Israel Update for March 2009

While security officials were dealing with the latest terror attempt, a major controversy erupted in Israel concerning the army's conduct in the conflict with Hamas earlier this year. This followed the media's publication of various accounts by soldiers and officers who took part in "Operation Lead Cast." The accounts spoke of unethical, and even criminal, conduct by many of the troops who participated in the three week military campaign to halt Hamas rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

The Army brass ordered an official investigation of the reported abuses, which included shooting at unnamed civilians, evacuating Palestinian families to dangerous firing zones, acts of vandalism and obstruction of humanitarian aid being sent to help civilians caught up in the fighting. Several right wing politicians questioned the decision to launch an official probe while the threat of further military action with Hamas is looming.

Shalit Remains In Hamas Captivity

Hopes grew to a crescendo in mid-March that Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier abducted by Hamas gunmen near the Gaza border fence in June 2007, might finally be set free as part of a prisoner exchange with Hamas. Egyptian officials played a central role in mediation efforts. However the indirect negotiations came to naught after Hamas demanded the release of over 300 jailed terrorists, including many directly involved in planning or carrying out the murders of Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Acting PM Olmert's security cabinet balked at the demands, stating that no Israeli government could agree to fulfill them even though everyone wants to see the young soldier with duo French-Israeli citizenship set free.

"Israel will not give in to Hamas' dictates as long as I am Prime Minister," Olmert told his cabinet colleagues. He added that "we will not cease our efforts, but we have red lines and will not cross them. We are not a defeated nation." Olmert repeated these remarks in a special speech broadcast across the country after the depressing news leaked that Shalit would apparently not be released from captivity anytime soon, despite growing public demands that he be set free as soon as possible.

At the cabinet meeting, Ofer Dekel, the government's chief negotiator, revealed for the first time what Israel had offered-the release of 325 Palestinian prisoners, including some who murdered Israelis. However, Olmert insisted that 144 of the most notorious prisoners be deported to the Gaza Strip or to other countries abroad rather than be allowed to return to family homes in Judea, Jerusalem and Samaria. Shin Bet security chief Yuval Diskin told the cabinet that Hamas continued to demand freedom for an additional 100 plus prisoners who constitute the senior leadership of the group's so called "military wing, which Israel also rebuffed." He said Hamas negotiators refused to agree to the proposed deportations.

Adding insult to injury, overall Hamas leader Khaled Mashal told an Australian newspaper on March 19 that additional soldiers might be kidnapped if Israel did not meet all of the group's demands. In an interview conducted in his bunker south of Damascus, the senior Hamas leader called upon Barack Obama to radically alter his predecessor's "failed policies in the region." This came just before the US President released an unprecedented video appeal to Iran to "join America in a new beginning of diplomatic engagement" that would "address the "full range of issues before us" aimed at "establishing constructive ties." Iranian leaders immediately rejected the appeal.

As always, this month's news from Israel provides much fuel for prayer. May you be blessed as you give praise to the merciful God of Israel who told us long ago that "Only if the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below be searched out, will I reject the descendants of Israel because of all they have done" (Jeremiah 31:36).