Former Mossad Chief speaks out

In a rare and wide ranging interview in the Jerusalem Post on Friday Efraim
Halevy, the former Mossad Chief (1998-2002), comes out of the shadows to
express his candid and informed opinions, and to promote his recent book "Man
in the shadows." David Horowitz, the Post Editor, compares Halevy to John Le
Carre's perfect spy master, George Smiley, he is dapper, intelligent and
inconspicuous.
First, Halevy accepts that although an international consortium is needed to
fight Islamic terrorism, it will not happen until there are further large
attacks against the West. Just as the US did not react when Germany
attacked Western Europe until it itself was attacked at Pearl Harbor, so the
effects of 9/11 have worn off, and Americans are loath to consider themselves
in a real war. It is for this reason that the anti-war movement against US
involvement in Iraq has grown. Even though the domestic security of the US is
lamentable, people feel that since there have been no major follow-up attacks,
they can relax. This is natural and understandable. Nevertheless,
"diabolical" terrorist acts in the US can be foreseen and can be expected.
Unfortunately, because of the nature of the democratic process, advanced and
long-term planning for such eventualities is not being undertaken.
Arafat was a failed leader of the Palestinians, and the Hamas Government of
the PA and even Iran, for all the bluster of Pres. Ahmedinejad, will also fail
in its major aim of destroying Israel. This is simply because they tend to
believe their own rhetoric, and they fail to understand the vitality and
strength of the democratic countries, and of Israel in particular. By setting
themselves the public goal of destroying Israel they are dooming themselves to
failure. They are also then incapable, because of their focus on terrorist
and military means, to satisfy their people's basic needs, for work, food and
the necessities of life (all electricity, water and most food enter the PA
from Israel). "The only chance that Hamas now has of saving the Palestinian
movement is to change course." But, of course it won't do it!
In a sense, the situation of Hamas is contradictory, on the one hand they have
made great strides from their founding in 1987, establishing a social program
and being the only "Muslim Brotherhood" faction to achieve power by legitimate
means. On the other hand, they are bankrupt and have to go around the Arab
world begging for funds that their "cousins" are loath to give them. It is
also known that although Hamas won the election by campaigning against Fatah
corruption, their leaders make sure that their own children don't become
suicide bombers, and they send them to the best Western universities to obtain
educations.
And if Hamas is unable to in any way carry out its repeated plan to destroy
Israel, what then? Can Fatah make a comeback, no way! Pres. Abbas is a
ghost, with no power whatsoever, and the pretense that he can carry out peace
talks with Israel is not only illusory, it is stupid.
As far as Iran is concerned, gradually the clerical regime will become a
pariah state, and the internal pressures may cause regime change. We must
prepare for the worst, but delay as long as possible any military actions to
allow the sense of isolation to creep into the Iranian psyche.
As far as "unilateral disengagement" or "convergence" is concerned, it was
neither unilateral nor actual disengagement. It was carried out with US
involvement and with consultations with the PA on many specific points. Even
Hamas refrained from attacking the "withdrawing" IDF forces in Gaza. And
after the "withdrawal" IDF forces remain engaged in daily encounters with
terrorists and rocket launchers. The rearrangement of 60,000 Israeli settlers
on the West Bank will not in any way change the fundamental relationship
between Israel and the Palestinians, even if we draw our own borders.
In the final analysis, given the current unjustified level of optimism on the
Arab/Muslim side, Halevy thinks things will get worse before they get better.