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They deem him their worst enemy who tells them the truth. - Plato
"The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody had decided not to see." -- Ayn Rand
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By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff Haaretz Last update - 06:03 07/01/2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1053401.html
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1053401.html
The incident in which some 40 Palestinian civilians were killed when Israel
Defense Forces mortar shells hit an UNRWA school in the Jabalya refugee camp
Tuesday surprised no one who has been following events in Gaza in recent
days. Senior officers admit that the IDF has been using enormous firepower.
Defense Forces mortar shells hit an UNRWA school in the Jabalya refugee camp
Tuesday surprised no one who has been following events in Gaza in recent
days. Senior officers admit that the IDF has been using enormous firepower.
"For us, being cautious means being aggressive," explained one. "From the
minute we entered, we've acted like we're at war. That creates enormous
damage on the ground ... I just hope those who have fled the area of Gaza
City in which we are operating will describe the shock. Maybe someone there
will sober up before it continues."
minute we entered, we've acted like we're at war. That creates enormous
damage on the ground ... I just hope those who have fled the area of Gaza
City in which we are operating will describe the shock. Maybe someone there
will sober up before it continues."
What the officer did not say explicitly was that this is deliberate policy.
Following the trauma of the war in Lebanon in 2006, the army realized that
heavy IDF casualties would erode public (and especially political) support
for the war and limit its ability to achieve its goals. Therefore, it is
using aggressive tactics to save soldiers' lives. And the cabinet took this
into account when it approved the ground operation last Friday, so it has no
reason to change its mind now.
Following the trauma of the war in Lebanon in 2006, the army realized that
heavy IDF casualties would erode public (and especially political) support
for the war and limit its ability to achieve its goals. Therefore, it is
using aggressive tactics to save soldiers' lives. And the cabinet took this
into account when it approved the ground operation last Friday, so it has no
reason to change its mind now.
Nor is it likely that Tuesday's incident, with its large number of civilian
deaths, will result in an immediate cease-fire. Civilian deaths increase
international pressure for a cease-fire and so the incident will probably
bring the end of the war closer. Nevertheless, the Second Lebanon War
continued for weeks following a similar incident at Kana.
deaths, will result in an immediate cease-fire. Civilian deaths increase
international pressure for a cease-fire and so the incident will probably
bring the end of the war closer. Nevertheless, the Second Lebanon War
continued for weeks following a similar incident at Kana.
Moreover, the situation in Gaza is slightly different than it was in
Lebanon. First, until Tuesday's incident, the world appeared relatively
indifferent to Palestinian civilian casualties. On Monday, 31 members of the
Samouny family were killed when a shell hit their house in Gaza City; that
same day, 13 members of the Al-Daiya family where killed by another Israeli
bomb. Yet international media coverage of these incidents was comparatively
restrained.
Lebanon. First, until Tuesday's incident, the world appeared relatively
indifferent to Palestinian civilian casualties. On Monday, 31 members of the
Samouny family were killed when a shell hit their house in Gaza City; that
same day, 13 members of the Al-Daiya family where killed by another Israeli
bomb. Yet international media coverage of these incidents was comparatively
restrained.
Second, none of the major international players want to strengthen Hamas.
France and Egypt are currently leading the cease-fire efforts, yet their
proposals are far closer to Israel's demands than to those of Hamas.
Therefore, unless Hamas gives in and accepts these proposals, the fighting
is likely to continue.
France and Egypt are currently leading the cease-fire efforts, yet their
proposals are far closer to Israel's demands than to those of Hamas.
Therefore, unless Hamas gives in and accepts these proposals, the fighting
is likely to continue.
What to do about Hamas' arms smuggling currently appears to be the main
sticking point holding up a cease-fire agreement. Israel is holding
intensive talks with the United States in an effort to reach a deal that
would be acceptable to Egypt. The proposals include sending in the U.S.
Army's engineering corps to systematically destroy the entire Philadelphi
Road, where the smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border are located.
sticking point holding up a cease-fire agreement. Israel is holding
intensive talks with the United States in an effort to reach a deal that
would be acceptable to Egypt. The proposals include sending in the U.S.
Army's engineering corps to systematically destroy the entire Philadelphi
Road, where the smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border are located.
Three years ago, on the eve of the disengagement, then GOC Southern Command
(and now Deputy Chief of Staff) Dan Harel proposed digging a canal the
entire length of the Philadelphi Road to thwart the smuggling. At the time,
his idea was dismissed as crazy. So Israel withdrew without any arrangements
in place for Philadelphi, and the tunnels under the road became a smuggling
superhighway for the rockets now being launched at Be'er Sheva, Ashdod and
Gedera.
(and now Deputy Chief of Staff) Dan Harel proposed digging a canal the
entire length of the Philadelphi Road to thwart the smuggling. At the time,
his idea was dismissed as crazy. So Israel withdrew without any arrangements
in place for Philadelphi, and the tunnels under the road became a smuggling
superhighway for the rockets now being launched at Be'er Sheva, Ashdod and
Gedera.
The delay in the diplomatic negotiations is liable to bring about a further
escalation of the fighting. The cabinet will soon hit another moment of
decision, when it will have to decide either to expand the operation by
deploying the reservists who are now training at Tze'elim, or to accept what
from its view is an imperfect cease-fire deal, followed by a rapid
withdrawal. It is a classic risk versus reward assessment: Do the chances of
improving the war's outcome outweigh the risk to soldiers' lives inherent in
a broader offensive, or vice versa?
escalation of the fighting. The cabinet will soon hit another moment of
decision, when it will have to decide either to expand the operation by
deploying the reservists who are now training at Tze'elim, or to accept what
from its view is an imperfect cease-fire deal, followed by a rapid
withdrawal. It is a classic risk versus reward assessment: Do the chances of
improving the war's outcome outweigh the risk to soldiers' lives inherent in
a broader offensive, or vice versa?
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