Read the entire thing, but here’s an excerpt:
The first and most important consquence of Israel’s military victories was the peace agreement with Egypt. It was the Egyptian army more than any other which posed an existential threat to Israel’s existence. Once it was taken out of the picture, an Arab victory in the long war was no longer possible.
This was followed a decade later by the PLO decision to embrace a two-state solution, which lead directly to the Oslo accords. Israel now finds itself in the extraordinary situation of having its former worst enemy, Fatah, as its strategic ally.
It is in this context that Hamas’ weakness and isolation must be understand. They are weak because they are the last redoubt of what was once a mighty enemy – an enemy that could deploy divisions across several fronts, and whose tanks and aircraft once threatened to reach Tel Aviv.
The defeat of Hamas and the re-insertion of Palestinian Authority control over Gaza – possibly enforced by a pan-Arab peace-keeping force including Egyptian troops – would the best possible outcome of the current fighting.
Once again, thanks to Ami Iseroff.
I really worry that Olmert and his crew will leave Hamas intact enough to rearm and regroup not unlike Hezbollah has.
Caroline Glick isn’t helping allay my fears:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1230733137803&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
I’m getting a bad feeling that the longer the IDF waits, the greater the chances Obama will pull the plug and force Israel to stand down.
I stopped reading Glick ages ago. She’s over the top and far too pessimistic for me.
Obama can’t pull the plug. He’s not president. Did you hear Bush’s radio address? He calls Hamas a terrorist group and lays all the blame on them. Israel has a window here, just as they had in Lebanon. This time, they won’t blow it.
(cross fingers)
Meryl, I agree with you about Glick. Of course I’m not calling for censorship or saying that people should be refrain from being critical. But ata certain point I feel you are playing into the enemy’s hands.
In all “asymmetrical” warfare, going back at least as far as Vietnam, the opponents of the US or Israel have never really won on the battlefield because the US or Israel has always had military superiority. The opponents win primarily by playing the media. Glick, by crying “lost” so prematurely is playing their game even if she doesn’t realize it.