Here’s a thoughtful piece by Meron Benvenisti in Haaretz.  In his work, he suggests that the situation in the West Bank is worth contemplating, even if it doesn’t make the newspapers all the time.

The accepted dictum is that the situation in the occupied territories interests Israelis only when something violent takes place there and when the events fit with the standard narrative about the settlers, the roadblocks and the injustices of the occupation. The truth of this maxim is proven again in that change for the better in the security situation and the economy and the general atmosphere in the West Bank merits very little interest and negligible reporting.

So what’s the best way forward?  Benvenisti doesn’t fully answer that question.  But he does say there is potential for progress; we just need to keep our eyes open.

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European customers looking for Valentine’s Day flowers will have the option of buying flowers from Gaza. At the request of the Dutch government, Israel has approved and will facilitate the export of 25,000 carnations from Gaza to the European market. The flowers were shipped this morning (Thursday, 12 February 2009) via the Kerem Shalom cargo terminal and are scheduled to arrive in Europe by Valentine’s Day.

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President Shimon Peres eloquently set forth the outlines of Israel’s hopes for the Middle East in today’s Washington Post.  We bring you here a short excerpt to pique your interest:

The difficulties of a two-state solution are numerous, but it remains the only realistic and moral formula to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Those not committed to this solution argue that, after the creation of a Palestinian state, Israel’s waist would be too narrow — some six miles — to ensure security for its citizens.

Indeed, six miles will be too narrow to guarantee full security, which only reinforces our belief that Israel’s safety is not embedded only in territorial defense but in peace. Peace provides breadth of wings, even when the waist is narrow.

You can find the rest of the article through the Washington Post website.

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Forty-eight orphans from Gaza will arrive in Israel today for some much-needed rest and relaxation after a decidedly trying month of January.  Ynet reports that the children will take part in a program that will tour Haifa and includes visits to cultural sites around the city and meetings with Israeli students.  The understanding behind this initiative, according to the article, is:

The Kibbutz Movement educates its sons to be the first on the battlefield and kill the enemy before being killed, and on the other hand, once the cannon fire stops, we adopt orphan children who, maybe, thanks to our humanitarian effort, we’ll put an end to the wars in the future.

A noble sentiment, indeed.

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Israel and the Palestinian Authority:
Towards Peace and Prosperity

Introduction
Israel’s National Agency for International Cooperation (MASHAV) in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, views cooperation with the Palestinian Authority as a crucial component towards the advancement of the peace process. MASHAV’s activities in the region reflect both Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs goals vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority as well as the development strategies of the Palestinians. continue reading…

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Ordinary Israeli citizens are doing some pretty extraordinary work to help the people of Gaza:

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Ambassador of Israel Sallai Meridor made the following statement in response to news that the Obama administration has appointed Senator George Mitchell and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as special envoys:

“As the United States and Israel continue to work jointly on achieving peace and stability in the Middle East, and of countering the common threat of terrorism and state sponsors of terror from acquiring nuclear weapons, we warmly welcome and congratulate Senator George Mitchell on his appointment as special envoy for Middle East peace.

“Israel holds Senator Mitchell in high regard and looks forward to working with him on taking the next steps towards realizing a future of peace and security for Israel and her neighbors.

“I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke on his appointment as special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ambassador Holbrooke has been a longstanding friend of Israel and we wish him every success.”

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Bret Stephens, in the weekend’s Wall Street Journal (subscription required), analyzes the results of Operation “Cast Lead” in the wake of the recent Israeli ceasefire and troop withdrawal.  Israel, he says, has learned a great deal from these past three weeks–but so has Hamas.  And while Israel hopes for peace, it’s not clear that Hamas shares that feeling–and peace can’t come about in that environment.

An excerpt:

All wars eventually end. The question most Israelis are asking is whether this one has merely gone on vacation.

So why are the top echelons of Israel’s political and military establishment delighted by the war’s result? Long answer: They think that Israel has re-established a reputation for invincibility tarnished in the 2006 war with Hezbollah; that they bloodied and humiliated Hamas while taking few casualties; that they called overdue international attention to the tunnels Hamas uses to smuggle its arsenal; and, with the unilateral cease-fire, that they put the onus to end the violence squarely back on Hamas’s shoulders.

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Haaretz reports today on the disclosure of footage from the al-Arabiyya satellite network, in which one of its reporters talks about what it felt when Hamas launched a Grad missile from right under her window.  The video below (in Arabic) shows her reaction.  Apparently, she didn’t realize the camera was rolling.

Haaretz reports:

Footage of a presenter on the Arabic language television station Al-Arabiya apparently confirms that Hamas fired at least one rocket from close to a building used by journalists during the 22-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

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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 North:

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)

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