An Elusive Hope
(Signs of the Time - August 2001)
Every time there is a whiff of renewed hope for a peaceful resolution to the warring Israeli, Palestinian conflict, another bomb explodes. Talks of peace are followed by a sniper attack, which is followed by a suicide bombing. The Israelis hold the Palestinians accountable and the Palestinians hold the Israelis accountable.
Assassinations
A very short-tem solution to ending the suicide bombings and assaults against Israeli
citizens is to actively hunt down and kill those suspected of such deeds. As one might
appreciate, this is merely a short-term solution in that vendettas between these two
warring factions can extend several generations.
During July, 2001, the Israeli security cabinet decided to press ahead with a policy of assassinating suspected Palestinian militants. The New York Times reported on July 5, 2001: "This measure was taken in an effort to stop persistent killings of Israelis." The New York Times continued: "Palestinians accuse Israel of having assassinated some 40 people since the current uprising began in late September of last year. On Sunday, an Israeli helicopter gun ship killed three suspected Muslim militants near the West Bank city of Jenin."
Israeli ministers who participated in the cabinet meeting described the policy as "active self-defense" or "interception" of terrorists before they can carry out attacks. "These interceptions will continue," Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit said after the meeting. The transport minister, Ephraim Sneh, reported that "all of the cabinet ministers are in favor of intercepting terrorists."
Evidently, the assassinations can be carried out without violating terms of the cease-fire mediated by George J. Tenet, United States director of central intelligence. Since the Israeli cabinet has classified the assassinations as self-defense, technically they are able to "remain committed to the cease-fire." The New York Times reported: "‘The cabinet decided not to violate the Tenet agreement, not to violate the Mitchell agreement, but at the same time to take self-defensive actions when necessary,’ Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said."
Building walls
Another short-term peace solution is to construct a barrier between the two peoples in
a hope that a Berlin-style wall will keep the two sides apart. In early July, 2001, Israel
commenced construction of just such a barrier. The New York Times reported: "Israel
has begun constructing fences, walls and trenches along the edge of the West Bank to
protect against Palestinian attacks, officials said Thursday, while denying they amount to
a new border. The barriers next to 10 Israeli communities will be about 35 miles long
altogether and will be completed in the coming months, said Defense Ministry spokesman
Shlomo Dror."
"The initiative for the protective structures came from residents who live just on the Israeli side of the line, Dror and community officials said. The defense ministry approved the requests and is paying for most of the work. Dror said only budgetary restrictions have limited the extent of the projects. Officials refused to disclose the total cost."
The unmarked border between Israel and the West Bank, 180 miles long and known as the "Green Line," is the armistice line from the 1948-49 war that followed the creation of Israel. The Palestinians want to set up a state in all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and demand removal of all the Jewish settlements. Israel insists the future of the settlements must be decided in negotiations. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said none would be dismantled.
Sharon chaired a meeting Wednesday about plans to beef up security along the green line. The walls and fences have raised the issue of whether Israel is drawing a new border, relinquishing the West Bank and abandoning the settlements, despite official government policy. Dror said the approval of the local requests for protection has no political significance. "I don’t think a fence signifies a border," Dror said. "There is not a political implication here, just a security implication."
New warships
According to the Jerusalem Post, Israel plans to bulk up its navy with some new
missile corvettes - acquisitions that would intensify the Mediterranean naval race.
Israel’s rivals will be forced to shift spending away from land and into sea-based
weapons systems, possibly creating severe inter-service rivalries within the militaries of
Syria, Lebanon, etc. The newspaper reported that Israel may buy up to five new
Sa’ar-5 corvettes; these warships would help Israel secure coastal waters and
potentially provide a platform for nuclear weapons.
Israel already has three Sa’ar-5’s in service, and the new models –- costing more than $200 million each - would substantially improve Israel’s naval strength. Ton-for-ton, the Sa’ar-5 is considered the most heavily armed ship in the world. Each is stocked with Harpoon and Gabriel II surface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes, a 76 mm gun and Barak surface-to-air missiles, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
As noted, the warships would serve a dual purpose: they could increase Israel’s ability to launch nuclear strikes from the sea - a capability that now depends mostly on Dolphin-class submarines newly acquired from Germany - and they would help secure Israel’s coastal waters. In May, the Israeli navy intercepted a Lebanese ship smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip, but the ship’s captain said two similar cargoes had made it through.
Buying warships, constructing walls and assassinating suspects without the use of a judicial system, all add up to continued conflict in the Middle East. Knowing that there shall be a sense of peace in the region before our Master’s intervention in the area, we begin to appreciate the fact divine intervention will be required to achieve this goal. We should continue to pray for this intervention and the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
George Rayner