The Palestinians and the international media do their best to convince the world that Israel is treating the Gaza Strip in a brutal and oppressive manner. The truth is that Israel’s leadership is very stubbornly refusing to take off its kid gloves in dealing with the mounting threat from Hamas-controlled Gaza, to the continued detriment of both Israel and the Arabs of Gaza.
On Wednesday, the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a show of combating the Gaza threat by dramatically declaring the volatile coastal strip a “hostile enemy territory.” It is a move that will accomplish absolutely nothing.
Years ago, as Yasser Arafat’s uprising against Israel was getting into full swing, the government of Ariel Sharon declared the terror icon and his regime enemies of the Jewish state. The decision gained a lot of international press coverage, as well as a lot of international scorn, while doing absolutely nothing to slow down the Palestinian terrorist onslaught. The moment Arafat was dead the international community fully brushed aside Israel’s conclusion that the entire Palestinian regime had become hostile, and insisted that the time had arrived to rush to a final status peace agreement.
Even less effective will be the limited sanctions the cabinet also approved on Wednesday. The ministers said they are ready to cut Israel’s supply of electricity and fuel to Gaza (can you believe Israel is still providing these things?), but also rejected the idea of doing anything that would too adversely affect the civilian population. Well, cutting electricity and fuel will adversely affect the civilian population in a very visible way, so you can be sure the reduction of these basic services will be token in scope.
The only effective solution to the Gaza rocket problem is the one that Olmert’s cabinet unanimously rejected - a full ground invasion of Gaza and the possible reinstating of long-term Israeli control.
Security and defense experts, including some of Olmert’s own ministers, have been warning for years that the only way to really curb the threat of rockets from Gaza is to go in with overwhelming force and crush the local terrorist infrastructure. Those same experts also warn that any alternative move that does not eliminate the ability of Hamas and other groups to make war on Israelis will only encourage the terrorists to continue down their path of violence.
Hamas and their terrorist allies do not need to actually defeat Israel militarily, just as Hizballah did not need to actually win the war with Israel last summer. They just had to survive the war with Israel. That a small terrorist militia went to war with the mighty Israeli army and survived while inflicting damage on Israeli civilians was enough to boost Hizballah’s image among the Arab world immeasurably. Israel is handing Hamas the same type of victory.
Nor does Hamas care about the suffering of the people living under their control. In fact, the more the local population suffers from Israeli sanctions and limited military strikes, the more public relations ammunition Hamas has.
If Israel really cares about putting Hamas out of business and about ending the suffering of the Arabs of Gaza, it should listen to those experts who advocate crushing, one-time military action that will end Hamas’ very ability to function and at the same time end the need for ongoing Israeli military reprisals that inadvertently harm the civilian population.
Enjoy the article? Subscribe to our email updates
5 comments so far ↓
1 Angela // Sep 19, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Gaza has now become a thorn in Israel’s side.
It should never have been handed over to the Palestinians.
It is still part of the covenanted land of Israel and I fear that the current leadership of Israel will fail in its attempt to resolve the situation since it has blatantly disregarded God’s directive not to relinquish His Land .
The present government is therefore reaping the consequences of its gross stupidity and disobedience to God’s Word.
However, I believe that God’s judgmental purposes have been in operation via this inept government and that its days are numbered !
I pray that the Israeli People will realise beyond any shadow of a doubt that the division of the Land for peace is NOT an option and that the Israeli public will eventually rally behind a leader who will take a hard line policy on this issue.
2 Marsha Carol Watson // Sep 21, 2007 at 3:25 am
Ryan and Angela, I concur!
3 jack kashinsky // Sep 21, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Emotionally, I agree with those who call for a reoccupation of the Gaza territory. I always believed that the land for peace concept is strictly a one way street. The problem with re-taking Gaza is that it will become another propoganda disaster, ie. So. Lebanon.
Even the US State Dept.(never a keen Israeli supporter)will come down hard on this action.
Unfortunatey, the old adage:”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” holds clearly in this self–imposed fiasco we now face.l
4 Victor Passenheim // Sep 22, 2007 at 12:47 am
Nip it at the bud. That’s God’s way, the most compassionate way.
5 Jeri // Sep 22, 2007 at 5:31 pm
My PRAYER IS THAT THE G-D OF ISRAEL WILL COME TO THE AID OF HIS LAND AND HIS PEOPLE. I WILL CHALLENGE ALL THE ARAB NATIONS TO FIND THEIR gods name IN THE MOUNTAINS AND AROUND JERUSALAM AS OUR Y-H-V-H HAS IN THE MOUNTAINS AROUND ISRAEL AND JERUSALAM AND LET THEM PROVE IT THAT WAY .( AND SEE WHO IS THE GREATEST)
Leave a Comment