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Last update - 02:11 01/05/2008 The moment before the respite By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Truce, Palestinians, Egypt  The Egyptian effort to achieve a cease-fire on the Israeli-Palestinian front seemed close to success yesterday, at least in terms of achieving the consent of the Palestinian side. This assessment must be made with reservations, because negotiations on such complex issues, and with a dozen Palestinian factions, are liable to fail even at the last moment. In any case, it looks as though we can already now praise the seriousness of the Egyptian activity, designed to mediate between the Palestinians and Israel. Israeli critics of the proposed calm are correct in pointing out the defects in the cease-fire's outline. Acceptance of the continued strengthening of Hamas in Gaza is liable to reinforce the extremist elements in Palestinian society. Hamas can also claim to have achieved for the Palestinians what Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) failed to achieve, and use the cease-fire as a lever for imposing a veto on any progress in the diplomatic process. However, the main fear is that the period of calm will be exploited for the acquisition of weapons and the manufacture of explosives that will serve the organization if it decides to violate the cease-fire. Advertisement All these are important factors that must be weighed, but they are countered by other considerations, which should tip the overall balance to the positive side. The Palestinian factions are supposed to accept the separation between Gaza and the West Bank in terms of Israeli security forces activity. The Israel Defense Forces can continue to operate in the West Bank for the next six months against the terror organizations, without fearing the collapse of the cease-fire in Gaza. Israel, for its part, will not be able to claim that the activity of the terror organizations in the West Bank is considered a cease-fire violation. In other words, the state of warfare between the IDF and the terror organizations in the West Bank will continue as was. Three years ago, this aspect was an obstacle to the success of the de facto calm in Gaza, in advance of the evacuation of the settlements in the Strip. Even if the calm is described this time as temporary and limited to a few months, the Israeli-Arab conflict has already known cease-fires and armistice agreements that began that way and lasted much longer. The cease-fire also requires the opening of the Rafah crossing; without it Gaza will continue to be in a state of agitation and to threaten both Egypt and Israeli communities. That is also the reason why Egypt is acting with the utmost determination to establish the cease-fire. It seems that this time Israel also understands the importance of opening the crossings, particularly after becoming aware that closing them has prevented neither the arming of Hamas nor its attacks. It is easy to be skeptical about the chances of the calm enduring. The past years, full of disappointments, justify an attitude of "respect him and suspect him." But if the pessimists are right, the calm is fated to collapse quickly with one excuse or another. On the other hand, Israel can contribute a great deal to prolonging the cease-fire by gradually removing the sanctions from Gaza, and particularly by promoting diplomatic steps vis-a-vis the Palestinian Authority. Instead of rejecting the calm and helping the gloomy forecast to come true, it would be better to give a chance to the hesitant step to achieve a cease-fire. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Hamas on the Holocaust Al-Aqsa TV claims Jews concocted the Holocaust. Grasping genocide How a non-Jew in Israel came to understand the Holocaust.   1.   HAARETZ, YOU DISGUST ME! 12:24  |  Freethinker 01/05/08   2.   Ignoring the truth 12:41  |  One who sees 01/05/08   3.   The moment before the respite 12:44  |  LennyStone 01/05/08   4.   The moment before the respite 12:45  |  LennyStone 01/05/08   5.   The moment before the respite 12:47  |  LennyStone 01/05/08   6.   Gaza must give better terms: we want Gilad Shalit home safe 12:54  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/05/08   7.   Israel`l Land belongs to the Jews only 13:02  |  nic 01/05/08   8.   Nothing to gain 13:39  |  DC 01/05/08   9.   Israel Should Counter-Propose 14:01  |  Jeff Northridge 01/05/08   10.   Again stupid Israel 14:07  |  Hilda 01/05/08   11.   Ceasefire 14:33  |  Ralph 01/05/08   12.   re: Israel Should Counter-Propose 14:43  |  Richie 01/05/08   13.   ##3,4,5 Lenny - I read the article in the Guardian 14:53  |  Jay A Friedman 01/05/08   14.   The Real Israeli Question: SECURITY! 14:55  |  The Archives 01/05/08   15.   LennyStone. On the Israeli army raiding an orphanage in Hebron 15:08  |  Ben Alofs 01/05/08   16.   Our cease-fires all follow the same script, like an old Hollywoo 15:50  |  Chaim 01/05/08   17.   #2 One who claims to sees but is totally blind 15:51  |  Dutch 01/05/08   18.   # 13 Jay the ostrich 16:05  |  Ben Alofs 01/05/08   19.   on One who sees #2 22:06  |  zeev 01/05/08   20.   to Jay A Friedman #13 - use the right word 22:43  |  zeev 01/05/08   21.   #19 Zeev. With proper leadership, we could make mincemeat out of 05:57  |  Chaim 02/05/08   22.   to Chaim #21 09:01  |  zeev 02/05/08   23.   Gaza Truce 10:31  |  Reid 02/05/08

Read & React Police begin questioning PM Olmert under caution Responses: 19 Rice: Israel, PA must agree on final borders 'once and for all' Responses: 39 Gaza sewage pumped into the sea over past three months Responses: 16 Akiva Eldar: Using the Syria channel as front for Israel-PA setbacks Responses: 1 Yad Vashem chair: Superficially equating genocides dishonors their victims Responses: 2 More Headlines 10:24 Police begin questioning Olmert under caution 08:50 Rice: Israel, PA must agree on final borders 'once and for all' 08:32 U.S. urges Arab donors to pay pledges to Palestinian Authority 07:44 A veteran of the partisans, but he could not free Mt. Scopus 05:53 Gaza sewage pumped into the sea over past three months 22:56 Yellow patch, Blue victory: U.K. media praise Grant after Chelsea win 05:29 Report shows workers lost NIS 8,000 each to employers' benefit 02:53 Between Qassams and poverty, especially tough times in Sderot 04:57 Insulted ex-mayor demands revision of school booklet 01:02 Eitan's wheeling and dealing keeps Pensioners Party intact Previous Editions Select Day 01 may 30 apr 29 apr 28 apr 27 apr 25 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr

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