The terse statement released by the IDF spokesman received no special attention in the Israeli press. “The IDF Spokesperson and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announce that during the Christmas holidays, steps will be taken to build trust among the Christian Palestinian population in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.”

Ostensibly, this was just another stale announcement, delivered in typical military jargon. We’ve become used to those steps “taken to build trust,” which really amount to little more than a reduction of the number of checkpoints in the Territories, a decision to issue more work permits, etc. This time, however, the announcement represented something far more significant. As part of this easing of restrictions, no fewer than 20,000 entry permits were given to Palestinians in the West Bank, and another 500 will be granted to residents of the Gaza Strip. In addition there will also be permits for organized groups of Palestinians who wish to tour Israel.

Think about it. Just one month after Operation “Pillar of Defense” in the Gaza Strip, with warnings of a Third Intifada reverberating everywhere as an expression of the rage felt throughout the cities and towns of the West Bank, tens of thousands of Palestinians will be spending the Christmas holiday in Israel. It was a holiday surprise by the IDF, intended “to build trust” between the two peoples.

But this isn’t the first time that something like this happened. During Eid al-Adha (the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice) four months ago, the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria issued permits to no fewer than 200,000 Palestinians to celebrate that holiday in Israel. By the way, it’s probably worth noting that in that particular instance, the IDF spokesman never issued a statement to the Israeli media. The permits were distributed in secret, and the event had all the trappings of a full-fledged military campaign. After all, it isn’t easy to move 200,000 Palestinians through the crossings and into Israel’s major population centers. Nor does this even take into consideration how Israeli public opinion might stymie the entire operation, forcing those Palestinians — for most of whom this was the first time that they ever visited Israel — to remain at home.