A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

June 10, 2007 Fighten Worsen's Between Hamas and Fatah

Fighting between Hamas and Fatah has reached new levels today as Hamas threw a captured Fatah member to his death from the roof of a tall building. Fighting between the two groups broke out throughout the Gaza Strip, seemingly ending any pretext of a ceasefire. In response, the Presidential detail of Fatah kidnapped the Iman of Western Gaza and according to Israeli radio, killed him. It is very hard to see how this is can be brought to an end.

Meanwhile, there seems to be widespread criticism of the IDF over yesterday's attempted kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by the Islamic Jihad. The attempt occurred very close to the one year anniversary of the kidnapping of Gilead Shalit, who is still being held in captivity. The criticism mostly centers on the fact that two of the three attackers succeeded in returning to Gaza alive.

It is hard to believe that Shalit has now been held for almost a year right in the Gaza Strip. IsraelŐs inability to learn of his whereabouts in all this time has been disappointing. It brings into serious question what Israel knows or does not know about what is going on in Gaza.

The government accepted a compromise put forward by Prime Minister Olmert on how to appoint the next Attorney General of Israel. Professor Friedman, the Minister of Justice is determined to limit the independence of the judiciary. He wanted to change the current manner of the appointment whereby the Chief Justice selects a nominating committe chair. Under Friedman's Proposal the the Justice Minister would appoint the committee. In the end a compromise was reached in which the Chief Justice will suggest appointments which the minister must approve. Friedman is being opposed by nearly the complete judicial world including the two immediate past chief justices, Barak who has been vocal in his criticism and today, Meir Shamgar, who came out strongly against the Minister's actions.

Finally Thomas Friedman has written an optimistic article. In todayŐs New York Times, Friedman writes an article titles Israell's Oil that describes the inventions that he observed at Ben Gurion University this week. He claims that discoveries and work being done in Israel is worth much more then all the oil that Teheran has. Now, if only one of these scientists/inventors would please develop the force field that Israel needs to defend the country.