Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., February 28, 2008 Adar1 22, 5768 | | Israel Time: 19:59 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Comments:  24
Last update - 07:32 27/02/2008
ANALYSIS: In the end blood was shed in Sderot, not Gaza
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: gaza, hamas, sderot

It should not have come as a surprise that the Qassam rockets struck Sderot several moments after the Palestinian demonstration south of the Erez crossing died out. The small number of protesters the organizers managed to rally did not meet the expectations or the preparations of the Israeli security forces, and certainly not those of the media.

But the lack of a story at Erez quickly changed with the horrifying scenes from Sderot - and with it so did the media's attention: The desperate situation of Gazan children under an economic siege moved to the immediate suffering of Sderot children, after one of them, Yossi Haimov, suffered injuries from Qassam rocket fragments to his shoulder.

In interviews in the Palestinian press on Sunday, the organizers of the protest discussed their plans to bring tens of thousands of Gaza Strip residents out on the streets. In practice, only several thousand came - most of them school teachers - and only a few hundred actually came close to the Erez crossing.
Advertisement
Why did Hamas not bring the masses it promised to protest near the fence bordering Israel? There are a number of possible explanations. It is possible that Hamas, as some Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip argue, was not really planning to bring a mass of protesters to the fence. The protest was only one in a series of actions that the group is planning in the coming weeks aimed at undermining the Israeli siege of the territory.

The fact that the IDF and the police deployed large forces, was an achievement for the Palestinians. It served a twin purpose: drawing media attention to the difficulties of the Gazans, while at the same time draining the Israeli security forces by drawing thousands of troops and policemen to safeguard against a breach that never came. The moment it was clear to the Palestinians that the IDF is well prepared to meet the threat, they opted not to create a real confrontation near the fence.

And this is the point that the IDF - for obvious reasons - likes to stress. "The other side," army officers argued last night, "understood that this time we are serious: We are well prepared and we will not play any games. They know that we will use all means in order to block a march into Israeli territory and they opted not to clash with us."

The same sources note that Palestinian civilians were not excited about serving as cannon fodder for Hamas propaganda. The people voted with their feet - and did not risk getting shot in the legs by sniper fire, if they came close to the fence. Maybe.

Clearly the success of such demonstration depends, at least in part, on the element of surprise. If Israel is ready for it, it is much harder to achieve anything. And one should not forget the bad weather. The rain that fell on Gaza on Monday certainly did not add to the demonstrators' enthusiasm.

Still, one should not exaggerate the scale of Hamas' failure. Rather than organize the rally itself, Hamas co-operated with the organizer, an independent parliamentarian. The Hamas media barely made the effort to call on the masses to participate in the rally. It is possible that from Hamas's point of view, photographs of school children holding hands against the siege were enough at this point, particularly if at the end they also include photographs of youths throwing stones at the Erez crossing. More stormy marches will be reserved as ammunition for the latter stages of the struggle.

In recent days Hamas has mostly focused on a different arena: against Fatah in the West Bank. The death of Majd al-Barghouti, a Hamas imam, in a Palestinian Authority prison, offered Hamas an easy chance to attack the PA in the Arab media.

The PA's security organizations were portrayed once more as collaborators with Israel and the United States who do not hesitate to torture and kill, even when their victim is a religious figure. The thousands of Palestinians who participated in the imam's funeral on Sunday highlighted the fact that the PA is trying hard to forget: Hamas is still popular in the West Bank.

From Israel's point of view, the promised confrontation at Erez appeared to be farcical. Dozens of photographers on a knoll at the southern side of Moshav Nativ HaAsara, and across from them, on the horizon, smoke rising from burning tires that Palestinian demonstrators set ablaze. Later, youths moved toward the Erez crossing, throwing stones, and destroying equipment. A group of demonstrators entered the area that Palestinian workers used to cross on their way to jobs in Israel. Security forces blocked both sides and arrested those inside. Some were released a little later, when it turned out they were just children.

In the fracas, one IDF officer was lightly injured from a rubber bullet accidentally shot by a Border Policeman. This seems to have been the peak of the confrontation.

The terrifying images were caught by the media several kilometers to the east, in Sderot, and this time they were shocking. A television camera showed a 10-year old boy, Yossi Haimov, seriously injured in his shoulder, while his younger sister was in agony due to her concern for him.

Did the scenes from Sderot, captured in real time, bring a military operation in the Gaza Strip closer? This is by now the standard question. The answer, for now, is no, but the continued threat to the communities bordering the Gaza Strip is bringing a major operation closer, even if it is moving very slowly.

Related articles:
  • Israel: Hamas to blame if civilians hurt in Gaza border march
  • ANALYSIS: Mass Gaza march puts Hamas in a win-win situation
  • Gaza protest of Israeli blockade yields disappointing turnout
  • News / Woman, two children hurt in Qassam attack on Sderot
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Deadly shelling
    B'Tselem slams IDF decision not to indict troops over errant strike that left 21 civilians dead.
    Reaching boiling point
    Gaza residents are told to boil drinking water as purifying chlorine runs out.
      1.   When you are at war? killing is welcome 05:07  |  Cristo 26/02/08
      2.   The rockets on Israeli territory cannot be tolerated. 08:08  |  Jean Van Daem 26/02/08
      3.   Thank you $HA$ for keeping Olmert in power. 09:17  |  Avraham 26/02/08
      4.   #2 and assasinations ofpalestinians can? 09:42  |  raw truth 26/02/08
      5.   Sick 10:01  |  DM 26/02/08
      6.   4: Raw bull keeps dumping 10:24  |  David Teich 26/02/08
      7.   BLOOD IN GAZA WAS SHED MILLIONS OF TIMES 10:29  |  TripleJump 26/02/08
      8.   Those all enveloping black clothes the women wear 11:11  |  x-ray 26/02/08
      9.   #7 11:17  |  DM 26/02/08
      10.   TRIPLEJUMP GAZA BLODSHED MILLIONS OF TIMES.HOW MANY LEFT IN GAZA? 11:20  |  PETER SM 26/02/08
      11.   Triple jump 11:22  |  danny 26/02/08
      12.   TripleJump 7 11:55  |  ChanahS 26/02/08
      13.   #4 raw truth 12:29  |  Sarah 26/02/08
      14.   #7 Triple Jump 12:31  |  H 26/02/08
      15.   Images 13:13  |  Clickfool 26/02/08
      16.   Gaza is soaked in the blood of Palestinians... 15:04  |  Silvienne 26/02/08
      17.   # 16 17:26  |  DM 26/02/08
      18.   #15 clickfool re images 19:57  |  Adrian de Klerk 26/02/08
      19.   poor poor media 08:31  |  jojo 27/02/08
      20.   Silvienne 08:37  |  jojo 27/02/08
      21.   Interesting choice of title 23:36  |  carey 27/02/08
      22.   #20, jojo... 07:56  |  Silvienne 28/02/08
      23.   #20, jojo... 07:56  |  Silvienne 28/02/08
      24.   Silvienne: Shows up from another run 19:46  |  David Teich 28/02/08
     Today Online
    IDF kills 15, including 4 children, in Gaza, West Bank
    Responses: 196
    Barak: Large-scale Gaza operation is 'real and tangible'
    Responses: 104
    Editorial: Decision on Gaza operation should be daring and level-headed
    Responses: 47
    Abbas: I oppose armed struggle, but won't rule it out for future
    Responses: 75
    Pro-Israel evangelical leader Hagee endorses McCain
    Responses: 51
    Rosner's Domain
    Battle of Ohio: from James Garfield to Hillary Clinton
    Can Obama restore the Black-Jewish alliance?
    Poll: Your solution for the situation in Gaza
    Why is Farrakhan the litmus test for black politicians? (WTR)
    Iran Could Have Enough Uranium for a Bomb by Year's End (WTR)


    More Headlines
    19:39 Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity needs
    19:59 IDF kills 16 Palestinians in Gaza, W. Bank, including 5 children
    19:54 Grad rocket fired from Gaza scores direct hit on Ashkelon home
    19:03 Barak: Wide ground operation in Gaza is 'real and tangible'
    14:28 Abbas: I oppose armed struggle, but won't rule out option for future
    14:07 Report: Chelsea fans hurl anti-Semitic abuse at coach Grant
    10:55 Ban backs Wiesenthal Center's call for UN session on terror
    13:10 Katsav indicted on watered-down charges after sex crime plea deal
    14:01 Jewish school may forfeit basketball playoffs over Sabbath game
    15:58 Adelson faces T.A. court over charges he skimped on casino deal payment
    15:07 Court closes off key testimonies in murder trial of Golan teen
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Free the Palestinians from:
    Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy
    Long-term Israel programs
    MASA is your gateway. More programs. More grants.
    NEW! Dan Boutique Jerusalem Hotel
    Hip Dan Hotel in Jerusalem. Attractive Introductory Rates
    7589 rockets fired so far
    HELP US TO HELP THEM
    Marina Royale Herzelia Pituach
    Your Luxurious Suite While Staying in Israel
    Fattal Hotel Chain
    Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
    ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel
    Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th
    Dead Sea Salt
    Beauty and skin care from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 10% off!
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved