– The saying is that a smart man learns from his own experience, while the wise man learns from the experience of others. What can be said about a person who has not learned even from his own experience?

After all, we are not talking about distant history. Just three weeks ago, on May 11, the security establishment announced with a flourish the lifting of the full closure on Judea, Samaria and Gaza. On that same day Zion David was murdered in a shooting attack north of Ofra, a terror attack that opened a series of terror attacks that cost the lives of 12 murder victims and 70 injured within the space of four days-from the terror attack in which the couple in Hebron were murdered in the afternoon, through the terror attack on Bus no. 6 in Jerusalem, up to the terror attack at the Afula mall. Exactly one week later, after the terror attack at French Hill intersection, the full closure was applied again to all of Judea, Samaria and Gazafor two weeks. The same closure that was lifted this morning once again.

The recent past has proven countless times that every time relief measures are given to the Palestinians, they immediately facilitated the execution of successful terror attacks. Removing the closure means more Palestinians who enter for work or trade in Israel. Removing the closure means more traffic on the roads of Judea and Samaria.

And when thousands of workers stay in Israel,with permits that are issued after security checks,then the lone terrorist who succeeds in infiltrating will arouse less suspicion by virtue of his being an Arab in Israel.

Relief measures mean, therefore, capability to carry out terror attacks.

And contrary to the prevalent public impression, the IDF has not been stationed permanently inside the cities of Judea and Samaria as it was after Operation Determined Path, but rather only enters and leaves. The ability to launch terror attacks while the IDF maintained a permanent presence inside the cities was very small.

So that one really does not to have the gift of prophecy. Removing the closure, just like all of the other relief measures and gestures of good-will, are a proven recipe for terror attacks and more slain people. And the Sharon government, time after time, repeats that proven recipe.

This piece ran in HaTzofeh on June 1, 2003

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