Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, Jerusalem, March 6, 2008 ...

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"To an outsider, it might be tempting to view the latest cycle in the hostilities as more of the same old Israeli-Palestinian feuding that has marked the Middle East conflict for the past 60 years.
But two aspects of the recent violence are cause for particular concern.
Hamas has proved that it has the weapons and organisation to hit Israel at will. It did this by firing Iranian-supplied Grad missiles at the southern port city of Ashkelon, a serious escalation from the home-made devices that have until now been directed at the town of Sderot, just outside the Gaza Strip.
The militant group also rattled confidence in security in and around Jerusalem.
Alaa Abu Dheim, the seminary gunman, is a resident of Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem, showing that the controversial security fence meant to segregate Israelis from Palestinians on the West Bank is no protection against a determined enemy.

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, now has two options. He can bend to growing public pressure and order the Israeli Defence Forces to re-enter the Gaza Strip, three years after the IDF was withdrawn, in an effort to silence Hamas rockets. He can also tighten controls on the movement of Palestinians, particularly those seeking to enter Jerusalem.

So far Israel has shown restraint. Mark Regev, the government spokesman, insisted that Israel would not seek to “punish moderate Palestinians” for the actions of militants.

There are also indications that Washington too is showing a more pragmatic approach to the problem. After her latest visit to the Holy Land this week, Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, appeared to encourage an Egyptian initiative to open talks with Hamas and secure a ceasefire in Gaza." (more ... Analysis: seminary attack highlights Jerusalem's vulnerability)