Ha'aretz ANALYSIS: Amos Harel on the Erez suicide bombing

[Jack Rabbit]

From Ha'aretz (Jerusalem)
Dated Wednesday January 14

ANALYSIS: Amos Harel on the Erez suicide bombing
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

The heads of the defense establishment are often criticized for not being able to hold themselves back. When they have an opportunity to arrest or assassinate a senior wanted Palestinian, they hasten to take it - even if the political circumstances are not right.
The Hamas leaders found themselves in a similar situation in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Hamas, support for which has been growing among the Palestinian public, has gained enough power to enable it to resist the pressures to sign a new cease-fire agreement.
Clearly, an attack aimed at the source of income for thousands of Palestinians - the Erez crossing industrial zone - might jeopardize the perpetrators' popularity and drive Israel back to the assassinations policy. But Hamas simply could not resist the temptation . . . .
While Sheikh Ahmad Yassin spoke of "a quality attack," the defense establishment tried to ascertain if he had known of it in advance. It is difficult to believe the operation went through without the knowledge of Yassin or his men.

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[bemildred]

1. It would seem to blow the "secret hudna" idea out of the water.

Not that I found that very credible anyway.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. I think the only secret . . .

. . . was how they planned ot break it.