A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

November 7, 2008-Qassams Continue to Fall on the South

Qassams continue to fall on southern Israel. The exchange of fire that began with the Israeli attack on a Hamas tunnel has continued for a third day. Both sides claim that they want to bring the exchange to an end. It is easier to start an exchange like this than to end it. It is not totally clear that Israel is really interested in stopping the current exchange.

There was a sad story on Israeli television tonight on Yerom Cohen. Cohen was the owner of Moment restaurant in Jerusalem. The restaurant, which was the center of nightlife in Jerusalem, was hit by a bombing in 2001. Cohen, who at the time drove a Porsche around Jerusalem, is now homeless. After the bombing he tried to reopen, and was met with demonstrations. He has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. In the years since the bombing, he lost all of his belongings, fell into deep debt, was forced to file for bankruptcy (bankruptcy in Israel is much more severe than in the US- and does not allow you to start a business and many other things). For the last five months he has lived mostly on the streets, sometimes with friends.

Tomorrow night, the 13th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin, will be commemorated in the square in Tel Aviv where he was shot, and bears his name. Much of Israel was shocked this week when the State paid Rabbi of Kiryat Arba (part of Hebron) stated that the soldiers who removed settlers from illegal building around Hebron were similar to the Nazis.