Abraham Rabinovich, Jerusalem January 21, 2009
ISRAEL hastened its pullout of troops from the Gaza Strip yesterday, aiming to have the last units out before Barack Obama was sworn in as US President this morning.
Jerusalem was hoping to keep its neighbourhood disputes from cluttering Mr Obama's desk on his first day in office.
Although Israelis share the excitement of Mr Obama's ascension to power and the widespread sense of a new beginning, there is concern about where his promised involvement in the Middle East will take him.
There is some fear that any attempt at "even-handedness" will inevitably move him closer to the Arab point of view compared with George W. Bush, who was one of the most pro-Israeli presidents Washington has seen.
But there were also hopes Mr Obama may be able to promote a peace process precisely because he is perceived in the Arab world as being less committed to Israel, despite his pro-Israel statements.
The Jewish state yesterday began releasing reservists mobilised three weeks ago for the Gaza operation as troops from the standing army emerging from Gaza deployed on the strip's periphery. Israel permitted more than 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to cross into Gaza.
The Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram reported yesterday that Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal said on Friday that Hamas had not expected the Israeli attack to last more than three days. It lasted 22 days. He told Arab leaders at a conference in Qatar that he had expected masses of demonstrators to turn out in Arab countries demanding that Egypt open its crossing point into Gaza. There were some demonstrations but the crossing remains closed.
Hamas officials emerged from their hideouts in the Gaza Strip yesterday to find entire streets and neighbourhoods laid waste by Israeli air and ground attacks.
"The Israelis did this deliberately to tell the people 'This is because you elected Hamas'," an official said as he surveyed some of the massive destruction. "And they were saying 'This is what will happen if you elect them again'."
Officials in Gaza remained defiant. "We are in a powerful, victorious position," said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman. "Israel will soon learn that the balance of power has shifted in Hamas' favour."
A major question is whether the Israeli attack will make Gaza's population identify more closely with Hamas or whether a majority will come to blame Hamas for the destruction.
Both points of view could be heard in media interviews.
Israel and Egypt have portrayed Hamas as a proxy of Iran and said Tehran was using Hamas to further its own interests.
An Israeli official said the "real battle for Gaza" was only beginning, as the relevant parties attempt to shape the political fallout of the war.
At an Arab economic summit in Kuwait, $US2 billion ($3 billion) was pledged in aid for Gaza. Egypt and other moderate Arab states said the money would be channelled through the Palestinian Authority to give its moderate leader, President Mahmoud Abbas, a foothold in Gaza.
ISRAEL hastened its pullout of troops from the Gaza Strip yesterday, aiming to have the last units out before Barack Obama was sworn in as US President this morning.
Jerusalem was hoping to keep its neighbourhood disputes from cluttering Mr Obama's desk on his first day in office.
Although Israelis share the excitement of Mr Obama's ascension to power and the widespread sense of a new beginning, there is concern about where his promised involvement in the Middle East will take him.
There is some fear that any attempt at "even-handedness" will inevitably move him closer to the Arab point of view compared with George W. Bush, who was one of the most pro-Israeli presidents Washington has seen.
But there were also hopes Mr Obama may be able to promote a peace process precisely because he is perceived in the Arab world as being less committed to Israel, despite his pro-Israel statements.
The Jewish state yesterday began releasing reservists mobilised three weeks ago for the Gaza operation as troops from the standing army emerging from Gaza deployed on the strip's periphery. Israel permitted more than 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to cross into Gaza.
The Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram reported yesterday that Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal said on Friday that Hamas had not expected the Israeli attack to last more than three days. It lasted 22 days. He told Arab leaders at a conference in Qatar that he had expected masses of demonstrators to turn out in Arab countries demanding that Egypt open its crossing point into Gaza. There were some demonstrations but the crossing remains closed.
Hamas officials emerged from their hideouts in the Gaza Strip yesterday to find entire streets and neighbourhoods laid waste by Israeli air and ground attacks.
"The Israelis did this deliberately to tell the people 'This is because you elected Hamas'," an official said as he surveyed some of the massive destruction. "And they were saying 'This is what will happen if you elect them again'."
Officials in Gaza remained defiant. "We are in a powerful, victorious position," said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman. "Israel will soon learn that the balance of power has shifted in Hamas' favour."
A major question is whether the Israeli attack will make Gaza's population identify more closely with Hamas or whether a majority will come to blame Hamas for the destruction.
Both points of view could be heard in media interviews.
Israel and Egypt have portrayed Hamas as a proxy of Iran and said Tehran was using Hamas to further its own interests.
An Israeli official said the "real battle for Gaza" was only beginning, as the relevant parties attempt to shape the political fallout of the war.
At an Arab economic summit in Kuwait, $US2 billion ($3 billion) was pledged in aid for Gaza. Egypt and other moderate Arab states said the money would be channelled through the Palestinian Authority to give its moderate leader, President Mahmoud Abbas, a foothold in Gaza.
Source: The Australian
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