Israel: "Rafah opening good for us" (of course it is, because the crossing remains closed!)

"... security officials in Israel are satisfied with the opening of the Rafah Crossing. Nobody will say it out loud, yet in internal discussions at the highest levels we see a sense of relief in face of the unilateral Egyptian move. Officials are saying that we may finally be moving towards full disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Israel’s wet dream is taking shape: Egypt is assuming responsibility for Gaza residents.

 The Arab media in general and al-Jazeera in particular constantly characterize the opening of the crossing as a humiliating act for Israel.... Yet as it turns out, none of the parties are quick to voice outrage, and this is no coincidence.... The ban on transferring goods via the Rafah Crossing, which remains intact at this time, is being circumvented by Gazans using small containers or large suitcases characterized as “personal equipment.” If someone is concerned about arms smuggling via Rafah, here too the opening of the crossing makes no difference: Some 70 arms smuggling tunnels are regularly active at this time.. ...  The new regime led by the generals undertook this step in order to appease the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas gained a diplomatic-physiological-political achievement in the short term.  Yet in the long run, Israel will only gain."