Ramadan starts in less than 3 weeks. The month long period of daytime fasting for Muslims, ending with the ‘Eid al-Fitr holiday, is a major feature of the Muslim lunar calendar year. It often means going to the mosque for prayers rather than praying elsewhere. The security implications for Israel regarding prayers at the El Aqsa Mosque are immense. Many times in previous years the ‘worshipers’ stockpiled rocks and stones and used them to pelt Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall located below the level of the Muslim courtyard. Keeping prayer time peaceful is probably an objective for both sides in the war.
It certainly does seem that there is greater pressure to reach some kind of hostage release deal that includes a temporary cease-fire. The people involved in preliminary negotiations definitely know this. If there is no agreement, Israeli forces will probably expand operations in Rafah.
Meanwhile, this morning, an organized cell of West Bank terrorists struck at a military check-point near the city of Ma’ale Adumim. One Israeli was killed and 8 wounded by the three terrorists who walked down the rows of cars waiting at the checkpoint and sprayed the occupants with gunfire. The simple fact that this happened lends support to the right wing Israeli argument for limiting access to El-Aqsa during Ramadan. The Jordanian Waqf organization, responsible for prayers at the site, will undoubtedly disagree. The bottom line is to push the entire struggle in the direction of an intractable religious war and distance it from any potential political solution.
Wetherhorn 