May 20, 2003
Palestinians in Gaza protest against terrorists -- finally!.
The
Globe and Mail reports that residents of in the Gaza strip seem to have had enough of extremists causing trouble.
Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip Ð Hundreds of residents of Beit Hanoun burned tires and blocked the main road Tuesday in a rare burst of anger at extremists who have prompted Israeli incursions by firing rockets from the town at Israeli targets.
Israeli troops withdrew from Beit Hanoun earlier Tuesday, after a five-day takeover during which they flattened orchards, demolished 15 homes, knocked over garden walls, tore up streets and damaged the sewage, water and electricity systems.
The Israeli military said much of the destruction, especially of homes and orchards, was aimed at depriving extremists firing rockets of cover.
In an unusual protest, about 600 Beit Hanoun residents blocked a main thoroughfare with trash cans, rocks and burning tires to show their anger at the extremists and Palestinian Authority officials.
©¯They (the militants) claim they are heroes,©— Mohammed Zaaneen, 30, a farmer, said as he carried rocks into the street. "They brought us only destruction and made us homeless. They used our farms, our houses and our children ... to hide.©—
This is very encouraging. The only people who can stop the war between the Palestinians and the Israelis are themselves. All the road maps and proposals from outside the country just make things worse by leading folks to think someone from outside will fix it. The fighting will stop when people have had enough of it, when the Palestinians care more about ending the violence than they do about eliminating Israel, and vice versa. This is a big step forward from lynching those who suggest making peace.
