Jerusalem Post columnist Evelyn Gordon has composed an excellent and clear argument why Israel does in fact have a military solution to escalating rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, despite claims to the contrary by Israel’s political leadership.

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Anyone who values his or her life would naturally not put themselves between wanted terrorist killers and the forces pursuing them. It would appear the “Palestinians” don’t value their lives very highly, despite their shrieking diatribes to the contrary, and should subsequently stop complaining when they are killed in the crossfire of a war their terrorist “heroes” started with Israel.

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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given his “word of honor” to release hundreds, perhaps thousands of “Palestinian” security prisoners as a goodwill gestures he hopes will move the two sides closer to peace.

Why is this a bad idea? Two reasons.

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Israel’s leadership is making the predictable error of being dragged into a process of thinking it can deal with PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and talk peace with him, while somehow bypassing the democratically-elected representatives of the Palestinian Arabs – the Hamas terrorist organization.

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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested following talks with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday that the Arab world has come to a concensus on the need to recognize Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish state.

Either Rice is visiting a Middle East in some parallel universe, or she is severely out of touch with the will of the Arab street.

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US President George W. Bush said following the September 11, 2001 attacks on his nation that from hence forth there could be no distinction between terrorist killers and the people and nation’s who harbor, finance and support them.

If that is the case, then everyone has got to stop treating the Palestinian Arabs with kid gloves!

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Again, the international media and many Western government are jumping the gun, and mistaking Hamas’ efforts to secure financial aid as an indication the terror group is suddenly ready to abandon its core positions and live in peaceful coexistence with Israel.

The source of the misguided enthusiasm this time is news of an imminent Palestinian Authority unity government, under the terms of which Hamas appears to be indirectly recognizing the Jewish state.

But it is not peace that is driving this move. Rather it is the crushing economic sanctions the PA has been living under since Hamas took over the government in January. Hamas has seen its popularity plummet after being unable to pay over 150,000 PA employees for the past half year. The group is desperate to secure funds. But certainly not desperate enough to renounce the virulent hatred for and brutal violence against Israel that brought it to power.

Asked by Israel’s Army Radio if Hamas’ implicit acceptance of negotiations with Israel signalled an “end to the conflict,” Hamas government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said Tuesday:

“That’s not what we’re saying. We have no problem accepting a state with the 1967 borders.” However, “We are not willing to recognize Israel. This is our country.”

A day earlier, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Ha’aretz:

“We would like to have the embargo lifted, but we will not surrender to external dictates and we will not agree to sacrifice the interests and rights of the Palestinian people.”

The left-wing Israeli newspaper also noted that the draft unity government proposal also provides for Hamas to reject any previous agreements between Israel and the PA that it feels do not “serve Palestinian interests.” And while it does call for a halt to acts of terror inside sovereign Israel, the deal gives a green light for continued violence against Jews living in Judea and Samaria.

Unfortunately, the international community, and in particular the mainstream media, continue to see only what they want to see, rather than listening to what Hamas has to say or actually reading the documents that are purportedly forming the base of future peace and stability.

Having declared during his election campaign that there was no “Palestinian” peace partner and that unilateral withdrawal was Israel’s only option, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has now seemingly inexplicably shifted course and is seeking to restart negotiations with the PLO.

And this despite the fact PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is apparently on the verge of forging a unity government with those most dedicated to Israel’s demise – the ruling Hamas organization.

There are two possible explanations for this bizarre behavior:

1. Olmert has suffered considerable political damage following the recent Lebanon war, and would like to bring calm to Israel’s external borders before another round of fighting erupts.

   In line with this desire, he is bowing to Arab insistence that Israel will never have peace with its neighbors until it reaches an accord with the “Palestinians.”

2. With his coalition on the verge of collapse, Olmert is relying on the notion that Israelis will be reluctant to go to early elections in the midst of an active round of negotiations.

   Furthermore, he knows that those to the right of his Kadima Party oppose the surrender of Judea and Samaria, and that those to the left oppose unilateral actions in place of a negotiated settlement. Employing the strategy of his predecessors, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon, Olmert believes he can enter into negotiations that will inevitably lead nowhere by virtue of “Palestinian” intransigence, thus satisfying the full spectrum of Israeli politics.

Considering that Olmert believes himself to be Sharon’s heir in every way, and that he has demonstrated that his own political survival is of paramount importance, option two seems most likely.

The danger, of course, is that Israel cannot enter into negotiations with the “Palestinians” without the world getting all starry-eyed about the prospect of “peace,” and putting immense pressure on Israel to accept more undesirable terms and offer additional concessions.

There can be no question that with Hamas in charge, the chances for even a pretend peace with the “Palestinians” at this point are next to nothing. And the prime minister knows this. But he is apparently willing to further gamble with the lives of his people for the sake of “four more years.”

The continued description of the Palestinian Arabs as anyone’s peace partners, especially Israel’s, becomes more ludicrous by the day.

“Palestinians” in the Samarian town of Shechem erupted in mass celebration Sunday upon hearing of the deaths of 10 Israeli reservists in a Hizb’allah missile strike in northern Israel. Fireworks were set off, rifles were fired in the air, and candies were passed out to kids – the same kids that will one day be expected by Israel and the West to live in peaceful coexistence with the Jewish state. Yeah, right.

Oh, and by the way America, all those millions you are pumping into the Palestinian Authority are not buying many hearts and minds. They roared with delight, too, when 3,000 of your own were slaughtered by Osama bin Laden’s minions.

There is a very important lesson regarding the “land-for-peace” process that Israel must learn from the current battle with Hizb’allah.

Hizb’allah’s raison d’etre – at least as far as the world was concerned – was Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon. But six years ago, Israel withdrew from every square inch of Lebanon, as demanded by the international community.

And yet, Hizb’allah remains, and is causing more trouble today than ever before.

That is because Hizb’allah’s true raison d’etre, according to its own covenant and statements, is the annihilation of the Jewish state.

The same is true not only for more “radical” groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but also for Fatah and the entire PLO, which were established for the “liberation of Palestine.”

It is telling to watch the reaction of the Palestinian Arabs as Hizb’allah assaults their Israeli “peace” partners. While the entire Arab world outside of Syria is criticizing Hizb’allah, the “Palestinians” are cheering on the Lebanese terrorists.

They are not, as one would expect of participants in their own land-for-peace process, urging Hizb’allah to halt its aggression now that it has achieved its initial territorial demands. No, the “Palestinians” are actually hollering for Hizb’allah to hurry up and start lobbing missiles into Tel Aviv.

The “Palestinians” are demonstrating that even if they are given 100% of Judea, Samaria and Gaza – including eastern Jerusalem – they are as likely as not to follow the lead of their Hizb’allah role models and find a reason (the very existence of Israel) to fight on.