Israeli brinkmanship puts Gaza truce in peril
Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is mounting a last-ditch effort to free a captured Israeli soldier by blocking an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip until Hamas agrees to release him.
Whether Olmert's brinkmanship can produce a breakthrough in the few weeks he has left depends on Israel making difficult concessions that could bolster Hamas, and on the Islamist group taking a gamble on the Jewish state keeping its word. Many diplomats are sceptical all the pieces will fall in place.
Hamas has no faith that Israel, which is about to change governments, will abide by commitments under the proposed ceasefire, mainly to keep Gaza's border crossings open, if captured soldier Gilad Shalit is freed.
Wary of taking steps it believes would bestow legitimacy on Hamas, Israel has refused to provide guarantees and has rebuffed a proposal for the U.N. to monitor the compliance of both sides, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity.
See - the problem isn't the constant barrage of rockets, the weapons smuggling, the kidnaps, and the fact that the ruling terrorists in Gaza are holding a human being captive without access to red cross to verify human rights - no, it's Israel's lack of trustworthiness and refusal to allow international stooges to proclaim "Yai or Nai" regarding who broke a cease fire. Utterly ridiculous, and deliberately reported in an attempt to give Hamas legitimacy while belittling Israel's legitimate interests.
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