Opinion  Nahum Barnea
The way out is the hardest
Nahum Barnea
Published: 19.11.12, 20:10
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53 Talkbacks for this article
1. You don't have to be a 'rocket scientist' to know Israel
Edithann ,   USA   (11.19.12)
will lost this one too...Has Israel ever won any wars? They seem to think they have, but in reality of the marketplace, world opinion and on the economy..it's a resounding "NO"!! .. Settlements for a short period of time are no victories either..... How will the settlements get out..now that's am even bigger question....but that question is looming nentheless! TATA
2. No long term plan, precisely!
Ed ,   USA   (11.19.12)
People now are asking the wrong question, who started this? The truth is that it never stopped, not since Op Cast Lead, and before. The entire Gaza mess is a result of a lack of final status agreement. Without a better future to point towards, there is no motivation to stop the hostilities. The very costly (to Israel, not to Hamas) blockade has show itself to be completely ineffective ... the arms are better now than four years ago. When the coward politicians actually move towards a final status agreement, then perhaps Hamas will become finally a political party rather than a continuous threat on the south. This transition happened with the PLO, it happened in Northern Ireland, and it must happen now in Israel.
3. Victory
Zivron   (11.19.12)
Everyday the Jewish state survives is a victory.Israel Detrrant Power ought be More Magnified but against Iran and other rejectionist political groups.
4. Artificial Jewish majority can't rule Arab majority forever
Steven Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (11.19.12)
5. blockade
john ,   toronto   (11.19.12)
The blockade of Gaza has not prevented the rocket attacks, only mutual agreement to stop fighting will be effective. Long term ceasefire will be good for both people. The loss of life on both sides is sad, but both sides are to blame for the violence. Surgical strikes have still resulted in the loss of lives of children . I hope such overwhelming force is never used.
6. There is another way
Rabbi Yakov Lazaros ,   USA   (11.19.12)
Bomb the hell out of Gaza Cut off the electric and the water Stop sending them trucks full of food and medicine. close all the border crossings Destroy the Hamas infra- structure Then Hamas will raise the white flag without a doubt.
7. No need to occupy Gaza, just sever Rafah from the rest!!
Dr. L. Brnd ,   San Diego, USA   (11.19.12)
The problem is Egyptian violations of the peace treaty by actively enabling smuggling of rockets from Iran, Sudan and Libya to pass into the demilitarized Sinai, after getting back "every grain of sand" in exchange for a promise not to do that. The answer is to prevent Egyptian smuggled rockets from getting into Gaza. The way to do this is to occupy a 5-mile wide strip through the lightly populated sand dunes north of Rafah, turn it into a no-mans-land, full of mines and fortifications, and annex it to Israel. Too wide for arabs to tunnel under. Eventually, they run out of smuggled weapons or IDF destroys them. No more can get in. Meanwhile, pound Gaza with air strikes every time they shoot into Israel. Nothing get into Gaza except the minimal humanitarian aid, no Israeli electricity or Israeli water is supplied. Crossings stay closed. No exports. Pressure let up only in enchange for surrender of all weapons and departure of Hamas and other terror groups for Tunis - just like kicking PLO out of Beirut. Obama and NATO are in no position to object - look at their occupation and bombing of afganistan, and drone war against Paks - all 10000miles from US shores, which these nations have never fired rockets at. Israel is defending its borders! Obama has no right to object while refusing to massively pressure Cairo into ending illegal smuggling through demilitarized Sinai. Or why agree to any more "peace" deals the Arabs just ignore while US looks the other way?
8. if Israel goes in
the mad zionist ,   sf-ny-is   (11.19.12)
they will have to go all the way. but retaking gaza must be out of the question. and stopping halfway must be out of the question. for it to be a success at home and internationally it would have to be done like this. 1) ground op begins to hunt down and destroy hamasg completely 2)secretly Israel should be talking to abbas and let him know that once Israel destroys hamas, then abbas/fatah will replace them and take over gaza 3) after Israel hands over power to abbas, Israel/USA/Fatah must sit down immediately, maybe with the likes of Bill Clinton, and they must be locked on the room until they hammer out an interim peace agreement, or better a full piece agreement. either way, the only successful way Israel can do this is by handing over gaza to abbas. it will be a resounding success for Israel, the Palestinians, and the US. if Israel goes in, destroys hamas but does not bring in abbas immediately, then hamas will resurface. thus is the perfect opportunity for Israel and the Palestinians. and if Israel does anything else, it will be a short and long term failure. Jake sana
9. What A Crock Of BS
World Citizen ,   the world   (11.19.12)
Bibi is terrified of going into Gaza. It might be a repeat of Lebanon 2. If the Palestinians have this many Grads think of how many RPGs and other anti-tank weapons they have.
10. has the enemy been completely destroyed?
frank ,   rehovot   (11.19.12)
if not, we lost! Our gov't is such a coward! Again it cost us millions and we get NOTHING! Vote these panseys out! We need a gov't with stones, not worried about their pensions and benefits!
11. way out
Iletzter ,   TA- Israel   (11.19.12)
This article is on the spot and very accurate. Israeli leaders are agonizing on these questions- how to emerge with some victory. They entered with the goal of having Hamas capitualte. there are no signs of this , at all !!!!
12. Why get out?
Jacob Erickson ,   Holon, Israel   (11.19.12)
After they run out of rockets, just tell them we'll stop firing until they start again. It's not a truce because we know they'll start firing again. And if we see someone we want to shoot at, we'll shoot at them. Simple as that. Tell them that the only way out is for the leaders of Hamas to publically go before the world media and say they are war mongers, that they are the cause of the fighting and that they are breaking international law by firing indiscriminately at civilian targets and that they should be arrested for war crimes. Then we will officially call a truce until they start firing rockets again, wether it is Hamas or any other faction in Gaza.
13. only one way to topple hamas
Lance ,   Cape Town RSA   (11.19.12)
the only way you are going to topple hamas ,is by going into gaza and taking them out.Airstrikes are not going to do it.One needs a ground operation to control whats happening on the ground.Put those bastards under heavy pressure.But sadly,I think the current leadership have already capitulated and will not see this operation through(one has seen seven years of this weak deterrent response ).May God bless Israel and her armed forces.
14. way out is hardest
oel ,   ossining,ny   (11.19.12)
The present government would like to fight a war with the approval of the rest of the world and without casualties, either Jewish or arabs. That's a worthy aspiration, but ...........
15. When one is cornered by 22 bullies
2Mad ,   גולה בצרפת   (11.19.12)
there is no easy way out. You HAVE to knock one down, and jump on him several times, until you hear bones. It's not inhumane, it's survival !
16. Obama's revenge
Observer ,   Egypt   (11.19.12)
Looks to me that Obama had his revenge after all ;)
17. As long as Ehud Barak is Defense Minister ISRAEL LOST!!
Leftists brainless ,   MESHUGAIM   (11.19.12)
It's only because they stopped firing at Tel Aviv that the coward Barak who fears world opinion and those "leading artists" better known as Leftist Nutcases are ready for a so-called truce while the rockets are still being fired at schools and homes of civilians.
18. # 1...please forgive, I thought I was in GAZA....TATA
(11.19.12)
19. # 9..You're so right..that's why I would like an.
Edithann ,   USA   (11.19.12)
invasion...It's time Israel learns 'big guns' are nothing against a people who are determined to fight for their land and homes... I'm always amused by Israeli's callingPalestinians 'enemies'... anyone who isn't pro-Israel is an enemy...such a myopic view of the world...Why do you think they're your enemies, did you do something to them???????????? TATA
20. # 10....don't you mean 'OUR' (USA) millions?? TATA...
(11.19.12)
21. Good article
Roi ,   Beersheba Israel   (11.20.12)
Liked reading the article. Well said. But should we go for the ground operation?
22. We want VICTORY, not a false sense of victory.... Israelis
Yigal ,   Israel   (11.19.12)
want you to finish the business. No Hamas leaders left alive. We are sick of ceasefires which never lead to real peace.
23. War games
Glenn ,   Los angeles   (11.19.12)
The only reason we keep having these discussions is that Israel never ends what it sets out to do. We are already half way done. Get it over and done with so we don't have to deal with international communities screaming at us again. Close your ears,Send in the ground troops, spend as much time as needed destroying all tunnels and weapons and then leave the Pals to re determine how to play according to Israeli rules.
24. Conflict
Endure ,   Japan   (11.20.12)
Credibility has been mentioned, but also accountability must be at the forefront as well. Who will take responsibility if this ends up a catastrophy?
25. Try reality
Joe F ,   Michigan USA   (11.20.12)
How long can you swim upstream before you give up? And why swim up stream in the first place?
26.  Game changer time? Land for peace... Israel gets the labd!
james taylor ,   australia   (11.20.12)
Things need to change this time. There is no clear answer. I think that israel need to revisit land for peace.... time for Israel to start taking back land every time a rocket is launched. Stop the world press.... we can't win this time, just don't let them in. Take 1km at a time from Gaza.... start building hardened structures resilient to cricket and small arms fire... or just place mines and more mines are levelling that km. Rockets again? Another km under Israels control... its called LAND FOR PEACE... you want peace? Shut up or pay up Gaza!
27. The way out is the hardest
Qam ,   Hamilton, Canada   (11.20.12)
The permanent way out is to give the stolen land back to Arabs and everyone live in peace and dignity.
28. A Defeatist Mentality
Ross Gallen ,   Henderson, USA   (11.20.12)
This article speaks a "Defeatist Mentality." It is interesting from an academic viewpoint and might earn an "A" for critical thinking in a university setting, However in the real world it offers no solutions, no answers and has a defeatist pall about it. The problem is that no one wants to address the real problem. Newt Gingrich said it best. These are an invented people. They need to return to their roots and go back where they came from. The government wants to be politically correct and engages in this constant farce of peace negotiations that go no where because there is no partner for peace. The real issue is that it is either us or them, and as between the two choices they need to pack their bags and go.
29. Rabbi Lazaros Comment
Ross Gallen ,   Henderson, USA   (11.20.12)
Rabbi Lazaros is quite correct in his thinking. I am sure all the left wing bleeding harts will disagree but sometime we are going to have to face the facts and confront the politically correct left. I say "Kudos" to Rabbi Lazaros for telling it like it is.
30. #20
Belinda ,   Texas, USA   (11.20.12)
Was being offensive really necessary? You imply Israel is funded solely by the US, not even close. Besides that, every dollar we give Israel must be spent in the US.
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