Certainly taking no action to stop the firing of rockets at israeli civilians is not going to bring victory. The IDF needs to take over Gaza, eliminate Hamas as an organization and incarcerate its membership, and collect all the weapons. After a year of expensive, intense, systematic and thorough police operations in Gaza, civilian control over the territory can be handed back to the PA (area B). However Israel must maintain control over the border with Egypt as it has been demonstrated that Egypt is unwilling and unable to stop weapons smuggling over this border.

since olmert, peres, livni, ramon, barak,etc ..... will probably do everything in their power to prevent a jewish victory. I'm only basing that assumption on their track record

After all the pain of leaving Gaza, returning there would be a great mistake. As long as missiles keep flying from Gaza, Jerusalem is safe.

A tempory victory can be declared if there is a Gaza operation and its done RIGHT and not some rushed without clear goals and then pulling out before anything has been achived the way Olmert did in Lebanon. The first stage though must be to take the gloves off stop trying to be the humainatarian not interested in hurting palestians just terrorists. The terrorists live in the same apartment blocks as ordinary people, they have support on the street the best way to handle this is to in advance cut off all supplies of fuel which limits terrorist abilities to move about and then cut off the power in full. The IDF soilders have night vision and tank drivers can see in the dark so lets use that oldest of war tactics and thats plan while the enemy cant see anything and you can. Gaza is a small shit hole and the terrorists will be ready so the only solution is for Israel to use dirty tactics and if that means hurting ordinary people tempoirarily by keeping them in the darlk for a few days and putting them in a situatioon where they have no gas for their cars then thats what must be done because allthough Olmert might not think so the interests of Israel must become the interests of our enemies.

that's just your opinion, and you're wrong.

Com eon Ynet ! : -)~

By his reasoning, the U.S. hasn't won a war since World War II unless you count Grenada. Israel has survived and thrived despite enemies that would destroy her - that is victory. The situation of Sderot is intolerable and unless Prof. Sheffer has a better plan to stop the suffering of Sderot, the IDF should act against Gaza. Questions for Prof. Sheffer. If Israel lost all these wars, who won them? Let him look up the definition of pyrrhic victory. And what would have been his advice before the 1967 war?

great article ynet! Interesting indeed.

This article is a Leftist give-up, give-in, weakling Chamberlain appeasement mold. The fact is Israel is a strong nation and its deterrence keeps enemy states from trying another war of annhiliation against the Jewish State. However, if the writer's idea prevails, it will erode Israel's deterrence and embolden the enemies to chip on Israel by way of external manipulations, usurpation and war. The fact is General Askhanazi is right in his planning and strategy. The General knows the enemies of Israel and can defend the homeland effectively. It is always wise to listen to the General who knows how to protect the homeland from extenal aggressions.

We're not winning by any means now with rockets hitting Sderot and the Negev. Hello???? If we go in, we do need to doso correctly. That means, first getting Israeli soldiers out. Once they're out and safe, then Israel can take its gloves off and deal with Hamas the way it needs to be dealt with.

The Gaza settlements both took the heat, and kept the area sufficiently divided to prevent the ramping up of attacks to CITY level, thereby buffering mainstream Israel. Remove them and Gaza became an untouchable area where their ramping up of attack levels can barely be touched (without unintended casualties). Gabi's right, an occupation can't be maintained long term. A division and population can. Replant the settlements and support them fully this time. OR, give up Sderot, then Ashkelon, and Ashdod. But I guess that's ok as long as Tel Aviv is ok, huh?

He had Gaza of the size of Iraq, and he showed how to do it. To declare that national army can never win is, to say it mildly, unpatriotic. IDF can turn Gaza into dust in hours. On the other hand, IDF can do nothing and let Gaza to terrorize border communities ad infinitum. And certainly IDF can do something in between, as Ashkenazi reasonably argues. It is named interpolation stupid.

The professor is right Israel must negotiate with the Palestinians. Israel, like South Africa, must give up its racist ideology and allow the Palestinian people to rule their homeland just like the Blacks now rule Africa. Jews can only hope they show us the mercy we never showed them. We must return Palestine to its rightful owners

With all your huge war machines against some street fighters to say this .

We have not changed the PLO covenant. We still have one goal of the liberation of all of Palestine. We will never recognize the occupation of one inch of Palestine. You can only have peace if you end the occupation that began in 1948

Don't spew your Islamist-Jihadist crap. The fact is the Land of Israel belongs to the Jews since the time of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 4000 years. It is time the world rejects the usurper Islamist-Jihadist crap.

Reoccupy Gaza? Thats aboslutely crazy notion First it would set back the advances with PA/Fatah Second theres abolutely no reason to go back into that quagmire that Hamas have created. Any insider will tell you that Hamas are slowly sinking, fractures appearing in the leadership and mumblings of revolution get louder. LET the Palestinians of Gaza alone cleanse their country of this rot. That this will happen is of no doubt. And when? SOONER THAN YOU THINK!

He sounds like the Israeli version of Tokyo Rose. Just what Israel needs is another week kneed know it all announcing Israeli defeat before they even start to defend themselves. Just give the enemy more kisses and hugs and more and more of your land and they will play nice. Good luck. Sounds like Esav has kissed Gabi's neck.

The government of the Gaza Strip was democratically elected by its citizens. While every resident is not necessarily a member of Hamas, undoubtedly, the majority support Hamas and its policies. If the declared goal of Hamas is wipe Israel of the map, then the residents of the strip are no longer innocent civilians but have become accessories to the crimes perpetrated against the civilians of Sderot. It is not necessary to enter Gaza in order to stop the Kassam fire against the Western Negev. For every mortar or rocket fired against us, the IDF should retaliate in kind. One for one until they stop. Keep them busy cleaning the rubble so they won't have time for firing Kassams. Then the politicians on both sides can sit down and work out a political solution. What we tend to forget and therefore feel guilty is that we did not start this conflict; if this is what it takes to end it, then let's do it.

You clearly are depriving your village of an idiot! Because you are assuming that the South African solution is right for everyone else! Think logically. Both sides WANT self determination. Both sides WANT independence. The answer ia a TWO STATE SOLUTION. COMPRENDEZ? Your option condemns the stalemate to continue for another ten generations. What do you think Palestinians have been struggling for well nigh half a century for? To SHARE POWER IN WHERE ? Palestine, Israel, Isratine???? or Do WE GOVERN OURSELVES? Given half a chance we want to show the world we can make Palestine a homeland that would make all our sacrifices WORTHWHILE. We have some of the best scientists, the best doctors and surgeons, the best engineers, the best lawyers, the best industrialists all around the world. Its about time we had the chance to shine in our own homeland

Preapred to give your precious life to this cause? How many sacrifices are YOU prepared to make in the ALL OR NOTHING cause? And remember you poor brainwashed or should I say brainless wonder! 100% of nothing is nothing! What we want is the best deal possible and we want the best deal NOW. I for one as more as MOST PALESTINIANS AM NOT PREPARED to follow your ridiculous path that has kept us without a homeland for generations.

None of this article makes sense. In terms of the second Intifada, it is over and we won. The ability of the Palestinians to strike at will and kill dozens of Israelis is long gone. Whilst the situation in Sderot isn't nice it simply does not compare to March 2002. By ANY measure the Palestinians lost. So if Israel enters Gaza, we'll have low-intensity fighting - this is as opposed to what right now? He seems to define "victory" as an end to fighting. In which case we didn't win in 1948 - infiltrators kept coming until 1956 - or 1967 - we had the war of attrition until Nasser's death - but we did win 1956 and 2006. I suspect our prof didn't have these wars in mind when he is talking about "winning". We need to re-occupy Gaza for a period of time to show there is a price for the Palestinians to pay for "resistance".It will also put off the day - possibly forever - of Hamas having missiles capable of hitting Ashkelon on a regular basis. One has to compare Gaza with the West Bank to see the "army going in won't change anything" thesis is completely wrong. One can also compare the number of rockets fired pre-August 2005 and post August 2005. The other arab countries will intervene? Who? They haven't lifted a finger for the Palestinians in 60 years - and arguably ever - they are suddenly going to care now. There is only one person on the planet who may "intervene" and that is Condi Rice. "Serious negotiations with Hamas"???? Is the Prof aware smoking crack is illegal? Or is he really, honestly that dumb. What negotiation are you going to have with an entity whose sole purpose is to destroy you? "Will you allow Israel to live in peace?" - "No", "OK, so lets talk borders...." is this how he thinks the talks will go? What Israel should be doing is hunkering down, let oil either run out or fall in price and then have the talks. The only bigger joke than "serious negotiations with Hamas" is that Oslo led to ANY positive results. It was unremittingly a lose-lose for everyone except the extremists on the Palestinian side - who won the Palestinian elections in 2006. So much for "changes in some basic Palestinian perceptions". The one and only thing we shouldn't do is threaten without the will to carry out those threats. Ironically this retarded prof forgets why a long-term re-occupation is almost certainly a non-starter and that is because the Americans won't allow it.

have you seen blue Magen David banner, to the right on the screen? Bite your elbows, YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT, all your attempts to smuggle the code of conduct for exemplary dhimmi, are futile. No one in sane mind accepts this. Back to reality - army stands on the border of Gaza. As one poster said here, the understanding grows over the world, that the shortest road to peace is through elimination of terrorists.

To Aaron: I agree and don't agree with your assessment, writing from my ivory tower in California. Occupying the Strip, would move Israel back to square 1, with no real benefits. As with the US in Iraq, once we leave, the area will become more unstable. Israel would be drawn into an Iraqi type situation. Israel must learn from our (US) mistakes. Israel should seal off the strip at the border more thoroughly, and take Egypt out of this equation.Their intent is more clear than ever. Hit Hamas and others hard (er), using fewer troops. Israel is being too timid. It has the power, but not the spirit, or guts. Hamas must be made to bleed. Cutting utilities won't do it, not enough bang for the buck so to speak. Israel should create a no-mans land however, allowing nothing to move within this strip. Kowtowing to Mubarak and Bush is also defeatist. Israel will have to assert itself if it wants to achieve some peace., and understand ultimate Arab goals, it's destruction.

To Akiva: I disagree with you on one point. Under no circumstances should the settlements be returned, never, never. They were a bad idea to begin with, military enclaves yes, however. Keep the Pals thugs divided..let them kill off one another, yes, but no settlements. Arab and Jew can not live side by side or in close proximity. Moderate Arabs are diminishing..if there were any ever? Another Arab state is also absurd, Jordan is Palestinian (per Balfour)., and that's a stretch. I prefer the old Allon Plan, with modifications. Let the Arabs have autonomous regions...with Israel guarding the borders (Egypt/Jordan). Islamo-fascism is now governing. Al Qaeda is looking at this conflict with a renewed vigor. There is no real solution....just bandages. Jordan is smart, they are keeping their hands off these so-called Pals cesspools.

The IDF just takes order from Politicians. The IDF was ordered to stand down; Told to stop fighting by the politicians and then the same politicians blame the IDF for losing the war. But, that what politicians do blame the hammer for the poorly built house. It has been especially easy for this current crop of politicians.

Your occupation's desiny will be that of South Africa's aparthaid's rule. Gaza may be zionists free, but it is under seige, turning us into prisoners in a big prison, and the rest of our lands in the west bank and Jerusalem are still occupied. The last day of occupation is the first day to peace, but if your generals fool you that reoccupying Gaza will be the solution, but Barak, and Ashkenazi know, you will suffer a huge blow you will not be able to shoulder. We are not the same Palestinians you met in 1956 and 1967, we have awaken and should your politicians drag you here, YOU WILL PAY DEARLY

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3488559,00.html Prof Gabi Sheffer, Hebrew University, I am astounded to read that a you , a supposedly sophisticated, in-the-know, student of political relations, compare the failure of the Leb 2 with the ongoing Gaza troubles. 1. How can a sophisticated Professor NOT understand that Hizballah, Hamas have used non-symmetrical tactics well: with all the advantages of hiding behind the local civilian population ? 2. How can you even compare the 2 incidents ? Iran, Syria trained and EQUIPPED Hiz , whereas Gaza has been successfully contained by Israel military pressure. 3. In Leb 2 Israel was treated by the incompetent ' leadership ' of Amir Peretz, the total lack of ability of Olmert to even contribute intelliigent to military matters, last day failed attack... 4 " Serious negotiations" require top-notch negotiator NOT Olmert : failed mayor of Jerusalem type, busy tending to his personal " affairs " (conniving , even stealing ? ?) Perhaps you even advocate Peretz , the Chelm type, as defense min-i-stair ... moshe_ Israel