The term 'massacre', used by Andrew, not the NYTimes, is interesting here, since it points to the, um, confused reporting over the weekend on behalf of the US press. (Salon premium only, alas.) The NYT half-heartedly backs away from its initial claims, more accurately describing what happened as an 'ambush'. But, of course, it's just the latest 'response' to the last 'response', and so on into terrible bloody absurdity.

Hebron is widely regarded as the antithesis of the kibbutz where something more accurately described as a massacre took place last week: even Israeli soldiers have gone public about how they resent being forced to defend the settlers there.

>>"Until the Messiah will come," he said, "there will be no peace." He said the Messiah would come soon.<<

Seems like G-d's fools down there are in phase with American Evangelists...

>>But, of course, it's just the latest 'response' to the last 'response', and so on into terrible bloody absurdity.<<

The night before the IDF had stormed into a Ramadan banquet on Gaza strip. Pardon the cynicism, but I think this kind of moves are directly aimed at derailing the French-Egyptian efforts to obtain a cease-fire from Hamas.

This initiative is itself directly aimed at providing a better climate for Israeli elections (read support Labor). Surely not something Bibi nor Ari would strive on... I expect them to spill a maximum of oil of the fire.

And the dumb-heads on the other side (Hamas etc.) to happily follow the game plan: after all they're not supporting the two-state solution either... And with Palestinian elections looming over the horizon, Hamas political leaders also have an interest in burning down the last hopes for peace...

P.S. Nick's recommend reading is well worth the three pages of Mercedes advertising...

Apologies, J-P: I'd rather endure the Mercedes ads these days (or rather, use my ad-filter) than know my Salon subscription, renewed in July, was redirected in part to Andrew Sullivan's bank account in September.

Anyway, Fouad is out and Mitzna is in. Which means that partisan politics are truly back in fashion in the Knesset.

There was no irony in my praising your recommended reading, Nick.

Interestingly, even the Middle East Times seem to have gotten it wrong too. Even more bizarely, it even published a picture of a wounded Israeli settler. This only sane way I can reconcile this with the Salon piece is that this settler was in fact a member of those so-called "security forces."

Otherwise, it has to be fake, or Salon has just published a misleading article. I tentatively conclude that the Middle East Times just relied on Reuters which itself relied on a press announcement by Foreign Minister Bibi. I think I am going to tolerate the advertisement on Salon.com, they seem to have an hedge when it comes to alternative information.

There seem to be two stories: one, that 3 of the dead were "settlers", and the second, that all the dead were "security forces. The Washington Post says this:

"The families of three settlement security officers killed in the attack -- who were members of a rapid-reaction force trained and armed by the Israeli military -- were reportedly angry that their loved ones were being portrayed as hapless victims of terror, rather than heroic soldiers who died in combat. The three who died -- Alex Duchan, 33, Alex Tzvitman, 26, and Itzhak Buanish, 46 -- were buried in an official military funeral today after their families said they would not bury them until they were accorded military honors.

"They did not want to be recognized as terror victims but rather as heroes and IDF [Israel Defense Forces] fallen," Avraham Mizrachi, 52, a leading rabbi from Kiryat Arba, said while attending the funeral. Recognition that they died in combat, he said, "is more for the families' sake and the children's sake. . . . The kids can say, 'My father died as a hero.' ""

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3043-2002Nov17.html

http://middleeastinfo.org/article1509.html

The Mpls Star Tribune ran a couple of pieces with updated accounts. Still pretty bad for the palestinians, and still shows how willing they are to murder their neighbors. While I don't like much about what's happening, if the choice is supporting people who bulldoze sniper cover or supporting people who shoot from ambush during a holy day, the choice is clear.

DEBKAfile Sources: Hadassah hospital reports Israeli victims of Jerusalem bus bombing Thursday suffered unusually excessive burns in view of brief bus fire. Palestinians terrorist suspected of using new type of explosive or lacing it with new chemical.

Palestinian suicide bombing in early Thursday rush hour left 11 Israelis dead, injured 47 - 8 seriously - on packed Jerusalem Bus No. 20 on Mexico Street in residential neighborhood of Kiryat Menahem.

Many blast victims were children traveling to school.

http://www.debka.com/

The Israelis must do a better job in controlling their religious extremists. These folks have exacerbated the crisis by continuing to build more settlements. Nonetheless, the Palestinians are mostly immature and self-pitying cultural losers. They must abandon the Muslim traditions which guarantee poverty and backwardness. This is what Ataturk and the “young Turks” did, and the Palestinians must do likewise.

Bernard Lewis is right to point out that the Muslim world has been on a losing streak for around 500 years. This is their problem and not ours. Their ancestors chose to shun progress and they are currently paying the price. The West owes them nothing. This is the message the West must not shy away from broadcasting to the fascist Muslim nihilists:

“Dudes, you have got to cease with your childish blaming others for your own self-inflicted troubles. It is best that you go to the mirror so that you can take a real good look at the person most responsible for your miserable circumstances. The doors of Western Civilization are open to everyone on this planet, and it would behoove you to join the 21st Century. We accept everyone regardless of race or ethnicity. This is not an exclusive white guys club. Why do you prefer the 15th? Oh well, once again this is your problem to resolve. In the meantime, though, you must stop trying to kill us. If not, we will either kill or incarcerate you and your buddies."