It would appear that events in the Greater Sderot Area are not in any way connected to the remainder of the country as Israel signals America and the Quartet it will continue to ease restrictions on Palestinian Authority residents of Yehuda and Shomron.

Quartet Mideast envoy Tony Blair on Tuesday received assurances that Israel will ease trade restrictions, a move that Blair calls a first step, seeking more from Jerusalem as PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) sits back and calls for the relaxation of restrictions from Israel, giving nothing in return.

Blair also told reporters Israel committed to remove a Chevron area checkpoint this week, and others, in Shomron, would be relocated to areas more favorable to the PA.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)