Israel and Hamas just concluded a three-hour cease fire designed to allow food, fuel and medical supplies into Gaza, and wounded Gazans out for medical treatment in Egypt and Israel. The Israelis have pledged to reenact this mini cease fire every day as long as no rockets or shells are launched into Israel during that period of time.
Perhaps three hours a day will turn into four and then four into six. Eventually it could be 24 hours of peace for one day a week. This in turn would become two days a week, etc. Perhaps that is how peace will be made in this war.
Perhaps both sides will stop worrying, for a few hours a day at first, about the "big issues" and the over-arching ideologies and theologies which animate them. Perhaps instead, for those hours, they will worry about only two "little" issues: the immediate safety and the health urgent health needs of their citizens. Of course, those are the big things. And were they reliably addressed, this war would end. In fact, had they been addressed reliably earlier, it would have never started.
Interestingly, this kind of step-by-step peace-making has its roots in the Jewish notion of an expanding Sabbath; know in Hebrew as Tosefet Shabbat. Biblically, Sabbath was one day (leave aside for now the Friday, Saturday, Sunday thing for now), and no more. The ancient rabbis dreamt of a world which would eventually experience the peace and perfection of Shabbat seven days a week. But how they imagined getting there is what's truly interesting.
The rabbis began by expanding the Sabbath a bit at both ends - 18 minutes at the front end and 42 minutes at the back. They approached the attainment of their 24/7 goal one hour at a time! Sound familiar?
I am certain that some people will challenge the wisdom of having any cease fire at all. And I hope you will share your rationale for taking that position because even though I know people take it, it truly mystifies me how they can. And I am equally certain that others will say "3 hours? That's nothing. We demand a full cease fire!"
Ironically both miss the same point, albeit from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. Each places their maximalist ideologies above the real needs of actual people. Each has a dream that will not admit any reality. Each wants their version of a 24/7 Sabbath, or no Sabbath at all. The rabbis knew that was no way to achieve ones dreams. And apparently the Israelis and Hamas know that too, at least for now.
Of course, tomorrow is another day, but let's hope one day at a time. Pretty soon that could turn into a 24/7 peace. And that is what everybody wants, right?
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Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
So in Gaza shabbat falls on Wednesday. One thing is for sure, there will never be peace 24/7 until there is peace for at least 3 hours.
Bat Yaacov
The West has a road to peace 24/7. Let Hamas murder all the Jews.
On the other hand, it is hard for any one to support Israel knowing that Olmert is in 24/7 Surrender Mode.
This step-by-step cease-fire process is reminiscent of one of the numerous ways recommended for stopping smoking. In that quitting process, you don't smoke for the first hour after awaking in the morning on Day One; after an hour, you smoke as much as you wish through the rest of the day.
On Day Two, you wait two hours before smoking and then smoke as much as you wish. Day Three, wait three hours, etc., and depending on how long your waking day is you will eventually run out of smoking hours. All it takes is self-discipline to remain with the system.
Let us hope that Hamas in particular, but indeed, both sides -- can demonstrate the restraint and self-discipline to make it work.
Israel was foolish to agree to these silly three hour cease fires without getting something in return. Israel should have demanded one missile launcher for each hour. If the humanitarian need is real, then Hamas would give over the missile launchers. Each missile launcher which Hamas gave up would be one less launcher for the IDF to find and that would reduce civilian and Hamas casualties. Hamas does not need any missile launchers as they serve not bona fide military purpose. They are solely items of terror.
I agree that Olmert is a weak man; we learned this fact 2 and 1/2 years ago. Without denying the problems with Hamas, Israel has far more serious internal problems, otherwise this dithering, ineffectual idiot would have been out of the government a long time ago. All Olmert knows is to talk loud and surrender.
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