It's another day of Qassam rocket fire on Sderot and Gaza-region communities - there are wounded civilians, frightened children, closed schools and kindergartens.
Everyone agrees - it is an insufferable situation. The problem lies in the method of this despicable war, modern terror, whose rotten
teeth are sharp and painful, while at the same time faceless. There isn't really a "target bank" that can be hit to halt it.
Terror is alive and kicking and hiding among civilian populations, and there is no desire or justification on our part to strike at it. And thus we are witnessing more of the same: Sisyphean attempts to strike at terrorists hiding among and behind civilians who are not involved in acts of terror. It's like trying to get rid of a dog's fleas by using tweezers – it simply doesn't work.
The political establishment is fearful - and rightfully so - of the entanglement that would follow conquering the Gaza Strip, the harming of civilians, and international pressure. On the other hand, the current situation cannot continue. So what should be done? Clearly, there is no good alternative. In this case the least worst option should be selected.
Because of the nature of terror, which hides among civilian populations, the solution would entail harming this population to some degree, as it shields terror, thus undermining its legitimacy to operate. The strike should be such that it is not fatal but very painful.
It appears that in face of the limitations outlined here, cutting off the power supply in the Gaza Strip in response to acts of terror is what is required – a power cut of five minutes after the first Qassam rocket, 15 minutes after the second, and half a day after the 10th. We cannot and nor do we want to pull out every despicable terrorist from his hole, but we can pull the plug.
It is of course impossible to live without electricity nowadays, but it is also impossible to continue living the way Sderot residents are living.
It's up to them – the ball is in their court. If they fire, they'll sit in the dark; if they don't fire they can watch TV. This is the court where we have the upper hand and that's where we'll take it.
It also films better than civilians wounded by bombings; what's more, the Palestinians are firing at the Israeli power stations supplying them electricity. We should provide generators for their hospitals, but the rest can sit in the dark. Thus, we shall not endanger our troops, we shall not risk hurting civilians, and Gaza residents who are aiding terror will pay a very inconvenient price, but the type that doesn't kill.
Let's hope the political leadership here will try to be flexible in its thinking and not remain stagnated. It is easier to explain power cuts in Gaza to the world than to explain a takeover of the Strip and the harming of civilians.
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