Incremental Movements

Is the release of Hamas parlimentarians somehow connected to a possible deal on Gilad Shalit's release? I surely hope not. It's a bad deal for Israel any way you cut it. Well, Yossi Beilin seems to think that holding those Hamas members is a bargaining chip. I'd say that it's just desserts for a terror group infrastructure dedicated to Israel's destruction, and whose charter is full of statements calling for Israel's destruction.

Hamas and Fatah have finally figured out a way to comprise a unity government. Big deal. Same terrorists, same genocidal intent, but new approach to getting the economic and territorial limitations lifted by increasing European pressure on the Israelis. Hamas says that the release will help form the unity government. Again, big deal.

Nasrallah says that Goldwasser and Regev will not be released until Samir Qantar is released. So who is Qantar?

Qantar was captured during an attack in 1979 on northern Israel by a Palestinian terror group in which an Israeli policeman, another man and his four-year-old daughter were killed.

Israel says that there's no chance Qantar gets released. Lest we forget, UN SCR 1701 calls for the unconditional release of Goldwasser and Regev. I'd say trying to barter those two soldiers for a terrorist isn't going to go over well, although I'm sure the diplomats are just peachy with the fact that they've got Hizbullah pontificating.

The UN reports that Israel has made significant progress in withdrawing from Lebanon. No word from the UN on disarming Hizbullah. The UN also warns that the Palestinians are in danger of economic collapse. The Palestinians have the power to improve their situation pretty quickly, starting with the unconditional release of Shalit and the renunciation of their calls to destroy Israel. Hamas can agree to those terms and still get away with the ongoing violence against Israel because Hamas simply can disregard what it says, but it can't even pay lip service to entertaining that idea because they're so tied to the destruction of Israel that nothing else matters, even the survival and wellbeing of other Palestinians.

The Egyptians have uncovered another weapons cache meant for Gaza. Go figure. Palestinian terrorists have been trying to do everything imaginable to obtain weapons and resupply, and getting them via Egypt is the closest option.

This is a curious report Russia's Vladamir Putin decries Iran's attacks on Israel - the verbal attacks, and stops short of calling for sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program machinations.

Technorati: terrorism, fatah, Gilad, Shalit, Olmert, Eliyahu, Asheri, Ashri, Abbas, Regev, Goldwasser, PRC, Hamas, Gaza, palestinian, Israel, hizbullah, hezbullah, hezbollah, lebanon, syria.