Critics of Israel's
invasion of the Gaza Strip ask, was it necessary? Civilian casualties were high, the IDF lost some fine soldiers, it cost billions, and Israel took a PR hit. Was the incursion worth it?
That some wars are necessary and moral, however, especially when civilians are deliberately targeted by terrorists, does not mean that armed force is a last resort. In the case of Gaza, could it have been avoided? And who is at fault?
Without the supply of weapons, Hamas
could not sustain a military confrontation, or fire rockets into Israel. Hundreds of tunnels under the little town of Rafah that straddles the border between Egypt
and Gaza could easily have been closed by Egypt.
Enabling the smugglers, Egyptian President Mubarak allows Hamas to attack Israel without incurring any blame, portrays himself as helping Palestinians, and keeps the radical Muslim Brotherhood (with which Hamas is allied) off his back; the kickbacks are also nice.
Rafah includes an UNRWA "refugee camp," which provides cover for the tunnels. Six more UNRWA-sponsored "camps" (actually towns) throughout the Gaza Strip are hotbeds of terrorism. As long as UNRWA is in business, so are terrorists. UNRWA is an accomplice; it is part of the problem, not the solution.
Support for Hamas (and of course the more "moderate" Fatah
PA) financially and politically is a clear message: Terrorism and incitement against Jews is acceptable.
Despite warnings from military and security experts three years ago, Israel's political echelon headed by then-PM Ariel Sharon,
Vice PM Ehud Olmert,
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
and the Kadima
and Labor
parties abandoned the border area with Egypt (called The Philadelphi Corridor) virtually unconditionally and without any reasonable security precautions.
Applauded by American and European diplomats, the reasons for this blunder have never been explained.
What did the war in Gaza accomplish? Those who launched it claimed victory; so does Hamas, which still occasionally fires rockets and launches terrorist attacks – and, in their free time, kill "collaborators" and maim critics.
Smuggling tunnels are more active than ever. Iran and other countries continue to funnel arms to Hamas. Israel's efforts to protect its citizens are condemned as "human rights violations" and "war crimes." Anti-Semitic incidents around the world are increasing.
Lessons learned? Forced to make cosmetic touches, Egypt refuses to stop its Bedouin smugglers in Sinai. Hamas receives support from around the world. Families of the bereaved and wounded mourn.
PM Netanyahu's
government has inherited the mistakes of Tzipi Livni, Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak – best known for his catastrophic leadership during the retreat from Lebanon and terrorist attacks in 2001, and his lavish lifestyle, at taxpayers' expense.
The whereabouts and condition of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
are still unknown after more than three years in Hamas captivity. Reportedly offered a thousand Palestinian prisoners, most of them convicted murderers, in exchange, Hamas remains undecided.
What prompted Israel to attack Hamas was, to be sure, the desire to protect its citizens. That struggle isn't over, nor will it be anytime soon. Sen. George Mitchell's job, it seems, is to focus away from Jihad and terrorism – and attack Jewish settlements. Such efforts obscure what this struggle is about.
Military victories over well-funded terrorists and tyrants who enjoy popular support cannot be final, but they are a step forward in the struggle for civilization. Threatened by a virulent form of Islam, Jihadism, the world cannot afford to ignore that danger.
"My greatest hope," said a Hamas supporter in Gaza interviewed on CNN during the war "is that my son will become a shahid (martyr)," as a young boy standing next to him smiled obediently.
For those who believe that negotiations with Hamas will bring peace and that diplomatic agreements are substantial, these words teach an unforgettable lesson.
The author, a former assistant professor of History (CUNY) is a writer and journalist living in Jerusalem
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