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Haaretz 11th April2008 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/973968.html" Nevertheless, even when it was swept into the violence of terror attacks and reprisals, Israel never desisted from attempts to break somehow this nihilistic cycle: by doing good or doing ill, with rational thought or with gut reactions, with unilateral withdrawals or with crushing actions.
Recently, however, at least since Ehud Barak became defense minister, it seems that for the first time there is a complete, stoic acceptance here of this bloody cycle. Not only that, but the work of setting it spinning again is being done with a kind of creative exuberance that sometimes equals that of the Palestinian organizations.
As the futile diplomatic talks fade away into the unknown and are forgotten, center stage is again being taken by the production of "operations that will yet be spoken of": assassinations, provocative attacks, blood revenge and "settling of old accounts," even in the clear knowledge that these will once again ignite the region. And thus after every day of rejoicing come long days of shuddering and trembling before the terrible retaliation (but then, "we will know how to respond," and so on and so forth)."
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