Secondly the IDF alone cannot provide the lasting security, there must be a political settlement. I have suggested such before. Israel should partition the Gaza Strip among the Arab tribes there, and hold the sheikhs responsible for governing their territories. If any attacks come out of a particular territory Israel goes in and kills the sheikh, appointing another. As long as they keep things peaceful the sheikhs will have nothing to fear. Cross Israel and they die. That will speak to the Arabs in language they can understand. After all, that’s the way both Fatah and Hamas speak to them.

But Hamas in the Gaza Strip must be destroyed. If Israel leaves them in power there after this operation it will be a Hamas victory, and seen as such around the world.

I don’t think I ever said that. I said:

“Am I saying Israel does not have a right to defend itself? No. Am I saying that Israel was unjust in firing the missiles? No.”

There is a big difference between firing the initial missiles and what the conflict has no grown into.

I did not say Hamas can’t be defeated – I just feel it is near impossible to do so using solely the IDF.

I will return full circle to the beginning of my comments:

“Militarily and tactically, they are better, smarter, and more experienced. But strategically, I don’t see returning fire as a good long term solution to solving the Israel-Palestine conflict.”

I don’t think that statement has any conflict with your thoughts:

“Hamas can be defeated. But not overnight, and not all at once. I don’t think the IDF’s objective now is to defeat Hamas—but it is certainly to make Hamas stop sending rockets into Israel.”

I’m not sure I see an inconsistency or disagreement.

In the past few days, I’ve been doing a lot of reading and thinking and my views have been changing on this topic. Reviewing what I’ve said, I obviously would change some of it (especially the factual error), but I largely stand by the thought that the military will not succeed in singlehandedly defeating Hamas.

This is a very complex and complicated subject, and I am still learning.

I would argue that the more effective way is to appeal to the people of Gaza, not the government, to show them that Hamas is not the best governing entity.

Harrison, you need to make up your mind. First, you say we should do what was done. Then you say that it didn’t work. Then you say, what? That I think Hamas can’t be defeated? Um… what?

Hamas can be defeated. But not overnight, and not all at once. I don’t think the IDF’s objective now is to defeat Hamas—but it is certainly to make Hamas stop sending rockets into Israel.

And the other objective is to make the people of Gaza realize that they made their bed, and now they are lying in it. They voted in Hamas, after all.

Worked really well, didn’t it?”

I don’t understand – Israel did not do that to increase their public opinion. Hamas simply blamed Israel for all of the problems, and it only helped Hamas.

“Muslims consider “Palestine” an Islamic waqf until their version of Judgment Day. Therefore, it can only be ruled by Muslims.”

You make it sound as if all Muslims refuse to acknowledge Jews living in Israel.

Yes, the Hamas charter does not leave much room for confusion, but, are you that convinced that Hamas cannot be ousted?

Worked really well, didn’t it?

And you’re ignoring the dictatorship part of the computation. While Hamas pays lip service to elections, there will be no elections, if Hamas comes through the current operation intact.

And even though Hamas’ popularity has fallen in the Strip, they’re still pretty popular.

The people of Gaza, when polled, consistently vote for “resistance” rather than negotiations. Feel free to search my archives, in which every single one of your suggestions has been fully refuted.

The thing you overlook most of all: This is a religious war. Muslims consider “Palestine” an Islamic waqf until their version of Judgment Day. Therefore, it can only be ruled by Muslims.

Read the Hamas charter. Read the translations of the Arab press. It’s not a territorial war. It probably never was.

My premise is that Hamas will not fold. If that’s wrong, then I am wrong. But if I am right, and Hamas will only keep firing missiles and receiving support from other Arabs we don’t like, then we are in serious trouble. I would argue that the more effective way is to appeal to the people of Gaza, not the government, to show them that Hamas is not the best governing entity. If the people of Gaza see that there is a better way, then Hamas will no longer be able to stay in power.

When there is absolutely no basis for negotiation, then your only recourse is to war.

By your own admission, it is Israel’s show of strength that gets its enemies to negotiate peace deals. So what, exactly, are you arguing here?

Lastly, yes, retaliating for missile attacks solves things—when the “retaliation” (it’s called self-defense) is done correctly. The Gaza War is showing every indication of Israel doing it correctly.

Watch for Hamas to fold in the coming weeks.

Israel is dealing with an enemy that is neither rational nor logical.

Hamas has denounced the Oslo accords, and, as we know, refuses to recognize Israel. It’s hard to get a group like that to the negotiating table, especially when your side “doesn’t exist”. But that is the most important thing to do in this case. When Israel has negotiated (Fatah, for example), there has been great success. In response to the attacks, we got this:

“We spoke to them and told them ‘Please, we ask you not to end the cease-fire. Let it continue,'” Abbas said.

That quote directed to Hamas.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456495581&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Am I saying Israel does not have a right to defend itself? No. Am I saying that Israel was unjust in firing the missiles? No. But do you all honestly think that retaliating for missile attacks actually solves anything?

Think of what needs to be achieved. Ten years down the road, if we just keep retaliating, nothing will be different.

Side note: When Israel signed peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, it was after defeating them in conventional warfare.

We see what that led to. So what other concessions should Israel make and what should the Arabs offer, except promises?

I do not mean to be flippant; I am genuinely sorry that innocent people will be caught in this. As far as I can tell the IDF goes to great lengths to minimize civilian casualties, as opposed to its enemies, for whom civilian casualties are the point.

But for my part, not that it should detain Israeli decision makers in the slightest, I’m OK with whatever the IDF and the Israeli government sees the need to do.

The Arab treachery was deliberate. Arafat told Edward Said that the Oslo agreement was a Treaty of Hudabiya, the deceptive peace treaty Muhammed made with his Meccan enemies until he was strong enough to massacre them. Said was not satisfied, he wanted continued attempts at overt genocide, not a pretend peace treaty, so he resigned from the Palestinain National Council in protest. Israel went into that agreement in good faith, the Pali Arabs did not. That more or less sums up the whole history of Israel’s attempts to make peace with them.

You speak of concessions from both sides. Israel has given them. Israel has pulled out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank, reduced patrols and checkpoints, handed over authority to the PA for most areas, given the Palis goods and services, like electrical power, even as the Palis stiffed them for the price of the power, not paying their bills. The Palis have not actually fulfilled a single thing that they agreed to do under Oslo or the several other “agreements” Israel has made with them. These Hamas truces are a perfect example of how it works. Israel is supposed to stop fighting back and the Arabs continue to kill Jews. How long do you think that excrementum tauri should go on?

Where Israel has had a real “peace partner” Israel has fulfilled whatever was required of her in the agreements Israel made. Witness the return of the Sinai to Egypt. Nor has Jordan had any occasion to fear Israel since the two countries made peace. If the Arabs stopped trying to destroy Israel and kill the Jews they would have nothing to fear from Israel. But it seems the Arabs are too wrought up in their own psychopathology to contemplate such a thing. Outsiders do not help bring peace about when they damn Israel for defending herself and her citizens while continually giving a pass to the Palis for their violence, bad faith, and genocidal ambitions.