A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

August 20 , 2007 IDF Kills Hamas Members as they Attack Israel

The IDF attacked a vehicle carrying a group of Hamas members, who had been firing mortars at Israel during the day.  The Israeli attack carried out by a ground-to-ground tactical missile killed 6 Hamas members.  The Israeli response to the attacks is a reminder that Hamas has been engaging in a constant series of attacks against Israel.  These attacks have not achieved very much, but Hamas is desperate to do something to change the status quo. A Palestinian journalist from Gaza was interviewed on Israeli TV. He described the situation in Gaza as increasingly more desperate– with the lack of electricity forcing the last few working business to close. He stated that nothing is being made and no commerce is taking place in the Gaza Strip.  At this point, he believed that almost everyone was dependent on aid for their basic essentials.  People were more and more despondent about their situations and felt that there was no hope for the future.
We must help the Palestininian authority make sure that the West Bank becomes different from Gaza, in every way. 
Israel is facing an ever-rising moral dilemma, as more and more Darfur refugees find their way into Israel. On one hand, how can the Jewish state turn down any refugee from what the UN has designated as genocide. On the other hand, the number of refugees keeps growing and what connection does Israel have with these refugees form the Sudan?  Yesterday, the first group of refugees was returned to Egypt, generating a firestorm of criticism.  How Israel handles this problem in the coming months, will be a serious challenge.