Israel allows terrorists to receive bribery
Op-ed: The Qatari money transferred to Gaza under Israel's auspices is a protection racket to Hamas; however, it remains unclear why the Jewish state doesn't use the Qatari money as leverage to return the MIAs and POWs from Gaza.
The purpose of the Qatari money is to well grease the terror organization's mechanisms in Gaza, and Hamas militants will be the first to benefit from it.
The little citizen in Gaza, whose suffering under Hamas's boot is genuine, will hardly get to enjoy this money at all.
Qatar does not hide its sympathy to Hamas's ideology. The money transfer is only one of the ways through which the gas-rich Gulf state supports radical Islamic elements in the Arab world, in which Hamas is one of the more prominent ones.
Neither Qatar, nor its money is a moderating factor as far as Gaza is concerned.
In addition, a protection racket to terror organizations has another flaw: it whets their appetite. What is currently enough for Hamas, will not necessarily suffice six months from now.
What will happen then? Do Israel and Egypt have a strategy to face Hamas's growing appetite? Will we face a more powerful Hamas several months down the road? Will Hamas be more prepared for a military confrontation with Israel? Will this temporary calm on the Gaza border—that we are buying now instead of working to restore deterrence—come back at us like a boomerang?
A sober glance at the reality in Gaza indicates that the probability that Israel will be forced to confront Hamas is high, while a concern of such confrontation will only lead to a more severe encounter, to which the Jewish State will come from a better starting point.
The fact that Qatar's protection racket takes place under Israel's auspices should raise another question, which for some reason is not on the agenda—is Israel really receiving everything it should receive in return for that money?
IDF fallen soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin and Israeli citizens Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed are still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. Israel is of course interested in returning them, but neglects to link between the efforts invested in reaching a ceasefire agreement and their return.
It is obvious to everyone that achieving calm in Gaza is a sheer Hamas interest. However, it is unclear why this interest is not used as a leverage to pressure the terror organization to release the POWs and MIAs.
Something about this chain of events is very peculiar, and the anger of the families is inevitable. Why is Hamas not required to give full return for the money it receives?
