The “crude, homemade rockets” launched by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza nearly every day have wounded three Israelis in three separate incidents this week, including one today that wounded a two-year-old child.
A rocket fired by Palestinian terror groups from northern Gaza landed in the yard of a kibbutz home on Sunday afternoon, wounded a two-year-old boy. Israeli police and paramedics said the infant sustained light shrapnel wounds and was evacuated to the Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon for treatment.
Medics also treated the infant’s mother for shock.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the rocket scored a direct hit on a house in Kibbutz Zikim, an Israeli communal farm. Initial reports said the rocket hit inside the nearby Zikim military base, where a direct rocket hit in September wounded more than 40 soldiers.
There is only one conclusion from three hits in one week: The rockets are getting better. The war against Israel is gearing up. But that’s not going to stop the world from insisting that Israel put even more of her citizens at risk by easing up on checkpoints that prevent the West Bank from becoming a suicide bombers’ haven.
The Palestinian economy can only recover if Israel eases restrictions on Palestinian movement, the World Bank says, but a reluctant Israel, putting its security first, has given no guarantees.
[…] Among those making a pitch will be U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and international Mideast envoy Tony Blair, the former British prime minister.
The donors say they are aware of the stakes and are urging Israel to be more flexible. “The political pressure exists, it is being exerted by the Europeans and the Americans,” said Christiane Hohmann, spokeswoman for EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
However, so far only Britain has said it will link disbursement to improved conditions on the ground, including an easing of Israeli restrictions and Palestinian government reform.
Do you see the incredible amount of utter insanity here? The World Bank and donor nations will not ask the Palestinians to do anything to improve Israeli security, or even to improve their own financial accountability, but they are trying to force Israel to remove checkpoints because the Palestinians need to be able to move more freely in order not to steal the billions of dollars they are given. Really, it makes me wonder what kind of blackmail material the Palestinians have on European leaders. Truly, this is an ass-backwards deal.
And just in case you were wondering, no, the oil-rich Arab nations are not picking up the slack. In fact, the EU is the major donor to Palestinian corruption, thuggery, and terrorism.
Europe is the biggest donor to the Palestinians, providing some $1.4 billion in support in 2007, according to officials in the European Commission.
In 2002, Arab countries had promised to give the Palestinians $55 million a month, but have not disbursed the full amount pledged.
And now they’re going to get another $5.6 billion. From Europe and America. Because it’s not like they’re going to blow it this time, right?
I swear, the inmates are running the asylum.
Perhaps Israel ought to start lobbing “crude, homemade rockets” into Gaza whenever one comes over into Israel. Ahh, but that’s not the way Israel fights.
I wonder what other sovereign nation on Earth would put up with the daily provocation Israel suffers before going in and squashing its tormentors like bugs.
Keep an eye on France. They have a growing – and increasingly restive – Muslim minority. Either the French are going to have to get used to plenty more riots (and eventual dhimmitude) or they’re going to have to reassert Western values. Don’t hold your breath.
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the – Web Reconnaissance for 12/17/2007 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.