Nahum Barnea makes an excellent point. Israel's retreat from Gaza led to an unstoppable shower of Kassam rockets. There is nothing at all Israel can do. The conclusion is that there is no choice but to stay in Judea and Samaria, increasing Jewish presence. Otherwise, according to Barnea's logic, first Raanana and Kfar Saba, and even Barnea's Tel Aviv will be bombarded and there is nothing Israel could do.

Bah humbug, Barnea! Barak's decision has focused world attention on the inability of Hamas to lead. The EU and everybody else sees that Israel is taking a non-military stance against Hamas, which is a smart move. The Israeli legal system stopped the move, making us look like we support human rights, also a good move. And lastly, of course there are many solutions to the Qassam problem - unfortunately our leaders simply don't state this enough. The number one solution to Palestinians violating international law and firing thousands of anti-personnel rockets at civlians, of course, is a return to the military conquest of Gaza. However, we don't emphasize enough that we are leaving this option on the side. For now.

They talk and talk about peace but the kill it all the time. Go back to all thire laders such as BG, Golda, Rabin, Peres, Peretz, Fouad and now BARAAAAAAAAAAAAAK. But I think THE WORST IS PERESSSSS THE FOX.

...that is what 'disengagement' is about. And you were a strong supporter of it, after all.

Sometimes flawed plans are better than no plan.

Nothing Israel does has as much influence on creating terrorists as the education that Palestinians are given in their schools. Cutting off electricity might make it more difficult for Palestinins to read textbooks, watch TV, or listen to the radio. All of those media sources, whether controlled by Fatah or Hamas, continue to incite hatred of Israel (and often, of Jews). Until there is a change in Palestinian education no meeting, whether in Jericho or Annapolis, has any chance of leading to real peace.

Is here some resentment I perceive on the part of Mr Barnea regarding talkbacks? Could it be because few talkbacks agree with you? That we poke holes in your usually fallacious arguments? From your high pedestal looking down at all of us intellectually inferior "teenagers" as you call us, are you thinking we have a lot of nerve to challenge the ideas of one so elevated as yourself? So let's examine these lofty pronouncements that you illuminate us with. First, the "there is no solution to Kassams" theory - very popular among the same crowd that wants us to believe "there is no military solution" to the Palestinian problem. So, if there is no solution to Kassams, then you are suggesting we should just sit & take it? Where does this logic lead? Is the suggestion that if the Palestinians had better missiles that could hit Tel Aviv, we should also take no action? Or are you hinting at a bolder move - that a full-scale invasion of Gaza is appropriate? If that's your position, come out & say it clearly. But that wasn't your intention, was it? Now let's look at "smartass" Barak. I'm not a fan of Mr Barak - I think he's an ambitious, unprincipled, self-promoting, greedy, political hack. In other words, like most of our politicians. What is wrong with your criticism? You missed the best one - if electricity cuts were being considered for such a long time, why was there no coordination between Mazuz & Barak? Why wasn't a decision made AFTER all parties had agreed? Surely Barak has a telephone as does Mr Mazuz. Is this how our gov't. conducts business? Let's examine the idea of cutting electricity. You say it's stupid. First, will it be effective? As a specific remedy, no. But over the long-term, it will increase pressure on Hamas. Second, is it collective punishment? Of course it is. So what? The whole point is to show the Palestinians that terrorism has consequences. Third, does it make us look bad? In our circumstances, everything makes us look bad. At this point, it no longer matters what we do. How does doing nothing make us look? And fourth, why should we be obligated to supply electricity to Gaza? When did electricity become a human right? Only when it applies to us? Many rural & some urban areas have no electricity all over the world. Unlike you, Mr Barnea, I don't get paid for writing. You get my criticism for free. So this is all I'm willing to write for the moment. But if you read this, as you assume all the politicians do, why don't you answer my criticism in a talkback? You certainly believe in dialogue, don't you?

barnea is like the PM who openly declared, before his tenure as PM began, that he thought that Israel was tired of fighting, tired of winning. [as it turned out, the PM offered Israel something new: losing.] barnea has no ideas. he has no constructive contribution to make. if there is no solution, one supposes, that in barnea's view, Israel must passively endure any attacks. that might sound like a programme to barnea and those like him who hyperventilate over their own impotence, but to men and women who reject capitulation it is a pitiable disgrace and its purveyor pusillanimous fools.

The fact that they have not built an infrastructure for anything other than building kassams is not our fault. Well it shouldn't be. Anyway, because we never disengaged properly we find outrselves in this situation. So no, cutting the power is a foolish decision. One of many the government of Israel has made in the last decade.

Mr. Barnea doesn't get the point: Fuel restriction is not intended as mere "punishment". It's a method to achieve a result, not the goal. Mr. Barnea believes he's smarter than Barak, yet he doesn't offer any alternative suggestions to stop Hamas firing rockets against Israeli cities. Barak doesn't have many options available. Out of the options that are available, Barak decided to use the most powerful tool available against Arab dictators:HUMILIATION. Expose Hamas as being so incompetent that they depend on their worse enemy Israel for their own welfare. Fuel cutbacks are a useful tool, because it exposes Hamas as worse than useless - Hamas is also harmful for the well-being of Gazans. Turn fuel on when Hamas is obedient. Turn fuel off when Hamas is disobedient. Gazans will eventually realize that Hamas is a liability, and Hamas will be too humiliated to carry any respect or authority in the Strip. Eventually Gazans will revolt against their Taliban masters, or at least stop supporting Hamas' terrorism that only makes the lives of average Gazans more difficult while their corrupt Hamas masters live without any hardship.

First) It does punish the Qassam launchers and their supporters. How could it not? The Gaza population is already in the arms of Hamas, remember the election? Second) "International law" is being used to club Israel to death. Does launching Qassams fail to meet the standards of international law? And will Israel's image improve by capitulating on this matter? Third) Dialogue with the PA to do what? To return to the ghetto lines of 1948? And where are all of these "moderate" Arabs? They all (perhaps with the exception of 5 or 6) want to kill each and every one of you. Wake up! Stand up and fight! Use your God given good sense to defeat your enemies and let the "world" think what it wants. They are going to hate you anyway.

Everyone I know thinks that the power should be cut every time a kassam falls. Nahum Barnea's column is always so 'foolish' and I normally never even click on the link to his articles. Today was an exception because his banner was even more stupid that usual!

This man is both condescending and foolish. However, he is right on one point: pussyfooting around with brief power interruptions is not going to win this war or accomplish much. Of course, cutting power is both right and proper - no one should be supplying their enemy with the means of carrying out war. That being said, peace will only come through victory, and victory will only come about by the complete military destruction of Iran and its puppets.

Fat chance of a reply. Great job on your artical to bad Barnea cant do as well.

because this article is pure insanity. a) The people firing the kassems aren't part of Gaza. They don't RUN Gaza? They weren't voted in by Gazans? You think Hamas would run Gaza if a large section of the society there didn't support them. b) What international norms? Is Iran suppling Israel directly with oil and gas? Is Syria? But Israel MUST keep supplying an enemy. How does cutting our links with Gaza make us a "cruel occupier"? Is Iran a "cruel occupier" of Tel Aviv because it won't sell us cheap oil? c) As for "worsening our image", most people in the world don't care and those who do fall into two camps - those who hate Israel and will complain whatever Israel does and those who won't. d) The "moderates" are only "moderates" because the extremeists are so extreme. Does anyone with a brain cell believe Annapolis will achieve anything. It is simply Camp David 2. It will fail and as usual we'll get blamed. Better it doesn't happen. Well if the Israeli electricity company won't "violate its contract" - a first if ever I heard one from an Israeli firm - how about a tax of 200% on revenues from Gaza. I bet then it'll find a "loophole". Livni's job isn't to "warn about diplomatic damage", her job is to stop the damage. Her incompetent staff should be selling the daily threats of kassems. Asking people how on one hand they can demand the end of "occupation" of Gaza and in the same breath demand Israel supply it's enemy. PS how exactly is the PA paying the Israeli electricity company?

Here's something nobody's ready to say out loud either: Mr. N. Barnea isn't the sharpest tool in the shed either... "moderate Arab regimes", -really? So in Barneas opinion there's absolutely NO way a country with an regular army, governement etc. can win when confronted with molotov -coctails, "rogatkot", and... Qassams ! So all we're left with is "conversations" with "moderate regimes" (an oxymoron if there ever was one). Mr. Barnea, you are absolutely right about Mr. Barak but entirely for the wrong reasons

WE NEED TO GO BACK INTO GAZA AND CLEAN IT UP FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL. FORGET THE WORLD. THEY DO NOT HAVE OUR BEST INTEREST. GAZA IS A TERRORIST HAVEN. NO ONE IS INNOCENT DESTROY IT!

Hamas's routine is acting like jihad warriors who murder political dissenters, rival opponents, and infidels to keep the "respect" of their own people... while to the rest of the world they squeal: "Help!!! Help!!! We're suffering!!! We're suffering!!! Don't pay attention to us provoking this situation by bombing Israeli civilians. Israel must stop our suffering from this "cycle of violence". Then we'll again consider whether to temporarily stop murdering Israelis while we resupply our weapons."

The Israeli North is living free of missiles and the Israeli South should also be living free of missiles. Any action Israel takes against the missiles will bother the enemy or the critics who have nothing to offer themselves. Israel has to take some kind of action whether military, cutting daily services, building new Israeli settlements as a response or something other. Doing nothing as a response to enemy missiles disrupting Israeli life is not an answer.

We don't occupy Gaza We have no obligation to provide them anything. THis plus a buffer is the best way short of full invasion. The problem is we have done nothing yet and he wants to do a half job that won't work. Cut off All Power NOW. http://ralphsrant1.blogspot.com/

Would he rather we invade? Or Lob thousands of shells into Gaza? Cutting the power will work if it is a totla cutoff from Israeli sources. We hav no obligation to give them anything we don't occupy Gaza. This plus a buffer zone will work, but unfortunely Barak wants to do half way measures and that will fail. http://ralphsrant1.blogspot.com/

Nachum you are punishing a population that voted in Hamas and fully support the Kasam vollied on Israel. That after expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif which Barnea fully supported. Barnea your enemies are ready to push you in the sea and couldn't give a damn what the world says. wake up and smell the coffee.

No end to Kassams, No relase of Gilad = No water for U One does not need a PhD in Boolean Logic to see that this would work.

go to this site and see how the Nazis did the same against the Jewish ghettos in Europe to stop the resistance. they also cut off electricity. please put this talkback and don't sensor http://artfuljesus.0catch.com/judaica/shoah.html

It is good to see that an Arab knows of the Shoah! Thank you for the link, but what is the connection? You can't be implying that Gaza with a border to its brother nation Egypt and billions in foreign aid in any way resembles the exitless ghetto? You can't be implying that the Jews shot anything, much less a Kassam rocket, at any German, like the Hamas does? You can't be comparing between the Jews of the ghetto who wanted to be citizens of Germany / Poland and the Arabs of Gaza who declare that Jews are Monkeys and Pigs who should be exterminated?

"The IDF could have, in line with Joseph Heller’s satirical novel Catch-22, bombed the Israeli power station in Ashkelon" haha brilliant analogy there is alot of catch 22 around these days I think the main reason for this is decision is Barak trying to stir up a hornet's nest and upstage the summit

So you claim that not supplying somebody with fuel and power is like the Nazis, is it? Well guess what that makes ALL the Arabs Nazis since they have done the same to us for 59 years! There is no such international law that says anybody has to supply power to anybody, at any time, for any reason period. Anybody dare to prove me wrong? I'll bet not.