Opinion
Take care of missiles, not Hamas
Zvi Hauser
Published: 11.07.14, 19:08
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13 Talkbacks for this article
1. Why not clear and hold Rafah?
George ,   KCMO   (07.11.14)
The rockets that will soon target Ben-Gurion Airport were smuggled through tunnels via Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor. It seems that if Israel still intends to remain a first-world country and not a war zone where people go to bed wearing their shoes, Rafah will need to become Israeli territory for years in order to starve off Hamas and Islamic Jihad's supply of longer-range Fajr-5s and M302s. Air strikes on buildings are missing the underground caches, and won't prevent new tunnels from being dug.
2. just get rid of all the matches and they will not be able
jericho ,   causa   (07.12.14)
to light the fuses. problem solved
3. good thoughts & some confusion
dante   (07.12.14)
it is useful to consider alternatives to strategies that have been tried and have proved less than satisfactory or that have failed altogether. and, it is constructive to consider the permanent removal of the gaza missile arsenal. HOWEVER, how can that be done? would it not require the kind of operation that will excite the anti-Israel activists of the u.n., e.u., etc.? or does the author really mean to suggest that an agreement can be reached that will result in the elimination of the arsenal? (that is a charming but dangerous fantasy.) and, even if one were to assume that an operation could conducted that would result in the effective neutralization of the rocket threat, how long would it take iran or syria to begin to re-supply gaza? would not a partial re-occupation of gaza energize the terrorists and their enablers in europe and at the u.n.? would it not constitute south lebanon redux? if one is concerned about "the Hague," one had better be concerned about this. if the author wants to be taken seriously, he must have persuasive answers to these questions.
4. rockets don't kill people, PEOPLE kill people.
David ,   Hartford USA   (07.11.14)
A rocket by itself doesn't harm anyone. A psychopath with a blood lust AND a rocket does harm people. Hamas kidnaps Jews. Hamas kills Jews. Hamas maims Jews. Hamas dismembers Jews. Hamas buries Jews. Hamas stabs Jews. Do we all get the idea of what Hamas is about? You don't talk to them, you don't have a hudna with them. You kill them where you find them before they kill or harm you. The PA has made Hamas a partner. Does that tell us something about the PA? Yes. It does. Israel is on its own. If it doesn't clean up the neighborhood now, the neighborhood will destroy it.
5. Delusion
jake ,   haifa Israel   (07.11.14)
The author is delusional. Egypt will not take control of any missiles as that would mean Egypt entering the Strip and they do not want that mess. They have enough problems of their own. They are building rockets in Gaza. They need electricity and metal and chemicals and money to do that. Egypt would cooperate in not letting them import this material or, if not, Israel can re-seize the Philadelphia corridor. Cut Gaza off. Israel foolishly allows them electricity and the supplies they need to keep building missiles. Cut them off and the missiles will eventually run out. Then they have nothing.
6. Leave Hamas in place,they will make/smuggle in more missiles
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (07.11.14)
The best idea is not to have Arabs remain living in the proximity of Jews but to move them far away from Jews, like repatriating them to their homeland of Mecca. This guarantees ZERO or close to ZERO probability of Arabs ever attacking Jews again.
7. A specious form of a perverted...
Gideon Reader   (07.11.14)
...notion of gun control. The writer has the solution "bas ackwards" The rockets/missiles are inanamite objects that do not fire and seek murder on their own. Remove Hamas, the homicidal actuators , and the remainder of the projectiles will decay and disappear in time. Consider Israel to be Chicage and the rocket arsenal of Hamas the guns that wreak havoc on Chicago's population. Gun-Rocket control is a silly, fatuous dream that does not work anywhere.
8. Stupid talkbackers:Who will replace Hamas?El Quaida,Hezbolla
SF Stoner ,   Carmiel, Israel   (07.12.14)
iSIS, Islamic Jihad...
9. 6 not mine.
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (07.12.14)
10. 6 not mine.
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (07.12.14)
11. 8 Decision by fear of unknown=superstition and/or destructio
observer (Jew) ,   Israel   (07.13.14)
You're quaking between what is and what could be worse -- a complete void of deterrence and admission of fear and failure. Israel must vanquish the demon in front of us. Send another demon and it will get the same. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and let the rest of us handle it. We're better off without your fear-mongering.
12. #8. Israel can replace Hamas by keeping Gaza forever.
Chaim ,   Israel   (07.13.14)
#8. Following your "logic", the WW II allies shouldn't have defeated Hitler. Someone even worse could have taken over Germany. Now that is dumb! Gaza belongs to Israel and Israel should keep it forever.
13. Taking Missiles out of Hamas hands
Yeshayahu Hollander ,   Petah Tikva, Israel   (07.31.14)
Is a first step. The second is to do it again. The third is to do it again. Iran will re-supply. Every time. The problem in Gaza is not to remove Hamas leadership. it is to remove 20,000 Hamas soldiers who swore to go to the death to kill Jews. And to remove those who educate them. And to liberate the Arabs in Gaza from Hamas and their likes, and help them to develop.
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