Hail Those Merciful In Their Victory

The ranks of the Merciful Victors doesn't count Israel, in case you're keeping score.

Israel dismissed on Friday international calls for a full reopening of border crossings with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, leaving a shaky ceasefire and post-war reconstruction in doubt.

While a U.N. official praised Israel's "goodwill" for letting 120 truckloads per day of food and medicine into Gaza, other diplomats decried restrictions on steel and cement imports needed to make repairs after Israel's 22-day offensive.

Israel also blocked the Western-backed Palestinian Authority from sending cash to Gaza, despite international warnings that President Mahmoud Abbas's standing was at stake.

"They are afraid it will go to Hamas," a senior Western diplomat said of the cash. Barring a swift change in Israeli policy, the diplomat said the emergency response and long-term reconstruction were "bound to fail."

U.S. officials voiced support, under certain conditions, for opening the crossings more fully, but they set no timetable.

Why should Israel listen to Obama at this point? Bush has already given them all the nifty Palestinian-killing weapons they could want. And hey, you can't say Israel hasn't learned anything from the effectiveness of the right-wing noise machine during the Bush years. Blog your way to better propaganda today, I say.