nationalreview
As of this moment, a fragile truce holds in southern Israel. After Hamas volleyed 600 missiles at Israeli civilian targets on Saturday and Sunday, prompting Israel to attack hundreds of targets in Gaza, the air-raid sirens have fallen silent, for now.
But over the weekend, when the rockets fell, we saw all the old arguments against Israel’s acts of self-defense crop up. The air raids were “disproportionate,” we were told. There were arguments over individual civilian casualties, as if it would somehow discredit Israel if its precision strikes killed more than a handful of noncombatants. Yes, there were rote condemnations of Hamas’s efforts to kill as many civilians as it could, but once again all too many voices on the left rose at once, demanding that the nation under attack — the nation defending its schools, hospitals, and homes from an indiscriminate rocket barrage — exercise restraint.
It's not any of this. It's what happens the day after.
ReplyDeleteIsrael can easily destroy Hamas and Islamic Jihad within a few days. Israeli boos on the ground, relatively few casualties (each a precious Jewish life, mind you) and the Tzahal controls 'Aza. And then what?
The terrorists won't escape. Egypt won't let them into Sinai if it can help it so they'll remain in the Strip. Every day there will be a few attacks, a casualty here and there, rockets will still shoot into the south and after a few months Israelis will start to wonder - hang on, was it worth it? And soon after they'll decide that no, it isn't worth it but since a retreat back to the '49 armistice line means Hamas and Jihad coming back and taking over again, what do they do next?
Targeted killings have been demonstrated to do wonders.
ReplyDeleteJust chop off their heads of the snakes.
No need to go after the rest of the snake.
It's not clear what bibi's strategy is. A 3 week ground war costs billions of $, and a lot of negative publicity, but ends with some ceasefire till the next time. Maybe a 2 day skirmish is a cheaper way of reaching the same agreement.
ReplyDeleteExactly. When the Israelis did that in the early 00's it worked wonders. Why they don't now is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope that Israel continues to use this effectively!
ReplyDeletethey have some kind of deal with Hamas in Gaza - Qatar pays hush money to them. They fire missiles each time they want more money. The threat Israel makes is that they will resume these targeted hits if the missiles don't stop.
ReplyDelete