Pious platitudes
The most recent maneuver in the war in Gaza is the passing by the UN Security Council of a Resolution calling on both sides for an immediate ceasefire. It passed 14-0 with the US abstaining. However, it was summarily rejected by the Hamas leader in Damascus, Khaled Mashaal, who said that it was not in the interests of the Palestinian people and they were not represented in its drafting. That is of course true, since Gaza is not a country, even though Hamas controls it, and Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN. Israel also rejected the resolution calling it "unworkable" since it includes no means to monitor and or safeguard the implementation of the Resolution. In other words, the Resolution is pious platitudes, that the pro-Arabists and the liberals of the world want to hear, but can accomplish nothing tangible.
Egypt and France are also working on a potential resolution by dealing with Hamas, and both Hamas and Israel have sent representatives to Cairo for talks. However, while Pres. Mubarak of Egypt has criticized Hamas for splitting the Palestinain people and rejecting the continuation of the ceasefire with Israel and increasing its rocket attacks on Israel in December, 2008, he was also critical of Israel. This is because of the pressure of his public opinion. He told Israel that it "must" accept the UN resolution, but did not threaten what will happen if it did not.
This is a familair situation to all Israelis and observers of the Middle East, we have had a lot of experience with this situation after the wars of 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 2006. First, the Arab side precipitates a war, usually by a direct attack on Israel. Then Israel responds with greater force, and is about to overwhelm the agressors, when along comes the UN and other interested international organizations and say that "we" must have a ceasesfire and "we" must stop all the carnage, etc. Of course, the media reports biased accounts of civilian casualties (but never the number of armed enemies of Israel who are killed). Then they bring pressure on Israel (but not the Arab side) to stop the war. The consequence is that the situation is "frozen in place" for more years, until the Arab side decide to repeat the process, on the chance that this time they may win. They always start out believing their own propaganda, that they will win, either because Arabs are naturally great, or Allah is on their side. One definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over again and expecting a different outcome.
Both Egypt and Jordan gave it their best shots and upon realizing that they could never win, and with rulers responsible enough to admit this, they finally made peace with Israel. Syria was also defeated, and although they did not make peace with Israel, they have not attacked Israel again since 1973. But, Hamas is not a country, neither is it really interested in Palestinian rights, but rather in destroying in Israel and forming a Caliphate. Consequently, just like Jordan and Egypt, but even more so, they must be defeated in order to render their ideology transparently futile. Although their adherents may never be able to admit this, others can and may then turn away from them.
If the IDFwere allowed to finish the war to its bitter end, to rout Hamas and destroy their military capability completely, then there might be the possibility of a peaceful outcome, but that is as usual unlikely to happen.
Egypt and France are also working on a potential resolution by dealing with Hamas, and both Hamas and Israel have sent representatives to Cairo for talks. However, while Pres. Mubarak of Egypt has criticized Hamas for splitting the Palestinain people and rejecting the continuation of the ceasefire with Israel and increasing its rocket attacks on Israel in December, 2008, he was also critical of Israel. This is because of the pressure of his public opinion. He told Israel that it "must" accept the UN resolution, but did not threaten what will happen if it did not.
This is a familair situation to all Israelis and observers of the Middle East, we have had a lot of experience with this situation after the wars of 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 2006. First, the Arab side precipitates a war, usually by a direct attack on Israel. Then Israel responds with greater force, and is about to overwhelm the agressors, when along comes the UN and other interested international organizations and say that "we" must have a ceasesfire and "we" must stop all the carnage, etc. Of course, the media reports biased accounts of civilian casualties (but never the number of armed enemies of Israel who are killed). Then they bring pressure on Israel (but not the Arab side) to stop the war. The consequence is that the situation is "frozen in place" for more years, until the Arab side decide to repeat the process, on the chance that this time they may win. They always start out believing their own propaganda, that they will win, either because Arabs are naturally great, or Allah is on their side. One definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over again and expecting a different outcome.
Both Egypt and Jordan gave it their best shots and upon realizing that they could never win, and with rulers responsible enough to admit this, they finally made peace with Israel. Syria was also defeated, and although they did not make peace with Israel, they have not attacked Israel again since 1973. But, Hamas is not a country, neither is it really interested in Palestinian rights, but rather in destroying in Israel and forming a Caliphate. Consequently, just like Jordan and Egypt, but even more so, they must be defeated in order to render their ideology transparently futile. Although their adherents may never be able to admit this, others can and may then turn away from them.
If the IDFwere allowed to finish the war to its bitter end, to rout Hamas and destroy their military capability completely, then there might be the possibility of a peaceful outcome, but that is as usual unlikely to happen.
posted by Jack Cohen at 7:29 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home