Playing into the hands of Hamas

[LeftishBrit]

Playing into the hands of Hamas

By Bernard Avishai and Sam Bahour

Tags: Gaza, Israel news, hamas

Israel and Hamas are not equals on the battlefield - not at all, clearly - and when the power to harm or control others is this uneven, it is meaningless to speak about moral symmetry. But as the current onslaught in Gaza unfolds, it is sadly evident that both sides are continuing to respond to real provocations in ways that are not morally right, or even politically smart.

If Hamas thought that lobbing missiles into Israeli civilian neighborhoods was a decent or proportionate response to the grim realities of the occupation, they were wrong. On the other hand, if Israel thinks it can bludgeon the Palestinians into political surrender, or get Hamas - or the Palestinian community at large, for that matter - to acquiesce to military occupation then it, too, is wrong.

There is no military solution to this conflict. Until both sides fully grasp this, the world can expect only continuing violence and vendetta, with civilians on both sides paying the price for leaders who - because of pressure, ambition or hubris - feel that they must do the most damage, fire the last shot or make the most credible threat. Indeed, it is sad, and repellent, to hear military correspondents speak of "teaching a lesson," "increasing pressure," "making a statement," achieving "deterrence," when those they are reporting on are really trying to control the news cycle, or win arguable (and in any case temporary) psychological advantage, by killing, or accepting the deaths of, people at random on the other side.
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This cannot succeed in achieving Israel's stated aim of degrading Hamas' long-term capabilities and motivation. It will certainly not undermine Hamas' appeal, especially since the electricity and water infrastructures are also inevitably targeted. Now that Israeli soldiers have been killed in this tragic operation, there are the unavoidable cries that the IDF "go all the way," so their deaths would not have been in vain. But Israel cannot make Hamas surrender - it cannot "win." Meanwhile, the carnage will help Hamas, and other Palestinian military factions, make their case - not only in Gaza, but across the West Bank too. A glorious stand will even turn them into cultural heroes among Israel's Palestinian Arab citizens.

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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=1054157&contrassID=2&subContrassID=4&sbSubContrassID=0

[The Magistrate]

1. A Very Sound Analysis, Ma'am

[shira]

2. results from Operation Defensive Shield 2002

in the West Bank proves this can work. Looks like Israel is correcting mistakes made in 2006 with Hezbollah.

[The Magistrate]

3. Not Really, Ma'am

Jenin was an operation of so different a scale as to be different in its essential nature. Nor does the fighting in Lebanon bear much relation: that was, in its ground element, pretty close to a straight up main force action against a fortified line, in open if hilly country, and nothing remotely resembling this is going on at present in Gaza.

[shira]

4. Operation Defensive Shield was far more than just Jenin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Defensive_Shield

[The Magistrate]

5. That Is Where The Principal Fighting Occurred, Ma'am

This is not something there is much point to pursuing....

"Sufficient unto the day are the troubles thereof."