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Dr Ronen Bergman
Ronen Bergman

Disconnect Hamas-Tehran axis

Israel must do its utmost to prevent emergence of 'Sunni Hizbullah'

The worst thing Israel can do today with regards to events in the Gaza Strip is to adopt the way of thinking expressed over the weekend by several observers, who argued that "it's good for us that the Arabs there are killing each other."

 

Political disarray and social chaos lead to the emergence of "ungovernable regions," that is, areas lacking a central government, and those have never given rise to anything positive, neither for the people residing there nor for the outside world.

 

That was the case in Afghanistan and Somalia, and this will be the case in the Gaza Strip should Israel prefer to ignore events there.

 

Israel's change of direction must be premised on four main pillars. First: Provide the major Arab mediators in the arena (mostly Saudi Arabia and Egypt) with room to maneuver in order to negotiate a renewed ceasefire between Hamas and Fatah, while reaching agreements that would touch upon Israel as well (for example, in the matter of a prisoner release in exchange for the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.)

 

Second: Aggressive action lacking bureaucracy and filled with genuine good will to resolve the severe economic crisis in the Strip.

 

Third: Targeted and no less aggressive military response to anyone who operates against Israel, while assuring not to harm elected Palestinian officials. After all, Hamas won democratic elections.

 

Fourth: Curbing the process of Hamas turning into a "subsidiary" of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Military intelligence officials are viewing with great concern the tightening relationship between Hamas and Tehran.

 

In the framework of this process, the Iranians are already assisting with the establishment of advanced intelligence systems for Hamas. Israeli intelligence must do everything in its power to sever ties between the two sides, because if Iran is able to turn Hamas into a sister-movement, what we'll end up with in the south and in much shorter ranges is a Sunni version of Hizbullah – and that would be a whole new ballgame.

 

Dr  Ronen Bergman is the intelligence correspondent of the Yediot Ahronoth newspaper

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.17.07, 11:52
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