Kidnapped Corporal Crisis

by PRASHER, G. | Category: Focus | Sept 2006

‘How great a forest a little fire kindles!’ (James 3:5)

The kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants on 25 June 2006 seemed a relatively small incident. Yet it developed into a major confrontation between Israel and the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority.

Indeed, it seems that the kidnapping was deliberately contrived to provoke overreaction by Israel. For there had been indications that the Hamas civilian leadership was moving towards negotiations with Israel in furtherance of the peace process, but extreme elements in the Hamas military wing disagreed with this policy and schemed to disrupt it.

The kidnapping was carefully planned. A tunnel had been dug from a house on the Palestinian side of Israel’s security fence to the rear of the Kerem Shalom army post. Six Palestinian militants suddenly emerged at 5.30 a.m. and fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an Israeli tank carrying four soldiers, including nineteen-year old Corporal Gilad Shalit. Two soldiers who jumped from the tank were shot dead, but Shalit was seized from the tank and dragged away through a hole cut in the fence between Gaza and Israel: then secretly held captive. There followed a demand for the release of 1000 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.

Predictably Israel’s response was immediate mobilisation of 7000 troops with 80 tanks and 180 armoured personnel carriers deployed along the border with Gaza. Gaza’s dilapidated airport was seized to prevent the kidnappers from taking Shalit out of the country by plane. Three strategic bridges and several roads inside Gaza were bombed. A power station that supplied electricity for about 60% of the Palestinian population was destroyed, a heavily penalizing blow which put all water pumps out of action at the hottest time of the year. Relief organizations were quick to warn that the severity of these measures brought danger of an imminent humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Additionally, Israel arrested eight Palestinian cabinet members and forty Hamas parliamentary members in the West Bank. It is probably intended to charge them with membership in terrorist organizations, links with terrorist leaders and similar offences. This of course effectively hampered the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government. There followed a serious extension of conflict through Israel’s bombing of targets in Lebanon, including an area of central Beirut where the Hizbollah terrorist group’s offices were located.

Internationally, the crisis brought serious concern that efforts to promote peace were once more being jeopardized. Initial blame clearly lay on militant extremists acting without approval by the Palestinian Authority. Some retaliatory effort by Israel to recover their missing soldier would be understandable. But the scale and intensity of Israel’s punitive measures soon began to arouse criticism. US President George W. Bush was among those who urged Israel to exercise restraint. Some took the view that Israel had been waiting for an opportunity to penalize the Palestinians. Over several months before the kidnapping, Hamas militants had attempted to fire home-made rockets at some Israeli towns. Most had missed their targets and casualties were light. Nevertheless the threat was unacceptable to Israel and called for a warning response.

Similarly, Israel made a warning gesture to President Assad of Syria when a number of F-16 fighter jets were flown low over his summer palace. This reinforced Israel’s concern that a notable Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, has found shelter in Damascus. He has been the militant movement’s most effective spokesman and fund raiser. Through his diplomacy Iran has pledged $100 million for the Hamas-led Palestinian government, to offset the economic blockade imposed by Israel and other countries when the Hamas terrorist group gained control of the Palestinian Authority. How clearly this illustrates the concerted animosity towards Israel of neighbouring nations in the Middle East!

It’s a healthy spiritual reflection that, amidst all the sad intrigue, enmity and violence of that political scene, God is pursuing His ordained agenda. Among both Jewish and Arab populations there are humble believers in the Lord Jesus. Many are penalized for the sake of the Name. Witnessing for Christ at times involves open persecution. How keenly they must look forward to the fulfilment of the great promise: ‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.’ (Heb.10:37)

PRASHER, G. | Sept 2006
Focus