In “The Gaza Dilemma” the editors of the Washington Post fear for the Middle East peace process, because of the continued control of Gaza by the terrorist organization, Hamas.
Israel and its peace process partners have three options for Gaza, all of them hard to stomach. One is for Israel too launch a full-scale invasion of the territory with the goals of stopping the rocket attacks and weakening Hamas, perhaps to the point that Mr. Abbas’s more moderate Fatah movement might be able to regain control there. A second is to negotiate a deal with Hamas that would end both the rocket attacks and Israel’s military strikes and allow the negotiations to go forward. The third is the one Israel has unsuccessfully pursued so far: a muddle-through combination of limited military action and economic sanctions against Gaza. Last weekend, the response escalated to a ground operation in a densely populated refugee camp — after Hamas’s introduction of more-powerful rockets — with a resulting spike in casualties. But there is scant reason to believe that Hamas will be deterred from further attacks.
What Israel must do is be willing to attack Hamas and its infrastructure until Hamas is defeated. No Hamas won’t be deterred by further attacks. But if Israel launches a serious enough offensive while killing much of terrorist leadership in Gaza as well as the weaponry, Hamas’s capability will be degraded. It won’t be deterred, but it could be (and ought to be) crippled if not destroyed. Perhaps the Post’s lack of enthusiasm for Israel’s fight is an effect of the Olmert government’s unfocused approach to Hamas.
Remarkably when it comes to other countries fighting terror, the editors of the Post don’t show such reticence.
LAST SATURDAY, Colombia’s armed forces struck a bold blow against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a group specializing in drug trafficking, abductions and massacres of civilians that has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and Europe. Ra¿l Reyes, a top commander, and some 20 followers were killed in a bombing of their jungle camp in Ecuador, a mile or two from the Colombian border. The attack was comparable to those the United States has recently carried out against al-Qaeda in lawless areas of Pakistan, and it showed how Colombia’s democratic government may be finally gaining the upper hand over the murderous gangs that have tormented the country for decades.
The Post doesn’t show much sympathy for FARC terrorists and rightly applauds Colombia for taking decisive military action against the group. It hopes that Hugo Chavez’s proven support for FARC will undermine him politically.
But somehow they can’t muster the same enthusiasm for Israel defending itself and still call Fatah “moderate” despite its clear cooperation with Hamas. What is it about Palestinian independence that makes people lose all sense of reason? When fighting terrorists they must be shown no quarter. It’s really as simple as that.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
These reporters are STUPID. What about total invasion, Destruction of all infrastructure and punishment of the local population to the point where they beg for peace. That is the only thing that is going to work. Make them pay. Israel should launch 50 missles back into gaza for every one missile that is launched into Israel. Make them pay like the citizens of Dresden. It is the only thing that will completely work.
No, not total invasion. That’s pointless, unless Israel chooses to keep the land it seizes. (I think there’s a good argument for that, mind you; but that’s another story.)
Nope. Artillery. IDF counterbattery fire can have 155mm shells in the air before Kassams reach their apogee. UAV spotters can, if they’re having a good day, get coordinates while the launchers are being set up.