Jerusalem to become Sderot?

General Security Service head Yuval Diskin briefed the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Monday on the security situation in Jerusalem.

"Neighborhoods are being abandoned…and it leaves a vacuum where Hamas operates," he added. Smuggling of weapons has increased, and police find it more difficult to deploy forces in neighborhoods where the terrorist infrastructure has strengthened.

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter - a candidate for the Kadima party leadership - added to the gloom in that assessment.

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter (Kadima) pointed out that 20 percent of terrorist attacks in the past five years involved Arab residents of eastern Jerusalem. He explained that a dramatic change has occurred this year, raising a red flag through the direct involvement in terrorist attacks by Arabs who live within the separation barrier.

That's not too surprising, especially given that Arabs from Judea and Samaria have been moving into Jerusalem rather than live in the 'Palestinian Authority' - yet another reason why the 'security fence' is not an answer to all of our problems. Dichter continued:

Three attacks this year that resulted in the deaths of 11 Jews were carried out by eastern Jerusalem Arabs who acted on their own, without any apparent ties to an organized terrorist movement. "It is extremely difficult to expect and to prevent these types of attacks," Dichter noted.

He reiterated a view, becoming more acceptable among political leaders, that demolition of the homes of families housing terrorists and expelling them from the city are the most effective means of preventing attacks. The Public Security Minister emphasized that such moves must be thoroughly justified because they face the danger of being challenged by international law as a violation of human rights.

Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert responded:

"Whoever thinks the basic pattern of life in Jerusalem will continue as it is, with 270,000 Arabs living in Jerusalem, must take into account that there will be more bulldozers, trucks and private vehicles. There is no way to prevent such acts of terror. We must consider dealing with this issue in the future."

That's the same 'strategy' that has led to the current situation in Sderot and other communities in the 'Gaza envelope.' First, the Sharon-Olmert government abandoned the Gaza Strip to the tender mercies of the 'Palestinians.' Now, he and his good friend, sex offender Haim Ramon, propose to do the same to Jerusalem by abandoning the eastern part of the city. Then, when rocket fire increased, instead of sending the IDF into Gaza to kick the you-know-what out of the terrorists, Olmert looked for protection from the Egyptians, protection from the EU, and protection from an anti-missile system that would at best allow residents of the Gaza envelope to survive, but would not allow them to lead normal lives. Now, he proposes to do the same to Jerusalem, more than half of whose residents live within gunshot range of 'east' Jerusalem Arab villages.
Send in the clowns to Jerusalem? Why not - at least it's not Tel Aviv!

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.