Aftermath of Disengagement

In the week following disengagement (a supposed peace initiative), there have been (1) 2 kassam rockets fired on Sderot, (2) a fatal stabbing of a Yeshiva student in the Old City of Jerusalem, (3) an Israeli border policeman stabbed in the throat in Hebron, (4) firebombs thrown at Israeli vehicles in Gush Etzion and (5) a suicide bomber at Beersheba's bus station (the first in many months)....That the Palestinians would receive a "chizuk" (Hebrew for a free kick plus a 50 metre penalty) from the initiative was entirely predictable ....what is perhaps less so, is the absence of any meaningful response thus far from the Israeli authorities .....my guess... that the government will, so far as it can, play down the terrorist atrocities in the immediate afternath of the disengagement and hold back any reprisal so as not give credence to the (irrefutable) argument that Israel's peace initiative is being and will be "rewarded" by more terrorism. Here is a JPost article articulating the frustration many feel in the wake of the disengagement. G

p.s. A phenomenon I have noticed this week is that the Israeli media are singing the praises of the Army for the speedy and bloodless evacuation of Gaza....While the praise is well-deserved, little, if any, kudos has been directed to those principally responsible, namely the Rabbis, who were previously demonised, for their insistence that their followers not resort to violence.