Though he may have taken his time, arch-terrorist Osama bin Laden has made it clear where his allegiances lie. The New York Times website today features a report on a new audio tape by the al Qaeda leader urging his followers to battle Israel and to support Hamas. Not surprising, but noted.
The personal stories from Israel don’t always make it out into the open, at least not in a first-person narrative. In this time of national sacrifice, as many are called to the front lines, we felt it important to bring you some of these accounts:
From the South (dated 01 Jan.):
It is the first day in the New Year and it is already light outside.
In two hours I am supposed to be in my class at the university.
I was supposed to be, but the school canceled classes as they also did not want to risks the lives of the students.
Just like the day before when the mayor of Beersheba canceled school and saved the lives of a bunch of grade school students.
Again, I am on the phone with mother worrying and urging me to come home. I stand next to the window and watch a large number of students getting onto the buses that leave the city.
I remind my mother that at home we are not safer, and for the time being I will remain here. (more)
Thomas Friedman has a well-reasoned piece in today’s New York Times that evaluates the current operations in a different light from many of the other articles we’ve seen. (Specifically differing, as he notes, in his analysis of the 2006 war in Lebanon.) The result: some interesting ideas for how to proceed.
An excerpt:
Israel de facto recognizes Hamas’s right to rule Gaza and to provide for the well-being and security of the people of Gaza — which was actually Hamas’s original campaign message, not rocketing Israel. And, in return, Hamas has to signal a willingness to assume responsibility for a lasting cease-fire and to abandon efforts to change the strategic equation with Israel by deploying longer and longer range rockets. That’s the only deal. Let’s give it a try.
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