 09/02/08
  166.   False Danite Post #105 22:01  |  Danite 09/02/08
  167.   flimflam 22:02  |  Danite 09/02/08
  168.   bedlam and evolution 22:05  |  flimflam 09/02/08
  169.   Ibrahim 22:07  |  Danite 09/02/08
  170.   Open the Rafah crossing 23:09  |  Hossam 09/02/08
  171.   while hamas rains rockets on sderot we give them electricity 23:37  |  joshua 09/02/08
  172.   Evolution challenged Allies stopped 00:16  |  17 10/02/08
  173.   Danite, check the records 00:45  |  Ibrahim 10/02/08
  174.   #147, MarkL: "Hamas HAS been evolving" 01:02  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/02/08
  175.   Cipora - Hamas has evolved the way you wished 03:40  |  Mark Lincoln 10/02/08
  176.   Sharif Hafez of Egypt 04:06  |  Lynn 10/02/08
  177.   To Tosefta (#151) 04:08  |  Morris Valentine 10/02/08
  178.   Reasoning with the unreasonable 04:28  |  Morris Valentine 10/02/08
  179.   #175, Mark, totally wrong 02:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/02/08
  180.   Open the Border !!!! 08:14  |  Aaron 05/01/09
 Read & React
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff: How much time does the IDF have left in Gaza?
Responses: 15
Sarkozy: Hamas to blame for suffering of Palestinians in Gaza
Responses: 19
'We lost our homes for nothing,' says reservist from former Gaza settlement
Responses: 23
Amir Oren: What's happening in Gaza is neither war nor occupation
Responses: 1


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