Blackout in Gaza
Photo: AFP
Hamas’ PR trap
Let Gazans suffer; Israel must not cave in over Hamas’ staged Gaza blackout
Hamas produced the simplest, most primitive and most transparent propaganda video clip – and again we were caught unprepared and without an adequate response.
The State of Israel, on all its wise people and spokespersons, fell into the public relations trap laid by Hamas and went silent with fear. There was nobody who would remind the world that there are children and elderly in Sderot as well. There was no one who presented the sick Palestinians who are leaving Gaza to receive medical treatment in Israel despite the closure (just yesterday, 130 patients left the Strip – twice the average daily number).
There was also nobody out there who would ask how come there was no electricity for hospitals in Gaza, yet there was electricity for Hamas’ TV station? Besides that, does anyone really believe that a power station as large as the one in Gaza keeps diesel fuel reserves that last for only a day and a half? Such lies can only be sold to those who really want to buy into them.
Suddenly, there is nobody who will remind the Israeli public that the IDF had the upper hand in the latest round. It’s a fact – the greater the pressure exerted on the Strip, the greater the decline in Qassam rocket attacks. They fold, and the IDF continues to hit hard. So we won this battle, but in the fight for perception we continue to look like a plucked dog with its tail between its legs.
The moment the defense minister announced that we are renewing the supply of diesel to the Strip, this was akin to an admission of guilt: As if we’ve done something wrong. As if there is really no electricity in Gaza because of us. As if we are really responsible for the death of five people in a Gaza hospital. Egyptian President Mubarak called, and we became weak in the knees.
The defense minister should declare that not only will diesel not be allowed into the Strip – even a drop of gasoline will not be allowed into the Strip. He should say that there is no reason for Israel to supply transportation for the Qassams. If the Palestinians insist on firing them, let them carry them on their backs or on donkeys.
Leadership must withstand international pressure
In order to reach some kind of achievement vis-à-vis the Strip, Israel must utilize four levers simultaneously and in full force: Surgical strikes against the leadership, attacks on military infrastructure and fighters, attacks on Hamas facilities and symbols of government, and an economic siege that would also see the curbing of the inflow of money into the Strip. So far, Israel has done all this partially. The alternative to these levers is a Gaza incursion: Thousands of Palestinians and hundreds of Israelis will die or be wounded. Who needs this?In order to be able to tell whether this lever system indeed works, it needs to be utilized for weeks. We cannot fold after a day and a half. The Coordinator of Operations in the Territories holds a daily discussion in his office, examines the “humanitarian index” in Gaza based on a series of criteria, and decides when and how we should ease up a little. This should be determined by an assessment of the situation, not in line with Hamas’ video clips and manipulations.
The ability of southern residents to sustain Qassam rockets and still stay around is directly related to the leadership’s ability to withstand international pressure. This is not just a matter of speeches and banging on the table. The real test is the action.
The weak party wins in the pictures. The hungry kid holding a candle will always arouse sympathy. This is the way of the world. The Palestinians often use the dictum: “Let a thousand mothers cry – as long as my mother sheds no tear.” Somebody should explain to them that this is true on both sides of the border. For us, not even one child in Sderot should shed tears.
