Minister Ami Ayalon (Labor-Meimad) called on the government Monday to refrain from launching a full-scale IDF operation in Gaza at this time.
Such an operation, said Ayalon in a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak ,may weaken Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and strengthen Iran and Hamas.
Israel, he said, "must appear to support moderate forces while fighting extremists… the decision on an IDF operation in Gaza must not result of a conditioned reflex for a retaliatory action.
"Any decision on an operation must first undergo strategic evaluation and is therefore preconditioned by two things: It must indisputably be an action of self defense and its political and strategic context must assure its results, harsh as they may be, will not cloud it reasoning."
Ayalon goes on to detail two possible scenarios – an IDF operation in Gaza now and one later on, after some progress has been made in the negotiation process with the Palestinians.
Going into Gaza now, said Ayalon, will be counter-productive, since it will "the damage done to Hamas in Gaza will do little for Abbas in the West Bank and nay even impair his rule, branding him a collaborator."
Furthermore, should such an operation were to be launch in the near future "it may force Fatah supporters in Gaza to ally themselves with Hamas in order to survive, subsequently strengthening Hamas and as a result – Iran."
Any failure of the negotiating process with the Palestinians will be directly on Israel's head; he warned and may – on top of the damage caused to any future relations with Arab nations – seriously impact Israel's relations with Egypt.
Any future operation in Gaza, concluded Ayalon, must be a part of Israel's wish to support moderate forces on one hand and fight terror on the other; and must be intertwined and preconditioned with the progress made in the negotiating process.