This story is all over the news today, sporting an AP byline:
JERUSALEM Apr 21, 2006 (AP)— In a growing barrage of Israeli pressure against Hamas, a senior military commander said Israel is actively preparing to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and a powerful lawmaker said the entire Palestinian Cabinet could be targeted for assassination after the appointment of a wanted militant to head a new security force.
You know, it's impossible to say how sick it makes me feel to read this. I can only imagine what it must do to the former residents of Gush Katif and Netzarim. Can anyone honestly point to one single benefit that Israel has reaped to date from the 'disengagement?' It's easy to point to a host of detriments, not the least of which is an increasingly despondent homeless population festering in trailer camps and temporary shelters (but there are many more).
And now it appears that the IDF may have to "reoccupy" Gaza? Didn't someone predict this? Ah, well.
At any rate, some versions of this story have a personal byline: Josef Federman. Perhaps Mr. Federman is being, er, creative here? He's been known to do that in the past (and then there's this). While I usually prefer being proven right rather than wrong, this is a case where the opposite is true. We'll see.
Shabbat Shalom.
