“Violence produces violence,” said Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, in his initial statement following last weekend’s Itamar attack, in which five Israeli settlers were murdered. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack except for Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who no one seems to believe actually did it because they have claimed responsibility for things they didn’t do before. And public debate has turned to the subject of incitement, with people claiming that both sides need to discourage the dehumanization of those on the other side of the conflict. (Netanyahu expressed concern about incitement in his first phone call with Abbas after the Itamar attack, saying “I expect you to stop the incitement against Israel in schools, textbooks, and mosques, and to educate your children toward peace just as we are doing.” And Haaretz writer Gideon Levy said “The Israeli media is dehumanizing the Palestinians systematically year after year…”)
But the events of the past few days have proved Abbas’ initial statement correct. Israeli settlers set two cars belonging to Palestinians on fire in Jinsafout, set three cars on fire near Bethel, and in Salfit have been “opening fire at homes and throwing stones at passing cars.” In Beit Mer, Israeli settlers backed by soldiers “opened gunfire at resident homes and cars then soldiers invaded the village and fired tear gas into people homes.” One report tells of “roving mobs of settlers enter[ing] Palestinian villages, throwing stones and bottles, spray painting property, burning fields and cars and launching Molotov Cocktails at civilians.” And this morning masked Israeli settlers attacked two Palestinians, hospitalizing one.
The IDF has declared Awarta, a small Palestinian town near Itamar, a military zone, imposed a military curfew, detained several people, and on Monday demanded that all residents 15-40 years old report to the school courtyard to be questioned. Illegal settlement building continues as Itamar residents reportedly installed new mobile homes outside of Itamar and “were seen manning bulldozers west of the settlement’s declared municipal boundary.” Additionally, Israel has approved 400 new housing units in West Bank settlements.
In Gaza, after the Israeli navy seized an Egypt-bound ship carrying weaponry that Israel believes was bound for Gazan armed groups, a rocket was fired from Gaza that landed in Sderot, causing no casualties, and a retaliatory strike from Israel killed three Gazans.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people demonstrated for Palestinian unity in the West Bank and Gaza, and the endeavor has produced a promising result, as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh invited Abbas to Gaza for talks and Abbas accepted. And tens of thousands of Israelis observed five minutes of silence to remember the captured Israeli solider Ghilad Shalit, who is still being held by armed forces in Gaza, against the forceful recommendation of the Goldstone Report to “release him on humanitarian grounds.”
The next big step, it seems, is Netanyahu’s upcoming May appearance before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Netanyahu is expected to announce a new initiative, though analysts are not optimistic about what he will offer. The other date looming is September 2011, when Abbas hopes to make Palestine a permanent member of the United Nations. In the meantime, the cycle of violence continues.
