Behind all this lies Israeli arrogance; the idea that we can do whatever we like, that well never pay the price and be punished for it. Well carry on undisturbed.

Well arrest, kill, harass, dispossess and protect the settlers busy with their pogroms. We’ll visit Josephs Tomb, Othniels Tomb and Joshuas Altar in the Palestinian territories, and of course the Temple Mount over 5,000 Jews on Sukkot alone.

Well fire at innocent people, take out peoples eyes and smash their faces, expel, confiscate, rob, grab people from their beds, carry out ethnic cleansing and of course continue with the unbelievable siege of the Gaza Strip, and everything will be alright.

Well build a terrifying obstacle around Gaza the underground wall alone cost 3 billion shekels ($765 million) and well be safe. Well rely on the geniuses of the army’s 8200 cyber-intelligence unit and on the Shin Bet security service agents who know everything. Theyll warn us in time.

Well transfer half an army from the Gaza border to the Hawara border in the West Bank, only to protect far-right lawmaker Zvi Sukkot and the settlers. And everything will be alright, both in Hawara and at the Erez crossing into Gaza.

It turns out that even the world’s most sophisticated and expensive obstacle can be breached with a smoky old bulldozer when the motivation is great. This arrogant barrier can be crossed by bicycle and moped despite the billions poured into it and all the famous experts and fat-cat contractors.

The Gaza Palestinians are willing to pay any price for a moment of freedom. Will Israel learn its lesson? No.

We thought wed continue to go down to Gaza, scatter a few crumbs in the form of tens of thousands of Israeli work permits always contingent on good behaviour and still keep them in prison. Well make peace with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the Palestinians will be forgotten until theyre erased, as quite a few Israelis would like.

Well keep holding thousands of Palestinian prisoners, sometimes without trial, most of them political prisoners. And we wont agree to discuss their release even after they’ve been in prison for decades.

Well tell them that only by force will their prisoners see freedom. We thought we would arrogantly keep rejecting any attempt at a diplomatic solution, only because we dont want to deal with all that, and everything would continue that way forever.

Once again it was proved that this isnt how it is. A few hundred armed Palestinians breached the barrier and invaded Israel in a way no Israeli imagined was possible. A few hundred people proved that its impossible to imprison 2 million people forever without paying a cruel price.

Just as the smoky old Palestinian bulldozer tore through the worlds smartest barrier Saturday, it tore away at Israels arrogance and complacency. And thats also how it tore away at the idea that its enough to occasionally attack Gaza with suicide drones and sell them to half the world to maintain security.

On Saturday, Israel saw pictures it has never seen before. Palestinian vehicles patrolling its cities, bike riders entering through the Gaza gates. These pictures tear away at that arrogance. The Gaza Palestinians have decided theyre willing to pay any price for a moment of freedom. Is there any hope in that? No. Will Israel learn its lesson? No.

On Saturday they were already talking about wiping out entire neighbourhoods in Gaza, about occupying the Strip and punishing Gaza as it has never been punished before. But Israel hasnt stopped punishing Gaza since 1948, not for a moment.

After 75 years of abuse, the worst possible scenario awaits it once again. The threats of flattening Gaza prove only one thing: We havent learned a thing. The arrogance is here to stay, even though Israel is paying a high price once again.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bears very great responsibility for what happened, and he must pay the price, but it didnt start with him and it wont end after he goes. We now have to cry bitterly for the Israeli victims, but we should also cry for Gaza.

Gaza, most of whose residents are refugees created by Israel. Gaza, which has never known a single day of freedom.

First published by HAARETZ October 9, 2023