Opinion  Ron Ben-Yishai
The fourth alternative
Ron Ben-Yishai
Published: 30.05.07, 00:01
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34 Talkbacks for this article
1. And is that your solution for the next city under attack?
Otter   (05.30.07)
And the next one? And the next one? The best defense is a good offense. That's how you deal with bullies.
2. the article
Avraham ,   NYC   (05.30.07)
Ron Ben Yishai is an idiot, a complete fool. Would he call for evacuation of Tel Aviv once missiles, G-d forbid, would start falling on it were there to be additional withdrawals from Yehuda v'Shomron? What non-sense is he talking about? All of major West Bank cities would be under complete IDF control in no time. Sderot is expandable, 'cause that's where Israel's working class and Sefaradim live (for the record, I'm as Ashkenazi as it gets).
3. Nuts
Yisrael ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (05.30.07)
This proposal is so absurd, I could not finish the article, nor can I take it seriously. The solution is; they should live with it ? Let the author live with it !The only damn practical solution is to occupy land equal to the range of the rockets. End of story. Reinforcing homes is not a solution.
4. Is this the option?
Jonathan Boyko ,   Ofrah, Israel   (05.30.07)
Mr. Ben Yishai, do you really think this is the option? Spending up to hundreds of millions of shekels on fortifying? Is this the option? There are several flaws with it: a) It is costly and if the state takes on this campaign, the economy will suffer, including large part of Israeli population - especially its weak layers. b) Some parts of the city would have to be re-fortified every several years, as the Qassams would still cause a lot of damage. c) It will not stop injuries and deaths caused by the Qassam rockets, as many of the deaths and injuries are caused outside of buildings. So is an extremely expensive and useless fortification is actually necessary? Many still would be injured, damage would still be done and people would still be injured and killed. Going and re-capturing Gaza is not a good option and Gaza should not be captured. However, IDF should perform large op inside Gaza that would bring Palestinian terrorism to its knees. Up to a hundred thousand reservists should be called up, which will replace regular forces which would go into Gaza. There is no other option but to go in and search everything - destroying terrorists, equipment, ammo and firearms. Remember the Torah. Moses tells the spies to go into the land of Israel and among other things take a look at a way people inhabiting Israel live. He tells them that ones living inside castles and walls - are weak. Those living with no walls, in tents - are the powerful ones. Which one should we be?
5. you belong in the olmert cabinet
chaim schonbrun ,   brooklyn n.y   (05.30.07)
hey,ben yishay,have you gone mad? you actually suggest evacuating sderot,and after that its what?ashdod ,ashkelon, natanya,tel aviv, jerusalem well i guess this is the policy of your prime minister,after all during the last election,he ran on the platform of disengagement,after throwing out 10,000 jews from their homes in gush katif,he promised to throw out another 150,000 jews from yesha, and he is delivering more than he promised he is disengaging now from sderot and the rest of israel ben yishai you really belong in the olmert cabinet citizens of israel if you dont get rid of this insane government,you might as well start packing your bags,and closing the lights out behind you,because it will be all over,you will be left without a country
6. No confidence on the last disengagement
Steve ,   USA   (05.30.07)
B"H All of this should have been done during the last disengagment, but this is not how the government of Israel acts. It acts on an emergency, short-term basis only. Either it is very myopic (and I cannot see that being the case) or it has to seel a bill of goods while its hands are basically strung (which I find more likely). I cannot accept the Government selling Disengagement as a viable solution again. For credability private organizations will need to take up the slack. It is sad that it has come to the point that Gaymadrik is the man able to commit and implement half-measures because he still has some credibility built on past accomplishments that were criticized by the Government of Israel. How many times does one have to get stolen from to stop lending credit? The Olmert regime has a credit rating problem that is very serious with the broken promises from the last uprooting. If it completes that step of resettling those moved in the last uprooting, it would build credibility towards further shifts. In Sderot, the best it could hope for would be to fortify the schools completely, then have these schools be temporary shelters while the houses and bomb shelters get fortified. This is going to be a long and painful process. But it can be made even more long and painful if Sderot is uprooted and Hamas targets even more central locations. This is not one of those problems that can be just swept under the rug.
7. How much is Iran spending on weapons
Steve ,   USA   (05.30.07)
B"H How much Israel spends should be compared with how much Iran is spending on the weapons that go into Gaza. Gaza has no real funds to buy weapons with on its own. It does so by getting the involvment of outside countries. Israel's economy is strong enough to handle the defense of these homes. As for living in Casles versus living in open fields, Hamas is launching an attack and there is not an adequate response. That does show weakness on Israel's behalf. However, there are still people's lives to consider. And the patch is to have an adequate response to the missile attacks before the attackers can be fully dealt with, because only the IDF is motivated deal with the attackers, precluding a vigilante response from the general populace. But the general populace may be empowered to defend itself better. I see better roof defense as a patch but as an important one since the cost for this defense is much less than the cost to produce rockets, leading in Israel's favor economically. Settlement is beneficial economically also, but that option was precluded with the last disengagement, and no politician has put reengagement on the table to have the IDF back it.
8. I dont believe what I'm reading
Avi ,   Israel   (05.30.07)
Option four is the best one? I think as a nation we have lost our mind. Good bye world, I am leaving you today, good bye, good bye, good night......
9. Asinine and self-contradictory
Roscio ,   Rome, Italy   (05.30.07)
First, the writer says that giving the Arabs the pleasure of seeing thousands of Jews leaving Sderot would only encourage the terrorist, then he goes on to suggest just that. He stacks the deck by presenting only his choice of options. There are many other options. 1. Do what David and Yehudit did to defeat our worst enemies - go to the head bully and cut off his head. Eliminate Haniyeh, Mashaal, etc. Terrorize the terrorists. 2. For every missile launched, turn off the electricity to Gaza. The common people will soon get fed up of suffering for a a few fat terror chieftans. 3. If the missiles continue, warn the residents of the northern 5km of Gaza that they have 24 hours to evacuate before the area is carpet bombed and rendered a no-man's land. Let THEM lose their homes for terrorist behavior, not US. The article stupidly ignores the primary rule of dealing with bullies -. stand your ground and say NO.... and hit them back if need be.
10. another option
paul davy ,   canada   (05.30.07)
clean up the mess, go to war and win, attack Syria and blow it to hell and blow Iran and that Nazi to hell and then tell the rest of the muslim world to relax and suck it up or their next.
11. 5th option
David ,   Silver Spring, MD   (05.30.07)
There are more options to consider. Why not tomorrow have Israel state to the world that for EACH Kassam that lands in Israel the Temple Mount will be closed for 1 week to Moslems. Perhaps a politcal response will focus the Arab voices to stop the rockets.
12. Completely retarded
Kyle ,   Southpark, CO, USA   (05.30.07)
And what is his suggestion for people who have to leave their homes to run to the grocery? An armored car for every family? Not even Gaydamak has that much money.
13. Fifth option - Make enemy hurt like never before
Raymond from DC ,   Washington, DC USA   (05.30.07)
Is this what's considered intelligence and wisdom in Israel today? Ben-Yishai would have Israel retreat yet further into its heartland, granting Israel's enemies yet *another* victory, encouraging them to fight on.And what happens when the missiles reach Ashkelon on a daily basis? Will he call for them to evacuate as well? He'd relegate those forced to stay behind to cower in bunkered shelters, unable to walk down the unprotected streets. Ben-Yishai forgets a country's *first* responsibility is to protect its citizenry. The IDF has been accumulating intelligence on scores of targets during the months when they were forbidden from acting. It's now time to act, not to manage the enemy's attacks to an "acceptable" level, but to make the enemy cry out in fear, to make them despair. Forget pacing one's response; it's time for Israel to hit every target in a day of shock and awe. Let them know Israeli electricity will cease until there are 24 hours of quiet. If the rockets start again, electricity will stop for 48 hours. There, that wasn't so hard. Trust me, if Israel's leaders don't buckle under the pressure, the rockets *will* stop. Israel's enemies have declared war. It's time Israel acted appropriately.
14. What Absolute Nonsense!
Bill Foonman ,   Jacksonville, USA   (05.30.07)
There is no need to invade Gaza, nor is there any compromise with Islamic fundamentalists - aka as religious lunatics. The IDF simply needs to do what they do best and speak the only language these misguided fools understand - bomb and rocket Gaza until it is no longer possible to live there. As for the "Poor Suffering Palestinians," they elected Hamas to represent them. They made their beds and now they must lie in them. In any event, they have blown every chance they ever had to make peace and the West no longer cares one iota what happens to them.
15. Lebanon
David ,   America   (05.30.07)
I think Lebanon is guilty of a disproportionate response.
16. Wanna Play?
Gideon Reader ,   USA   (05.30.07)
Aand the Fifth option is to hammer a major population area to dust within minutes after the next Qyuassam hits. Regardless if it hits unoccupied dirt of a bus full of pregnant Carmelite Nums. The Arabs understand the application of disproportionate force and the barage of rockets will fall away, or the palestinians will fall away. the choice is theirs. War is a nasty business meant to be fought in a nasty way. Kissy face is for leftists who lack the testostorone to defend themselves of their families. The Ragsters want war. Then Israel should dictate the terms and rules of combat. Anything else if goody two shoes political bullshit, which nobody believes.
17. Only if Ramat Aviv Jimmel
Israel ,   Israel   (05.30.07)
residents gets evacuated with (or before) them...
18. 5th option: Make Gaza move into tent cities instead
Lemmings Hotline ,   sd usa   (05.30.07)
Your solution is another weak solution. The real solution is allow any pals that dont want to be caught in the cross fire move into THEIR tent cities and then DEMILITARIZE GAZA BY FORCE like the ex IDF chief wants to do.
19. Cowardice and stupidity
Ari   (05.30.07)
This article simply stinks of cowardice and stupidity. Running away from Lebanon and then Gaza have simply brought the terrorists even closer and put even more Jews within the line of fire of Katyushas and Qassams, and this guy proposed retreating even further? What do we expect the terrorists to do if every time they hit us we take a step back? You think they won't hit us again?! Why shouldn't they!?
20. Ron, shame on you.
Nora ,   Tel Aviv   (05.30.07)
Your "solution" on evacuating Sderot will revitalize Hamas and all other enemies of Israel. What a pity to discover that you are so short sighted.
21. solution to kassams
sam ,   new york   (05.30.07)
make residents of beit hanoun leave. Or surrender now when you still can get good terms. Or build roofs over streets of all the israel.Or covert to islam.Is the anything else?
22. A better solution
Sidney ,   USA   (05.30.07)
Stop the missiles..
23. A massive random artillery bombardment
jason white ,   afula,israel   (05.30.07)
would be the best answer. Fire 1,000 shells for each kassam. Cut of water and electricity,food and medical aid permanently.
24. absolutely the worst idea ever
aaron ,   ra'anana   (05.30.07)
before reinforcing houses (why not buy every resident of sderot a flak jacket and helmet also) the government should explain why there is still electricity in gaza. the following steps will stop the rocket attacks: 1) retaking the philadelphia corridor along the border of egypt (to a depth of 1km) , expelling its population, confiscating and destroying all the houses in this zone and destroying all the tunnels. 2) turning off electricity and water to gaza 3) targeted assasinations of all hamas and al aksa brigade miliary and political personnel. 4) destruction of all physical assests of hamas members and organization, including so called 'humanitarian' institutions and definately including the hamas 'universities' where weapons are stockpilied, hostages kept and training for terrorists is given 5) reoccupation of the gaza strip and the systematic disarmament of all its populace.
25. The author fails to see reality
Michael Ben Raphael ,   Tel Aviv   (05.30.07)
So what should we do when they start firing rockets at Ashkelon or further? And lets assume we fortify the whole country, what do we do when the explosives in the rockets get bigger and more powerful? This is pure surrender.
26. Evacuate Gaza, Not Sderot.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (05.30.07)
Make Gaza uninhabitable. No electricity, no water, no communications.
27. No To Tent Cities
Cosmic X ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (05.30.07)
I think that all of the Israelis that supported disengagement should move to Sderot and give their homes to Sderot's residents.
28. Ron, you are advocating for the shrinking of Israel
Tracy W   (05.30.07)
Evacuate city after city, as they become the target of Hamas. Just one observation: the third alternative, which does not even go far enough, is the best of the four you propose. You yourself say so: "a large-scale military operation that will include the takeover of large areas in the Gaza Strip, as well as the Philadelphi Route - is the only military option that can bring about an end to Qassam fire and stop terrorists from growing stronger in the Strip." You say it would take a "relatively long period of time". But isn't 60 years of hostilities long enough already? It's time to end this chinese torture that has been inflicted on both Israel and the Palestinian people. The slow bleeding of Israel is no better than a one quick campaign to clean up that mess and go for an end to the mirage of a Palestinian state. After all these years it has proved to be inpractical and non-viable.
29. #23
English Guy ,   London, UK   (05.30.07)
Your comments are the foulest bits of filth anyone can ever read on the internet. I hope you are deeply ashamed of yourself. For those who did not read this murderer's statement: "A massive random artillery bombardment would be the best answer." Not only are your remarks of a dazzling stupidity, but in terms of defending Israel, your repeatedly offered solutions would undoubtedly lead to an apocalypse. Obviously that's what you want.
30. Another fool
realist   (05.30.07)
who proposes fractional solutions to a complex problem. But at least he can think of several fractions. Wake up people! The whole Arab League is offering you comprehensive negotiations that could finally result in a wholly new atmosphere and dynamic in the Middle East and you just keep behaving like a robot who is programmed only to jerk his arm and nothing else. Can you see how much has changed over the last few decades? Israel's desire for peace has been adopted by Arab countries, and the primitive intransigence of Arab countries has been adopted by Israel.
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