Dichter: We need to do more
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Dichter: Gov't not making effort against Qassams
Minister of Internal Security disagrees with leadership's moderate policy on dealing with rocket threat, believes only extensive Gaza operation will lead IDF to success against Qassam launchers
Minister of Internal Security Avi Dichter isn't happy with the way the government has been handling the rocket threat. "We need to understand that an assassination here and an assassination there won't stop the Qassams," he told Ynet Sunday night.
"It's time to tell ourselves the truth: we need to stop the Qassams today, because I don't suggest waiting for a time when the Palestinians have better rockets. As a government, we can do much more," he stated.
"If we change our approach, it will bring about a regional change," Dichter explained. "We can't allow ourselves to be dragged into the war of attrition that Hamas and Palestinian organizations wage against us using the Qassams."
"If we succeed in stopping the rocket fire…it will lead to a second stage – where we can talk about a prisoner exchange for Gilad Shalit," he added.
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Similar sentiments expressed by Dichter during Sunday's cabinet meeting angered the prime minister and other senior officials, but he doesn't mean to back down. As such, he continues to advance the idea of an intensified military campaign in Gaza.
Dichter served in the defense establishment for 35 years, in a variety of positions from a soldier in an elite military unit to the head of the Shin Bet.
Nowadays, as his hometown of Ashkelon quickly becomes another regular Qassam target, he's not satisfied with mere statements about anti-rocket efforts and demands deeds to back up the words.
"Ever since I've been a cabinet minister, I haven't heard us ask the IDF to present us with plans to stop the Qassams. We haven't instructed the IDF clearly," Dichter complained.
'Tell military what to do'
"Because I was on the other side, the operational side, for many years, I'm familiar with the difference between telling the military to do something and telling it what to do. When it's important for the political echelon, it knows how to order specific operations.""If we're clear, I believe in the military's ability to stop the rockets – maybe not totally, but to stop them," he said.
"Qassam hits are a statistical issue and in the end, sadly, the statistics hit us. This week, we got hit and we will get hit tomorrow and the day after. We can't keep being in denial," Dichter declared.
"We need to understand that if we don't demand things from the military, we will not receive them. The political echelon must instruct the military regarding the desired objective."
"More than a year after Disengagement and after 1,300 Qassams, it's not enough to say we made an effort. Now we need to do something. There are risks…but we as a government need to decide whether to take them and act against the Qassams," Dichter said.
"The current situation is unbearable," he continued. "We must not be frightened by mistakes…We need to define stopping the rockets and stopping Hamas armament as objectives and let the military do what it knows how to do."
