This Is What They Mean By Truce

Hamas is supposedly going to engage in a truce starting tomorrow. So, they apparently have no problem firing off as many kassam rockets as they possibly can until then. They're clearly trying to provoke the Israelis into engaging in an airstrike that would come after the truce supposedly goes into effect.

Israel, by falling for this truce, will not improve its security posture because the terrorists will take advantage of the situation to regroup and rearm. They will see this as a major victory over Israel.

Israel is also saying that the truce includes a provision relating to Gilad Shalit, but Hamas has said that Shalit is not part of the deal. I'm not surprised by any of this because Olmert and the diplomats think that they can trust the terrorists, who have no intention of releasing Shalit without serious compensation in return - the release of hundreds of terrorists from Israeli jails.

Olmert says that this truce may bring quiet to Israel's southern communities, but people should know better. Hamas and the other terrorists will still find a way to attack Israel and claim that they haven't violated the truce - including creating "splinter" terror factions to carry out the attacks.

Poll results reported by the Jerusalem Post (and apparently taken by left wing organizations) show that many Israelis think that the government's ongoing policy towards Gaza has not worked and Hamas is stronger now than a year ago. What the poll doesn't offer up is whether Israelis would actually have wanted a stronger military response instead of the one that Prime Minister Olmert provided.

An overwhelming majority - 83 percent - of Israelis surveyed believed that Hamas has strengthened since closure was imposed on Gaza, while 68% said they believe that Israel's security situation had worsened since that time. The closure of the Gaza Strip will not end Palestinian support for Hamas, according to 78 percent of respondents, and 60% said the closure is making life so difficult for Gazans that it is likely to cause more support for Islamic extremism.

Meanwhile, the Knesset is moving closer to passing a bill that would require a referendum and a supermajority to deal away the Golan Heights. The politicians appear to have learned something from the Gaza disengagement, which was that returning land to Israel's enemies is no guarantee of peace.

UPDATE:
Elder of Ziyon notes what happened the last time Hamas and Israel engaged in a "truce." Hamas violated it immediately and fired hundreds of rockets at Israel for six months before Israel finally responded with significant force. Israel endured hundreds of attacks while the government dithered.

UPDATE:
More than 50 mortars and rockets have slammed into Israel since this morning courtesy of the Palestinian terrorists. Yet, we're supposed to believe that Hamas will hold to a truce?