Five comments on the situation
1. A reader asks: “Does the current offensive weaken Hamas beyond the short-term goal of reducing what rudimentary [a bit of an understatement this - Hamas have used every opportunity to smuggle in ore effective weapons; without being challenged it was only a matter of time before they got some of the really deadly stuff, presumably via Iran.] abilities they have? Does it make it any less popular? Does it promote any chance of peaceful coexistence? Does it help Israel’s image in the world? Will it stop the Qassams?” My answer is no, no, no, no, and a little bit. In the sense that Hamas will be more popular as a result of the attacks, and that the cause of peaceful coexistence will receive another blow, the only hope is that Hamas – like Hizbollah – will think twice before launching unprovoked attacks on the State of Israel. As Tzipi Livni said, “This is not a conflict that will end with an agreement. We embarked on the campaign with the intent of achieving military goals and in order to clarify that we will not put up with the situation any longer. We set out to change the equation.” This is the most we can hope for. Those who would have Israel unilaterally open the crossings should be asked why Israel should hand Hamas a major political victory, at the expense of our Fatah allies, and without receiving any guarantee of recognition. If Hamas want Rafah opened, they can accept the November 2005 agreement on the subject. If they prefer the path of martyrdom, we should be willing to offer it to them. Either way, there seem to be no good options on the table. Read more
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