In 1953, after a bomb exploded at the Soviet consulate in Tel Aviv, authorities arrested Baruch Danal, a journalist. They tried to extract a confession and hoped he would name the co-conspirators, only to be told that former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion had sent him. According to one account, the investigators burst out laughing. According to another, they slapped him on the face. This story came to mind after reading that Hamas would be willing to return the bodies of two IDF soldiers if Israel published a list of its human intelligence assets in Judea and Samaria. Why don't we list the 58 terrorists who were allowed to resettle in the area as part of the Gilad Schalit prisoner swap and were later re-arrested during Operation Brother's Keeper? All of them are Israeli collaborators... Israel should provide a similar response on other issues as well. Should Israel allow the inauguration of a Gaza port? No. That would be unacceptable. Maybe in Larnaca, Cyprus. There, an inspection regime could be introduced. Only after it has been determined that vessels have no cement and metal objects will they be allowed to dock at a Hamas-operated facility in Gaza. Should Hamas get an airport? Yes, once the area is demilitarized. Having said all that, Israel should still reach out to Gazans. Israel should allow the Palestinian Authority to wire the salaries of Hamas people. This may be a necessary evil. If they need more goods, by all means, let them have them delivered, but not on Israel's dime. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who may be reluctant to reach a peace accord with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, should not be afraid of bolstering him. Israeli negotiators must also keep in mind that the Gaza Strip's economy has come to depend on Qatar, whose endless supply of cash funded a vast tunnel infrastructure -- only to be destroyed by Israel. If Qatar wants to use its dollars to build a thriving economy and invest in viable assets -- it is welcome to do so; but if not, there is going to be a shortfall of dollars in the Gaza Strip. Someone will have to pick up the tab and help Gazans. The talks on Wednesday will focus on all those issues, with a midnight deadline looming. If Hamas starts firing rockets again, Israel will not be too eager to sign off on a new cease-fire; it has already indicated it wants an open-ended, not a temporary truce. The Cairo talks will be as rambunctious and hectic as the a Middle Eastern bazaar, with tempers flaring and tensions running high. The delegations will put on a show. They will pack their suitcases in front of the cameras; speakers will sound threatening remarks as soon as they see television crews. Palestinian delegates will try to display unity even though Hamas' Gaza-based leadership and the other terrorist groups in the area are at odds with Hamas' political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal, who is staying in Qatar. This schism is an open secret. Israelis and Gazans will have some tense moments on Wednesday. The stakes are high. But where is all this going? "No one knows," said Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon during a visit with Israeli Navy troops on Tuesday. As midnight approaches Wednesday night, Israeli forces will have to be on high alert. This includes Israel's pilots, its infantry brigades, its sailors and tank commanders.
