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Israel Continues to Ease Restrictions of Palestinian Civilians

Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert met with President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas in a bid to bolster the latter?s status within his own government. Abbas? Fatah supporters are fighting a civil war with the more militant Hamas group, whose leader, Ismael Haniyeh, was voted Prime Minister of the Authority. In the summit meeting ? the first in a year and a half ? Olmert promised to transfer $100-million to the Palestinians for humanitarian aid and also to ease up on some restrictions, including at certain roadblocks.

Ehud Olmert is also mulling the possibility of releasing some of the Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails as a goodwill gesture, despite the fact that he promised his nation that he would not do so before the Palestinians released an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who has been held by Hamas for over six months. Olmert faces increasingly strong opposition in his own government for the concessions that he is making for the Palestinians.

The general mood in Israel is that until the Palestinians show a genuine desire for peace, Israel cannot make any more goodwill gestures ? both from a moral and a security perspective. Despite a so-called ceasefire agreed on between Israel and the Palestinians, terrorists still continue to fire Quassam rockets into heavily populated Israeli towns in the southern region of the country ? sometimes as much as several a day. Earlier in the week, two youth were severely injured from a hit direct by a rocket. Many feel that until the Palestinians keep their side of the deal, Israel should not release any prisoners or transfer arms and money to the Authority.