Gaza is the Paris of the Middle East

Yes, that famous expression, traditionally bestowed upon Beirut, was meant to be a compliment about how lavish, extravagant and vibrant life once was over there.

But now, I am going to reclaim the expression, and award it to Gaza. The award unfortunately, is not a compliment, but a sad reflection of how Paris is no longer the city of lights but now the city of riots.

Car burning, crime, stabbings, and 751 no-go zones are the result of years of immigration and the explosive growth of angry Muslim communities in the suburbs of Paris. Gaza has just experienced its own little burst of hell this week, with the following celebrations in true palestinian fashion:

Fatah goes on shooting, torching, car-smashing rampage Wednesday after two of its gunmen killed, 10 injured, as second ceasefire broke down

December 20, 2006, 9:47 AM (GMT+02:00)

The first ceasefire Sunday night broke down within hours.

Tuesday, 4 Fatah and one Hamas gunmen died in ongoing clashes in the Gaza Strip.

Three were killed in combat. The bodies of two kidnapped Fatah members were found abandoned. Hamas mounted a mortar-anti-tank rocket assault on Fatah’s General Intelligence HQ in Jebalya, northern Gaza, after a Hamas gunman was seized.

The two sides are also battling for control of ministerial offices in Gaza.