We Cease, They Fire

There is no recourse other than outright victory, and no room for stopping until the mission is complete
Israel's government last night suddenly agreed to a unilateral cease-fire in what can best be described as a last minute attempt to transform victory into defeat.

The foolhardiness of this move quickly became apparent, as Israel ceased, but Hamas continued to fire.

The Jewish state's self-imposed cessation of hostilities went into effect at 2 a.m. local time. Not surprisingly, just a few hours later, Hamas began firing rockets again at southern Israel, targeting six at the town of Sderot this morning.

Sure, international pressure is mounting for Israel to stop defending itself, and a new administration is about to be inaugurated in Washington which is far less likely to be sympathetic to Israel's cause.

But neither of these developments can possibly justify leaving Hamas in place in Gaza, and subjecting 900,000 Israelis in the south of the country to continued rocket fire on their homes.

There is no recourse other than outright victory, and no room for stopping until the mission is complete.

The best way to bring about a true cease-fire is to eliminate Hamas once and for all. Then, you can be sure, the rocket attacks will certainly come to a halt.

Time to Rebuild Gush Katif

It is about time that Israel correct the moral injustice of the expulsion of Gaza's Jews.
More than three years after being forcibly expelled from their homes, a group of former Gush Katif residents is demanding that the Israeli government allow them to return.

At a news conference held today in Jerusalem, leaders of Gaza Jewry said they are ready to go back and recreate the communities that were destroyed by the Sharon government during the August 2005 Gaza retreat.

"Let us return home. We are ready at a day's notice to set up tents in the area, until permanent construction," the group said.

I couldn't agree more. It is about time that Israel correct the moral injustice of the expulsion of Gaza's Jews. The August 2005 pullout created the political and security vacuum which Hamas quickly filled, setting the stage for the current confrontation now taking place on our television screens.

Indeed, many of the former Jewish communities of Gaza, such as Dugit, have been used by Hamas as terrorist training camps and rocket-launch pads - all the more reason to now transform them back into thriving and vibrant sites of Jewish settlement.

With Israeli forces now back in Gaza, this is the time to right the wrong of expulsion. and thereby let Hamas and the world know that we will never again abandon any part of our homeland.

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