So what’s the plan?
I am a bit confused about government policy lately. It doesn’t look like decision makers are learning from experience.

The first siege on Arafat’s compound could hardly be called a success. To do it again seems foolish, even self-defeating. Now we’re crawling out again with our tail between our legs.

Targeted killings of terrorist kingpins may be justified, but what about bombing them in crowded urban areas? Even if direct and accurate, innocent bystanders get injured and sometimes killed. As I’ve said before, Palestinians probably exaggerated the numbers of wounded in the attempted killing of Muhammad Def, but we still have to be careful with human lives.

The army says they learnt from the killing of Sallah Shehade and this time used a less powerful bomb. But maybe the conclusion should have been to change the method altogether.

It’s difficult to accept that there are no miracle solutions. All we can do, it seems, is walk the tightrope of, on one hand, not losing our humanity, and on the other, not buckling in to exterior pressure which will be suicidal.

Seeing as I have little or no influence on policy, all that I can do, as a private citizen is be strong and live day by day. Life is a gift, not to be taken for granted.

It would be nice, though, to have the feeling that the government knew what it was doing.