The Many Dilemmas of Confronting Hamas
Despite the drubbing it has received, the terror organization is far from discouraged or deterred.
By Tuesday Barak was already prepared to consider a French ceasefire proposal, and on Thursday Olmert said in Beersheba that “We have no interest in a long war; we do not desire a broad campaign.” Although he added that “We want calm and a normal existence for the residents of the South,” he didn’t explain how he expected to achieve the one without the other, and his disavowal of any ambitious military designs can only have strengthened Hamas’s belief that Israel will eventually wilt and desist as it did against Hezbollah in Lebanon two years ago.
Livni, for her part, was in Paris Thursday trying to deflect the pressure for a ceasefire by telling Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that “this war with the extremists is necessary in order to move the diplomatic process forward toward a two-state solution” — reinforcing the very mindset from which the ceasefire demands stem, namely the idea that Israel is anyhow on the brink of peace instead of facing an Iranian-led effort to annihilate it.
Even more disturbing are reports that Israel’s leaders are open to the idea of a truce enforced by international monitors. It seems the experience with European monitors who were stationed at the Rafah border crossing in late 2005 but were ludicrously ineffective in stopping the smuggling from Sinai into Gaza (they reacted to Hamas’s June 2007 takeover of the Strip by fleeing), along with the purported UNIFIL monitors in southern Lebanon under whose watchful eyes Hezbollah has tripled its rocket capacity since 2006, would have put paid to that notion.
Having withdrawn all its forces from Gaza in August 2005, and allowed Hamas to build itself up there for so long, Israel, to be sure, faces no easy or pleasant options. A ground operation to depose Hamas, apart from the losses entailed, would face the dilemma of who is supposed to replace it. Israel is largely allergic to the idea of a long-term reoccupation, and Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah (apart from the acute question of its desirability) is considered too weak. A ground operation that does not depose Hamas faces the problem of what is supposed to prevent the organization from recuperating and launching new aggression.
The answer to the questions, though, may well lie in Hamas itself. What unites the international delusions about an enforceable truce and the dithering of Olmert, Barak, and Livni is a failure to come to grips with Hamas’s nature: the purity and totality of its determination to keep killing as many Israelis as possible and eventually destroy the Jewish state. As with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, Hamas can only be neutralized by a counterforce that is not only technologically superior but also no less total in its resolve — something that does not characterize the Olmert government either in its 2006 or 2008 edition, let alone the West that reliably pressures it to cave.
Yet by continuing and expanding its ruthless bombardment of Israeli civilians, Hamas appears to have fostered in that population the will to elect a more tough-minded government — just what Israel so desperately needs
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P. David Hornik is a freelance writer and translator living in Tel Aviv. He blogs at http://pdavidhornik.typepad.com/
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10 Comments
1. Cybergeezer:Great perspicacity; Highly desirable and necessary journalism; Inspirational to any one seeking intelligent comment.
Jan 2, 2009 - 3:37 pm 2. SAF:Thank you very much for this excellent work.
Hamas, unfortunately has the winning hand. They have an infinite supply of ammunition, namely the Palestinian people who they have no problem sacrificing because, well they have an infinite supply. Fueled by the world wanting harm to Israel and an Israeli leadership with no balls, they are invincible.
Could the US have ever lost in Viet Nam? Not militarily. Incompetent leadership brought defeat. But unlike the US who was a gazillion miles away from Viet Nam the Israelis are in the middle of them mess.
This war will end inconclusively since Israel is not fighting it to win. They could, of course win militarily any time they chose. It is better to ask forgiveness than ask permission which unfortunately is not what they will do.
Hopefully the talk of having a UN peace keeping is just blather to keep Israeli enemies off the scent of a decisive victory. Because in Greek the phrase “UN Peace Keeping Force” means can’t find a Palestinian violation with two hands and a flashlight.
Jan 2, 2009 - 5:11 pm 3. Scott M:How much longer should we refrain from acting like the threat we face is a mortal threat?
Israel should destroy as much of Gaza as it takes to prevent anyone from launching rockets from there into Israel. If they won’t do that, they should just surrender now. The moment they start to respond like the outcome is important, rather than just a key agenda item in a long list, their results would improve and they would find they need to do less responding.
Lincoln could have fought the Civil War for 10 more years using the tactics he used the first few years. The war ended once he started using General Grant and Sherman to real effect. You have to wage war on the people behind the fighters, those giving shelter, food, training, and cover. I’d suggest turning the first several kilometers inside the Gaza border into a barren rubble field. If you get more rockets, extend the rubble field dozens of kilometers into Gaza. If you have to destroy every structure and person in Gaza you will eventually remove the threat from Gaza. The people in Gaza recognize this won’t happen so they make a calculated guess they won’t be punished for aiding the jihadists. Those that give aid without regard to the consequences are no different than jihadists and deserve the same destruction.
Nobody is going to give Israel credit for showing restraint. If Israel breaks a window next door to Hamas HQ, that will be called a war crime. So why not get the job done and be done with it?
Of course we will have the same pattern as before, an inconclusive campaign, endless claims of war crimes, and a truce to allow Hamas to rearm and try again. It’s hard to support Israel when they keep making the same mistake every time.
Jan 2, 2009 - 8:14 pm 4. SAF:Scott M:
Well said.
Jan 2, 2009 - 9:12 pm 5. DoubleTapper:There is no dilemma.
This is not how we want to live!
Jan 3, 2009 - 8:36 am 6. Eric R.:Would you?
DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel
There is a feeling in some quarters that Israel’s restraint is not based on what will happen to Israel with a bloody invasion, but what will happen to Jews in the Diaspora, namely Western Europe, but also Latin America.
It is likely that widescale massacres of Jews in Europe will take place, committed largely by native Islamonazis, but possibly aided and abetted by police (who either will stand by and do nothing, on the order of authorities) and the media (which will report it as a legitimate protest by poor oppressed Muslims against Zionazi agression).
This almost happened yesterday in Antwerp, and in a prolonged battle, probably will happen.
Israel thus needs to get undercover agents into Europe, armed with automatic weapons, to shoot these rioting Nazi savages. Europe is basically going to let its Jews die, as hostages to get Israel to surrender and die itself.
Jan 3, 2009 - 9:24 am 7. DN:Scott M, good plan except for one thing; “several kilometers” on first go “dozens” on second? GAza strip is only 41 kilometers (25 miles) long and 12 kilometers (7 miles) wide at its widest, only 6km (4m) wide at its narrowest.
Jan 3, 2009 - 11:03 am 8. JTD:You see the problem; Bersheeba (and Dimona – the nuclear missile base) can be reached with Grad rocket from just about ANY point in Gaza; things are a little better for Ashdod and Ashkelon, where if Gaza was “reduced” to ruble for about half its territory, the Grads couls not reach those two cities. But so what? A 50% increae in rocket capability would re-create the problem. (This, BTW, is the prime argument made by sane Isreaelis against giving up Judea and Samaria. Tel Aviv is less than 10km from the “green line”)
Returning to Gaza, the only solution is for the Israelis to “accidentally” bomb the Gaza-Egypt border (where Egyptians build a concrete and barbed wire wall to keep the Gazans away), opening that border; then launch a truly massive bombardment of all of Gaza, sending most Gazans running for Egypt (Sinai is big, surely they can be accomodated there).
Once Gaza is emptied, reoccupy it, return Jews to their homes there, then visit the UN and with a straight face say “Oooops”.
DN: YOU BE THE MAN!
I like your idea and will support your bid to be the next PM of Israel as long as you carry through with your plan!
Jan 3, 2009 - 11:48 am 9. Another View:I just have ask what is acceptable? O.K. Israel is there NOW. They have with the Balfour Agreement conquered Palestine. With that said does that give them moral authority to do what they do? I think not. If my house was bulldozed and my Grandparents refused to leave the house they built and had paper work for and were murdered. I would also fight to the death. What is sad is the innocent suffer. Hamas and every Palestinian has every right to try to force Israel from Palestine. I am embarrassed by my countrys support for Israel. Yes born and reared in the U.S. How many of you would support American Indian land seizure today? Or Apartheid, Darfur ethnic cleansing, or the holocaust? That is what has been going on for years in Israel.
Those Hamas rockets are glorified fireworks. I completely understand why the Arabs call us the Great Satan and want Israel destroyed. I don’t agree but I truly understand. Israel is a oppressive occupier. And I want none of my tax dollars going there way. Israel gets the equivalent to $10,000.00 a year per citizen in U.S. aid.
You can’t address todays issues without facing what Israel really is. A occupying force that hordes all resources and keeps the original people in permanent refugee status.
Religion is a non factor in my view.
Jan 6, 2009 - 6:01 am 10. susan:another view, stop copying and pasting your hatemongering dribble from one post to another.
Your vile venom has been already pasted in 3 different topics.
Jan 6, 2009 - 8:36 am