Mother In The Line Of Gaza’s Fire

Jerusalem – “On Wednesday afternoon, there was a very powerful explosion, everything went flying and there was thick smoke. After a few seconds, I saw a mother and her baby under the rubble. The mother was semi-conscious and the baby was lying beside her crying. Both of them were lying in a pool of blood.”

This was how Dr. Simon Maltsari described the scene at the Ashkelon shopping mall after it was struck by a Gaza missile attack, shortly before 6 p.m. when a Gaza missile sliced through the roof of the General Health Fund clinic on the second floor of the mall. No siren sounded before the rocket struck, since the Israeli army had recently disconnected that warning system. The entire mall shook with the blast, but only the top floor was damaged, especially the gynecology clinic, which was crowded with women.

Avital Afjan, 24, and her daughter Tair, age 11⁄2, were seriously injured all over their bodies by fragments. After treatment at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, Ms. Afjan and little Tair, linked to respirators and anesthetized, were flown to Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer. The father, Adi, was also called to the hospital. Dr. Arnon Afek, assistant director of the hospital, explained that the mother and daughter had sustained injuries to all their body systems, in all parts of their bodies.

One of the health fund doctors was also seriously wounded by the rocket explosion at the mall. Other people sustained light to moderate injuries. A total of 100 people were taken to Barzilai Hospital.

Among the victims were many residents of Sderot who were in the mall. After the casualties were evacuated from the scene, the shock was replaced with anger and some of the residents demonstrated and called upon the prime minister to resign.

Israeli Officials: Operation In Gaza Closer Than Ever

It has been confirmed that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak will implement plans for a large-scale operation in Gaza. “We are quickly getting closer to an operation in Gaza,” said high-ranking political officials on Wednesday. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi has also changed his position and now supports a large-scale operation in Gaza.

Blair: Israel Will Withdraw From Every Sector Of Judea, Samaria

Israel will soon transfer total security control in the Judea and Samaria area to the Palestinians, and the IDF will leave the area completely, with a Palestinian promise to take action against terrorist elements in the area.

This was revealed on Tuesday by Quartet envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair at a press conference in Jerusalem. Mr. Blair added that the IDF would soon remove four major roadblocks in Judea and Samaria. He said that as early as this week, the first such roadblock would be removed in the Hebron area and that others, including one at Beit El near Ramallah, would be removed as soon as possible.

The Israel Defense Minister’s Bureau quickly denied Mr. Blair’s statements, claiming that Israel was encouraging and supporting the Palestinian security forces’ actions against territories elements but that overall security responsibility would remain in Israel’s hands to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Top IDF officers are strongly opposed to removing checkpoints and roadblocks and a withdrawal from the area. IDF Central District Commander Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni and Samaria Division Commander Brig. Gen. Noam Tibon have warned against even a partial Israeli withdrawal.

The two explained, “An IDF exit from population centers, or even a reduction in activity against them, would lead to a Hamas takeover of the area that we leave within a short time.”

The officers added that “there must not be a situation in which we have intelligence about terrorist activity and cannot use it from the operational perspective, anywhere in Judea and Samaria.” They added that the IDF Central Command supported allowing Palestinian security organizations to take action to instate public order, but comprehensive responsibility would remain with Israel.

IDF Central Command officers are also concerned that a transfer of responsibility to the Palestinians and the loss of control on the ground will allow Hamas, to develop a rocket and mortar array in Judea and Samaria, as exists today in the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian Culture Minister Will Burn Israeli Books

A diplomatic crisis has erupted between Israel and Egypt because of a very sharp statement made by Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosny. The Egyptian minister said at the Egyptian parliament last week : “I will personally burn Israeli books if they are in Egyptian libraries.”

Israeli Ambassador to Cairo Shalom Cohen described this statement in a classified report that he sent to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem as “very harsh and blunt, which cannot be ignored in Israel’s and the international community’s dialogue with Egypt.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry accepted the ambassador’s recommendation and instructed him to sharply protest to the Egyptian authorities. In addition, the Foreign Ministry protested to the Egyptian ambassador in Israel.

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will leave for Sharm el-Sheikh to take part in a summit with Mr. Bush, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen). She is expected to raise the issue in her talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Mr. Hosny is Egypt’s candidate for secretary general of UNESCO, and his chances are fairly good. It has been learned that Israel is considering taking action in the matter with the international community in order to thwart his candidacy.

Mr. Hosny is considered one of the leaders of the opposition in the Egyptian government against normalization with Israel. In the past, he even accused Israel of attempting to steal Egyptian culture, and he is adamantly opposed to any cooperation with Israel. In addition, he rejected an initiative by the American Jewish Committee to establish a museum for antiquities and Jewish culture in Cairo.

Israel Expects Arab Revolt

The Middle East Newsline has confirmed that Israel’s military expects the Israeli Arab minority to revolt in the next Middle East war.

Israeli military sources said military intelligence has determined that Arab civilians would seek to block roads in northern and southern Israel in an effort to hamper the military. The sources said the military predicted a regional conflict as early as 2009.

“The military has begun to prepare reserve forces and officers for the prospect of an Arab revolt as part of any war with Hezbollah and Syria,” a military source said.

The source said military intelligence has determined that Iran and Hezbollah have been recruiting Arab citizens in Israel. The Arabs were said to have been organized into sleeper and operational cells.

“We know that Arab citizens have been conducting reconnaissance as well as transporting finances and even weapons to Hezbollah-financed Fatah operatives in the West Bank,” the source said.

Israeli intelligence has determined that Hezbollah would significantly increase its penetration of the Arab community in Israel.

David Bedein can be reached at Media@actcom.co.il. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com

©The Bulletin 2008