This week, Israel suffered what may in fact be it's first Al Qaeda styled multi-phased attack, on its border with Egypt just north of Eilat. This border with Egypt has been quiet since the signing of the peace agreement in 1979 and the return to Egypt of the Sinai peninsula. Egypt made sure that criminal activity as well as terrorist activity was kept out of Sinai, with very few exceptions. While the peace with Egypt was deficient in many other respects, e.g. Egyptian professional societies would expel their members if they developed any ties with their Israeli counterparts, at least the border was quiet.
That came to an end this week as multiple teams of terrorists (do we really need to continue to call them 'militants' as the world press does?), investigators believe as many as 20, opened fire with AK-47's, anti-tank missiles, rocket propelled grenades and mortars, as well as improvised explosive devices on civilian cars and and buses traveling on an Israeli highway that parallels the border. One of the buses held a number of soldiers returning to their base and they returned fire until army units arrived. Throughout the day, new attacks occurred as new teams of infiltrators were discovered. One such outbreak of shots rang out as Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the Army Chief of Staff Gantz were giving a press conference, just meters away. In that exchange, one of the police's tactical (SWAT) unit's most decorated officer's was killed. For more details about the initial attacks in which eight Israelis were killed, go here.Undoubtedly, there will be investigation into how these terrorist attacks occurred. Evidently, The Intelligence services told the army that there were rumors that such an attack was in the offing, and the road was closed at night, but reopened in the day. The area where the attack occurred is slated to receive a more substantial security fence - there's barely anything there right now - and the money has been allocated but work hasn't yet commenced. Given the events of the past days, one can be sure that work will start immediately.
In particularly disappointing, but not at all surprising, news, Lebanon, which currently sits on the UN security council, prevented the UN from condemning the terrorist attack that left 8 Israelis dead. In somewhat better news, after 24 hours of intense efforts on both sides, Egypt has reversed plans to withdraw its ambassador from Israel. An announcement earlier today said that their ambassador would be leaving Tel Aviv to protest the death of several Egyptian policemen who died in the exchange of fire between Israeli soldiers and the terrorists who had attacked the two buses and cars, a group of whom had taken refuge in an Egyptian army outpost. Egypt and Israeli will conduct a joint investigation into what happened.
There's no doubt that the approaching date in September of Palestine's self-declaration will increase the pressure on the militants to increase their terrorist activities, even as it leads more moderate elements to engage in non-violent demonstrations. Ironically, the extremists only want to win if it comes through battle - winning through compromise or diplomacy is unsatisfying. I fear they will try anything to derail peaceful efforts to resolve the outstanding issues. Unfortunately, there is very little to indicate that anyone else in their society has the ability to control the agenda.
Stay tuned, and continue, as always, to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David B. Cohen
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