Life in Israel has been much quieter, with far fewer terror incidents and loss of life since a three-month “Hudna” on June 29. What exactly does “Hudna” mean? It is an Islamic term that refers to a temporary cease fire, but some people refer to the origins of the term, when Muhammad the Prophet agreed to a temporary cease fire in order to regroup, rearm, and reorganise for a future battle to conquer Mecca in the 7th Century. Is this an authentic cease-fire, or merely a tactic that is designed to allow the Palestinians to regroup and strengthen their positions to escalate violence after 3 months? Is the Ariel Sharon-led Israeli Government committed to its side of the bargain?
Much has been said and written about the intentions of the Israelis and Palestinians. Could the relative quiet of the past month-and-a-half be the much-deserved beginning of the end of the Palestinian Intifada? Will we progress along the road to peace and coexistence in Israel?
There were two major agreements reached at the end of June. Firstly, Israel and the PA agreed on an Israeli withdrawal from areas that the IDF controlled (which had previously been under PA control) in the Gaza Strip (the IDF later withdrew from Bethlehem as well). The PA now has security control of these areas. In the past 90 days, both sides have undertaken further confidence-building steps, including Israel’s release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, removal of some roadblocks on the West Bank, etc. The PA has undertaken to control the militants under its control in the areas vacated by the IDF.
Secondly, Palestinian factions Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah all agreed to a 3-month cease fire (Hudna) after the PA and Israel agreement and IDF withdrawal from Gaza at the end of June.
This week, talks continue between Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and Palestinian Security Minister Muhammad Dahlan about Israel handing over security control of additional West Bank Cities, including Jericho, Kalkilya, Tulkarm and Ramallah, within two weeks. Israel will return them to PA control if it feels that they will prevent terror attacks and supervise militants in all areas under their control.
Will PM Abbas be able to come down hard on the terror organizations and arrest the terrorists wanted by Israel (it doesn’t seem that he has taken any harsh steps as of yet)? Will he make sure that the hundreds of security prisoners released by Israel will be engage in violence against Israel? Will he be able to end the anti-Israel incitement? Will he close down the factories that produce bombs and weapons to be used against Israel?
Will PM Sharon continue to build up the Jewish communities in the West Bank/Judaea and Samaria? Is he committed to removing the ‘outposts’ that continue to emerge on the West Bank? Will he be able to hold onto his coalition government and implement the American-sponsored Road Map, or will the internal opposition be too strong for him? How will he emerge from the growing inquiry into his son’s acceptance of financial support?
The answers to these questions will provide a clearer picture of what to expect after the Hudna ends on September 29. Let us hope and pray that the dialogue and cooperation will grow and that the terror organisations realise that they cannot gain anything from continued violence. Hopefully, the Palestinian people will provide the support necessary for Abbas to continue on his path toward fulfillment of the Road Map and cooperation with Israel through negotiations, and that Yasser Arafat’s position and role will continue to recede.
How do Israelis feel about these developments? The monthly Peace Index published by the Tel Aviv University in early August shows that 69% of Israelis are supportive of the Hudna, up 5% from last month. Clearly, Israelis are desperately seeking peace and quiet, and therefore, most of them support the current situation in which the violence has been seriously reduced. The same Index showed that 80% of Israelis are supportive of the Separation Fence. The first stage of this fence was completed and has become operational under control of the IDF. Despite strong Palestinian as well as American opposition, the Israeli government continues to construct this fence to try to stop terror infiltrations into Israel. Check out how it works with the following web link: www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=326411&contrassID=2
This strong support for the fence is contrasted with the differences of opinion amongst Israelis as to its location. Should it include or exclude Jewish or Palestinian communities? Who should be responsible for the security of Jews and Arabs on the West Bank side of the fence?
As the summer comes to a close, we are grateful for the relative calm of the past two months. We have had almost 400 people return from spending a wonderful month on our Israel Tour, and are preparing to send out a large group on Year Course at the end of the month. We hope that the seeds of quiet, dialogue, and cooperation will continue to grow.