Don't topple Hamas

Don't topple Hamas Haim Shine One of the most difficult wars in Israel’s history was the War of Attrition, which began in March 1969 and ended in August 1970. This war along our border with Egypt primarily involved the Egyptian army’s artillery corps and Israeli soldiers entrenched in strongholds along the Suez Canal. The war cost 968 Israeli lives, with more than 3,000 wounded, and deeply damaged Israeli citizens’ morale. The War of Attrition also gave rise to a sense of alienation in Israeli society, creating the saying, “Tel Aviv’s lights shine while the canal burns.” The War of Attrition was never decisively won, and some view it as a precursor to the Yom Kippur War three years later. The latter war was an awful one that cost many lives and led Israeli society to lose its sense of existential security for many years to come. The rocket fire taking place in Israel’s south very much calls to mind the War of Attrition. But rather than soldiers in defended strongholds, the people on the front lines are innocent civilians with mere seconds to seek cover from the rockets. The rocket fire disrupts daily life, creates panic in children and hurts the economy. It is difficult to bear. The recurrent rounds of fighting between Gaza terrorists, under the auspices of Hamas, and the Israel Defense Forces have been going on for years. Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009 helped for a short time, but because historic memory is short, our deterrence has been lost. The rocket fire has returned, followed by Egyptian mediation, but in the near future we are sure to experience another round, and once again the IDF will have to embark on a large-scale military operation in Gaza. Any intelligent person realizes that you cannot conduct a prolonged war of attrition at civilians’ expense. There is no question that the IDF has the operational ability to stop the rocket fire from Gaza. The present flare-up has proved beyond a doubt that Israel’s intelligence capabilities are very impressive. Every motorcycle-riding terrorist in Gaza is under Israeli surveillance. Despite this, Israel’s government has refrained from ordering a military operation and has sufficed with defensive systems that have proved their effectiveness in recent days. To understand the logic behind Israel’s restraint, we must examine the alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza. If the state of Israel causes the downfall of Hamas, current international conditions dictate that Mahmoud Abbas will be made ruler of Gaza. The result would be enormous international pressure on Israel to accept a Palestinian state in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. There is no doubt that a unified Palestinian state constitutes a greater danger than two separate entities, one run by overt terrorists against whom the IDF has free rein and the second run by clandestine terrorists who have at this point demonstrated an ability to control Judea and Samaria. This ability allows the state of Israel to expand settlements in Judea and Samaria and strengthen our hold on our historic homeland. The Middle East has a logic of its own, a logic that is not always easy to understand, but nothing in the Holy Land is simple. Paradoxically, Hamas control of Gaza enables continued construction and settlement in Judea and Samaria. So before we embark on a large-scale military operation in Gaza, we need to think about the consequences. Still, the IDF must do everything in its power to minimize damage from the rocket fire. Nevertheless, there is a range of actions that can be undertaken without removing Hamas from power. http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=1545