Another five comments on the situation
1. Those who see Operation Cast Lead as some kind of Israeli election stunt often also view Hamas as itching for compromise. They might, we are told, accept some kind of long-term ceasefire based on Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders. If only Israel would talk to them! If this is your view, perhaps explain to me this conundrum: Israeli elections are very simple. When the country is under attack, the right-wing generally performs better. The firing of Qassams on the Gaza envelope means that the more centrist parties (I accept the redundancy of the notion of a left/right split in mainstream Israeli politics) have to show their military muscle. Hence the decisiveness of the current operation. If Hamas wanted to maximise the chance of compromise, they could have eased off the rockets, at least until the new government was settled in. Why didn’t they? Read more
15 comments