How can Israel respond to rocket fire? – editorial

Last November, when two rockets fired from Gaza landed in Israel, they were initially attributed to a “mishap” – possibly triggered by lightning during stormy weather. There is no such excuse for the 40 or so rockets launched on Israel by Hamas over the weekend – some 30 within a few hours.This represents a serious escalation of the situation regarding Gaza. New UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland issued a statement noting, “The indiscriminate launching of rockets toward Israeli population centers violates international law and must stop immediately.” However, Wennesland, in an attempt at moral equivalency, could not resist adding, “The provocative acts across Jerusalem must cease” before saying, “I condemn all such acts of violence and I reiterate my call upon all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation, particularly during the Holy month of Ramadan and this politically charged time for all.”Thus, Hamas has been successful in tying its attacks on the Negev – every one a war crime – with the unrest in Jerusalem, where Muslims have been attacking Jewish residents, in many cases recording the attacks and posting them on TikTok and other social media.The latest violence began on the first day of the month of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims, which this year coincided with Remembrance Day and Independence Day in Israel.It started when activists believed to be affiliated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s ruling Fatah faction attacked policemen stationed near the Old City of Jerusalem and Jewish passersby. The Fatah members claimed their actions were to protest strict Israeli security measures, including a ban on gatherings of youths at Damascus Gate. Police say the measures are necessary as a safety precaution and among other things protect Muslim worshipers going to the Aksa Mosque on Temple Mount.The counter demonstration on Thursday organized by the Jewish far-right Lehava movement exacerbated an already tense situation but was not the trigger for the violence.

Jerusalem is a handy battle cry and rallying point in the Muslim world. As The Jerusalem Post’s Khaled Abu Toameh noted yesterday, both Fatah and Hamas are seeking to use the issue of Jerusalem to distract from the internal problems and challenges they are facing ahead of the PA elections scheduled next month.Israel so far has refrained from stating outright that it will not permit the Palestinian elections to take place in east Jerusalem, but this possibility is already being used as a way to justify both the current violence and Abbas’s possible postponement of the balloting altogether.Hamas has a history of using rocket attacks on Israel to get what it wants, be it a cash inflow from Qatar, to divert attention from domestic problems, or this time, as an election ploy.The situation is a tricky one for Israel. On the one hand, it does not want to risk an escalation that could so easily spiral out of control into a full-blown war; on the other, if Israel does not respond to a massive rocket barrage on its sovereign territory, it will lose its deterrence. Hamas needs to learn that terrorism doesn’t pay, and the international community needs to convey that message. There is no excuse for firing 40 rockets on a civilian population; not riots in Jerusalem and not the Ramadan festival. Residents of the Negev cannot be held hostage in the political battle between Fatah factions and Hamas in their election campaigns.Similarly, the renewed protests on the Gaza border must be halted at this early stage. As we enter into the hot summer season, care must be taken also that the “balloon” fire attacks and “incendiary intifada” are not resumed.The peace agreements recently signed between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan show that Israel has no argument with the Muslim world. It seeks peace, not war. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of terrorist organizations like Hamas. They should not be rewarded for their constant threats and belligerence.
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