Reaction

When you open the morning paper and read that the leader of the governing party in a territory no more then a few kilometers away has broadcast these remarks, you feel a bit jaded:

"We will strike in Jaffa, in Haifa, inside Ashdod. The battle will continue. The rifle is not going to be set down. All of us are martyrs in waiting. Revenge is coming. Israel prepare the coffins and black body bags."

Ive come to understand that everything in the israeli-hamas interaction is about punch and coutner punch. no one is ever acting: its always a re-acting. This particular threat was in re-action to botched israeli shells that landed on (mostly) civilian life in gaza, killing 19 people. The israeli shells were in re-action to the continual bombardment of border towns (Sderot, Ashkelon) by home made Qassam rockets, that are fired daily into israel. These rockets are certainly a reaction to something as well (although as their firing was stepped up only after the gaza withdrawl, Im not sure exactly what they are a reaction to). Either way its an unpleasant reminder (as if one was needed) of the situation here.

At least the democrats have taken over the house of reps, and potentially the senate as well. GWB will be a lame duck.