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Just over a month ago, I posted:
Has Prime Minister Olmert, of Israel, lost his mind?
TEL AVIV - The Israeli army is "up in arms" regarding an order issued yesterday by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove a series of West Bank security checkpoints that regularly stop terrorists from infiltrating Jewish cities, according to military officials.
In accordance with promises made to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during a summit this weekend, Olmert instructed the IDF to remove 49 West Bank roadblocks and checkpoints. Twenty-seven roadblocks are to be removed immediately, and the rest within about a week, subject to a final decision by government officials.
Olmert also instructed IDF soldiers to not thoroughly examine every vehicle at 16 of the West Bank's largest roadblocks. Vehicle examinations usually cause long delays at the checkpoints.
Olmert said the moves were aimed at bolstering Abbas at a time when his Fatah party is engaging in infighting with rival Hamas factions. Abbas last weekend called for new Palestinian elections in a move widely seen as attempting to dismantle the Hamas-led government.
Palestinians say the West Bank roadblocks and checkpoints are degrading. They complain of waiting in long lines to pass through West Bank cities.
But according to IDF statistics, upwards of 60 percent of all attempted suicide bombings are stopped at the checkpoints. Israeli soldiers routinely catch Palestinians at checkpoints en route to central Israel with explosives or suicide belts. Many of the terrorists are caught during vehicle inspections.
...Military officials told WND the removal of roadblocks in the past directly resulted in an increase in terrorism.
"The checkpoints work. It's that simple. It's how we stop most terrorism," a military official told WND.
And today, Israel was struck by its first suicide bombing in 9 months:
EILAT, Israel (AP) - A Palestinian suicide bomber attacked a bakery in this southern Israeli resort town on Monday, killing three other people, police said. It was the first suicide bombing in Israel in nine months and the first ever to hit Eilat, Israel's southernmost city.
A spokesman for Hamas, the radical Islamic group that controls the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet, praised the bombing as a "natural response" to Israeli policies - a position likely to complicate the group's efforts to end a crippling aid boycott imposed by the international community.
Two Palestinian militant groups, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, claimed joint responsibility for the attack.
As shown on this map, Eilat is not near the West Bank security checkpoints; but the article quoted above notes that terrorists often come through checkpoints en route to locations that are relatively distant: "Israeli soldiers routinely catch Palestinians at checkpoints en route to central Israel with explosives or suicide belts."
It is not yet known if this suicide bomber came through any of the removed West Bank security checkpoints. But this event argues that those checkpoints are needed and should be reinstated.
The Hamas government states that the bombing is "a natural response" to Israeli policies. I wonder what a natural response by Israel to the bombings would be? For many nations historically, completely taking over the Palestinian territories, and destroying the Hamas government, would be a very natural response. Israel won't do that, in order to show the world how devoted it is to peace.
Update 1-31-07: Olah Chadasha, of the Greetings from the French Hill weblog, provides info on how these terrorists got into Israel:
...this terrorist came through Gaza. Therefore, while you are totally correct, another vital point needs to be pointed out here. Here is how he most likely got out of Gaza, not the West Bank. There are two most likely possibilities here. As you are very well aware, the southern city in Gaza, Rafiah, is a maze of tunnels that are used by terrorists to smuggle terrorists, weapons, explosives, and other munitions and goodies used to fight against Israel and rival factions within Gaza. No, these tunnels are NOT used to smuggle food, medicine, or any other products or goods that could be used to support the people of Gaza. Terrorists also use these tunnels to smuggle terrorists into Israel, so they could bypass Israeli soldiers and check-points. And, here-in lies the further conclusion of your point. The check-points work. They stop terrorists from attacking Israel. The entirety of the MSM has used the fact that this is the first suicide attack within Israel in over 9 months in the context that the Hudna or cease-fire worked. Nothing could be further from the truth. Terrorist attacks against Israel have been prevented by the IDF and their immense hard work, including the check points. It has NOT been for lack of trying from the terrorists that there has been very little terrorist attacks against Israel in the past year and a half.
#1
#2Thanks very much for this great info, Olah.
#3Olah, your post has just been quoted in an update to the article.
While you are completely and totally correct in your assertion, it is necessary to point out that this terrorist came through Gaza. Therefore, while you are totally correct, another vital point needs to be pointed out here. Here is how he most likely got out of Gaza, not the West Bank. There are two most likely possibilities here. As you are very well aware, the southern city in Gaza, Rafiah, is a maze of tunnels that are used by terrorists to smuggle terrorists, weapons, explosives, and other munitions and goodies used to fight against Israel and rival factions within Gaza. No, these tunnels are NOT used to smuggle food, medicine, or any other products or goods that could be used to support the people of Gaza. Terrorists also use these tunnels to smuggle terrorists into Israel, so they could bypass Israeli soldiers and check-points. And, here-in lies the further conclusion of your point. The check-points work. They stop terrorists from attacking Israel. The entirety of the MSM has used the fact that this is the first suicide attack within Israel in over 9 months in the context that the Hudna or cease-fire worked. Nothing could be further from the truth. Terrorist attacks against Israel have been prevented by the IDF and their immense hard work, including the check points. It has NOT been for lack of trying from the terrorists that there has been very little terrorist attacks against Israel in the past year and a half.
Unfortunately, these terrorists build the tunnels faster than the IDF can destroy them. That's the first possibility. The other possibility is that he crossed into Egypt via the Rafiah crossing and then snuck back into Israel via the 100 mile+ border that Eygpt has with Israel. If he went through this way, two things need to pointed out here. #1, Israel has nowhere near the necessary amount of troops needed to survey the entirety of this vast border. This could be compared to the problem that the U.S. has with the Mexican border. Of course, Israel could spend the 2 billion+ shekels to build an electronic fence system ala The Jordan border. This would partially solve the man-power issue as the troops still need enough time and people to get to the site where the fence has been triggered. This leads to the second issue. The second issue is Egypt's complete lack of desire or work to properly survey or do anything about terrorists or other smugglers trying to sneak into Israel. Egypt has a responsibility to prevent terrorists and smugglers from coming into Israel, and they are just doing absolutely nothing about it. As they see it, as far as they're concerned, as long as these guys are trying to get into Israel, they're not coming into Egypt. Therefore, they see it in their best interest to to do nothing. If they "provoke" these terrorists by stopping their attacks on Israel, then they will come into Egypt. When these terrorists, inevitably, target Egypt, that's when Egypt will start to do something about it.
It's Israel's job to force Egypt, as part of their peace agreements, to live up to their part of the bargain and do a better job or manning the border. If they even do the minimum, it would make a huge difference. Israel could make a fenced, mined, and force fielded border, but if Egypt won't do their part, terrorists will continue to use Egypt to sneak into Israel. Olmert needs to come out and say this. He hasn't yet, and it's just part and parcel of the rest of his failings. As I've said before, Olmert and his government will most likely go down as the worst Prime Minister and government in the history of the state of Israel.
-OC