Good commentary on the attack:
Designed by Hizbullah, Inc.
By Elliot Chodoff
The terrorist attack at Karni Crossing in Gaza last night that killed six Israelis and wounded five others was a spectacular example of everything that is wrong with the doctrine of passive defense against terrorists. Equally important, it was a shrieking warning to those who believe that the new Palestinian administration under Abu Mazen will be significantly different in content to that of the late unlamented Yasir Arafat.
The method of attack had “Designed in Lebanon by Hizbullah, Inc.” written all over it. A truck bomb, with some 220 lbs of explosives was detonated next to the wall that separates the Israeli side from the Palestinian side of the Karni Crossing. The blast blew a hole in the wall that three terrorists utilized to penetrate to the Israeli side, and from there the deadly results were inevitable as they opened fire and ultimately blew themselves up. This type of sophisticated, multi phase operation is the hallmark of Hizbullah, and provides further evidence that the Lebanese terrorist group is training and advising the terrorists of the West Bank and Gaza.
This attack provided yet another illustration of the vulnerability of a fixed obstacle to motivated innovative terrorists. No matter how thick the concrete, an appropriate quantity of high explosives will breach it. Suicide bombers will no longer masquerade as Hasidic Jews; they will now emulate assault troops as they charge through the newly blown holes in the wall. The results will be similarly lethal, as we witnessed last night at Karni.
The attack was criticized by the PA since it ultimately hurts the Palestinian population, whose economy is already in a shambles after four years of senseless violence. Not really a condemnation of terrorism, the PA announcement emphasized that this type of attack will lead to additional suffering by the Palestinian population, as Karni was the last remaining link to the outside world, and will now be closed indefinitely in response to the attack. The two other land crossing points, Erez and Rafiah, were closed by the IDF following terrorist attacks.
It is clear that the Europeans and the UN will condemn Israel for the closure, but the Palestinian populace will suffer the consequences of lack of consumer goods, all of which passed through Karni on the way to the shops. Demands for political gestures (such as keeping Karni Crossing open extra hours to permit more goods to reach Gaza) cannot be addressed while the PA tolerates terrorist attacks.
Last, but far from least, the attack demonstrated Abu Mazen’s impotence against terrorists, if one believes the sincerity of his exhortations against violence. We have become accustomed to the Palestinian leadership’s practice of condemning attacks in one sentence (generally in English) and supporting them in the next (usually in Arabic). Abu Mazen’s recent referral to Israel as the “Zionist Enemy” is in line with the traditional doublespeak and his unwillingness to confront terrorists directly bodes ill for progress in reconciliation with Israel.
Under Arafat, the question was often asked: is the continuation of terrorism a result of his inability or his unwillingness to stop the attacks? Today, with the credit for the Karni attack claimed by both Hamas and El Aksa Martyrs Brigade (a branch of Abu Mazen’s own Fatah organization), a similar question arises: will Abu Mazen be both willing and able to take on the terrorists of his own constituency as well as those of the opposition? We think not. As time goes on, Abu Mazen is looking more and more like Yasir Arafat, clean shave and business suit notwithstanding. |
