Those who celebrate death

The death this past Sunday of young Daniel Wultz, a 16-year old American Jew who was badly wounded in last month’s suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, was tragic and heartrending news.

After fighting for his life for several weeks, Wultz succumbed to his injuries, and yet another precious Jewish soul was snuffed out by the merciless cruelty of Palestinian terrorists.

For anyone out there who may have thought that perhaps the terrorists didn’t mean to murder someone so young, or that maybe they are beset by guilt over the horrific results of their actions – think again.

Here is what Abu Nasser, a leader of the Al-Aksa Martyrs’ Brigades, which is aligned with PA President Abu Mazen’s Fatah faction, had to say about young Daniel Wultz’s death in an interview with WorldNetDaily:

"This is a gift from Allah. We wish this young dog will go directly with no transit to hell… (Wultz) was part of the American support machine that helps our enemy. All these young American Jews come here to support the occupation, they build and live in the settlements... I imagine him as one of these Nazis who live here (in the settlements). There is no difference between him and them."

Such rhetoric is not only despicable – it is also inhuman. It reveals once again the depths of savagery to which the terrorists have sunk.

They celebrate death and rejoice in it, and promise only more. It is time for Israel to put an end to this travesty, and to eliminate the Palestinian terrorist threat once and for all.

We must never forget the nature of those confronting us, nor allow the media to gloss over their evil. Palestinian terrorists are neither “freedom-fighters” nor “militants” – they are ruthless thugs and killers who must be defeated. May it happen soon.

May Daniel Wurtz’s memory be for a blessing for the Land of Israel and for the entire Jewish people.

Will the Left Ever Learn?

This has got to be one of the biggest cases of "we told you so but you just didn't want to listen" in recent memory.

After months of trying, Palestinian terrorists today finally succeeded in hitting the heart of Ashkelon with a Qassam rocket fired from northern Gaza.

The explosive projectile, which was fitted with a double engine to increase its range, landed on the grounds of a high school, causing damage to the building. Thank G-d, no one was hurt in the incident.

But that in no way diminishes the gravity of the attack. As Ashkelon mayor Roni Mehatzri said today, "a city with 120,000 people is not supposed to live under a threat of rockets."

This is precisely what opponents of last year's Gaza withdrawal said would occur after Israel retreated from the area – that it would strengthen Hamas, lead to a rise in Palestinian terror, and place Ashkelon in range of rocket fire from the Strip.

But the media and the "experts" all refused to listen, derisively mocking Israel's Right for "fear-mongering". Now, after today's attack, how many of them do you think will come clean and finally admit just how wrong they were to support the Gaza retreat?

My guess is: not many – and probably not any.

A Memorable Anniversary

Talk about an inauspicious start.

Ehud Olmert’s new government was sworn into office on Thursday, pledging to divide the Land of Israel and turn over still more territory to the Palestinians.

Yet hardly anyone appears to have noticed that Thursday also marked precisely 12 years since the infamous signing of the May 4, 1994 Gaza-Jericho Accords, when Israel agreed to pull out of those areas and transfer their control to Yasser Arafat.

That ceremony, you might remember, rapidly dissolved into an embarrassing comedy of errors when Arafat refused to sign one of the maps, prompting a great deal of diplomatic discomfiture that was broadcast live around the world. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was host of the Cairo-based event, turned to Arafat and exploded in anger, shouting at him "Ya kalb!" ("You dog!"). Eventually, Arafat relented and signed the deal, paving the way for years of intensified Palestinian terror and additional Israeli withdrawals.

Now, here we are, a dozen years later, and has any of this really changed? The Palestinians still don’t want peace with Israel, even as the Government in Jerusalem pushes forward with plans for still more concessions.

I’d like to think that the timing is merely a coincidence, that it isn’t a sign of some sort or an ominous omen that portends further retreats for our beleaguered country.

But deep down, I fear, that is where things may be headed, because despite all that has happened here over the past decade, our political leaders refuse to learn from their mistakes.

Hopefully, Mr. Olmert will take a moment or two to consider the past - and maybe, just maybe, the anniversary of Israel's previous error in Cairo will somehow illuminate his path.