On Monday, the IDF and the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria received a request from the German embassy to rescue more than 70 orphans from their destroyed facility in the Gaza Strip to a new home that was furnished for them in Bethlehem by the Palestinian Authority (At Germany’s Request, IDF Moves 70 Gaza Orphans to Bethlehem via Israel).
The convoy was scheduled to arrive at Checkpoint 300 on Rt. 60, a.k.a. the Bethlehem checkpoint, the Gilo checkpoint, or the Rachel’s Tomb checkpoint, at 6 PM on Monday.
But late Monday night, the Sovereignty Movement issued an announcement saying:
“It seems that the Gazans did not manage to reach Bethlehem. Well done to everyone who arrived at the Rachel’s Tomb checkpoint on such short notice. And a huge yishar koach to Herzl and Merav Hajag who also operated in Ma’ale Adumim to block the terrorists. Thanks to all of you, it seems the children of the terrorists from Gaza were not able to enter Bethlehem. Rumor has it they were moved to sleep in Augusta Victoria (a hospital in eastern Jerusalem) – for the attention of the activists living in the area.”
The German request defied the Israeli government’s stated policy that Egypt should open the Rafah crossings to all manner of suffering Gazan Arabs, orphans included. The idea that Israel should start facilitating the passage of Gazans to the PA – and the convoy included many adults, who are suspected of Hamas affiliation – constituted a dangerous slippery slope.
Also, the National Security Headquarters in the Prime Minister’s Office approved the unusual “humanitarian” gesture even though Hamas, which still controls large swaths of the Gaza Strip, remains unwilling to provide Israel with the names or even the accurate number of hostages who are still alive in Hamas captivity.
Israel’s political-security cabinet was not informed of the operation. A senior official in the cabinet called the move a “scandal” that constituted “immoral behavior toward the hostages in Gaza and their families.”
History is made by folks who refuse to toe the line.
