Jenin: The Palestinian Masada

Tel Aviv [6 April 2002] -- Brutalization. The situation is not getting better. Reservists say that they do not understand the goals of this operation. The diminished quality of the army, and the improved military capacity of the Palestinian fighters in the Jenin refugee camp, are having a direct impact on the Palestinian population. The army's inability to take over the camp - and the growing number of casualties (6 IDF soldiers killed as of last night) - have led to an upsurge in brutalization tactics by the IDF. This should come as no surprise: As the Palestinians are closing the gap in quality of fighting, the Israeli army, which has sent elite, crack units into the camp, can only rely on its technological advantage.

The Nablus Kasbah is next in line. It is difficult to know what exactly is happening in Jenin, as no reporters are allowed in. (Shimon Peres said yesterday that "TV cameras are as powerful as artillery.") Yet some key information can be gleaned: The local commander, Brig. Gen. Eyal Shlain, said in an Israel Radio interview yesterday that the difficulty of overtaking the camp stems from the high motivation and improved capability of the Palestinian fighters, who have "learned from experience." He also admitted that there were many civilian casualties, and upon being asked whether the army called them to surrender, he said "Let's leave that for later." The results can be seen from these reports:

From Tamar Peleg, a leading attorney at the Israeli Civil Rights Association:


'I spoke to a friend…He lives in Jenin city at the foot of the hill where the refugee camp is situated. He has been watching for hours on end Apache helicopters firing missiles, fire in the camp, smoke over the camp, tanks surrounding it, more tanks, dozens of them, arriving by Haifa road. He can hear blasts and heavy machine gun fire. The camp has been completely cut off the outside world. The phones don't function…I spoke to doctor G. in the Jenin hospital…This is the only hospital that can receive the wounded and the dead from the camp. They have not received any since yesterday morning. The ambulances have not been allowed to move. A huge tank is standing in front of the hospital...The Red Cross and the Red Crescent are negotiating with the IDF the conditions under which they will be permitted to collect the wounded and the dead. I understand that IDF's condition is to identify everyone in order to be able to arrest any wounded person it chooses. In other words, the medical staff is requested to surrender the wounded.'

What is more telling, though, is the apparent shift towards mysticism in the Israeli political establishment. Here we see the most important developments. As the situation worsens, the right wing government is trying to widen its radical support base, in case the Labor Party decides to bolt the coalition. The National Religious Party has swiftly replaced its leader with Effi Eytam, a retired general with truly messianic views. His sudden arrival to the top position of the NRP is in line with his ideology. A friend who specializes in Jewish mysticism (and knows Eytam personally, I believe), has conveyed to me the following observations:

'Effi Eytam is not just a more extreme right-winger. He is one of those who live in a virtual reality superimposed on the reality most sane people inhabit. In a truthful moment he will tell you that the "greatness of soul" exhibited by the suicide bombers emanates from the Holy of Holies [Haram ash-Sharif], which they control. For him, destroying the Dome of the Rock and building a Jewish temple is not merely a religious, but also a strategic, necessity.'