Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu lambasted his cabinet ministers on Thursday after they
criticized the way he and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon were conducting
the Gaza operation.
One can understand why
he would take them to task. That said, this was too late in the game,
because by then the ministers had already made an about-face, dropping
their initial demand for an all-out offensive to take over the entire
Gaza Strip.
The criticism was
replaced with a more subtle claim, that Netanyahu and Ya'alon were
dithering, that they were wavering on the next phase of the operation.
But that is not the case: Backed by Finance Minister Yair Lapid and
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, they dealt a crushing blow to Hamas, which
had prematurely swaggered as a would-be victor; they destroyed Hamas
tunnels, setting back the clock a few years; and they have countered its
efforts to replenish its stockpiles.
The operation will come
to an end only after things are finalized through an Egyptian-mediated
accord. If the various Arab parties fail to deliver, Israel must pull
out unilaterally. This would end the stalemate that has resulted in
Israeli troops repeatedly being targeted, and killed, by mortar shells.
Who has won? The
verdict is crystal clear, but the world has changed. The changing media
landscape has resulted in greater access to news in our global village,
but falsehoods get reported as credible stories. Hamas has been crying
out for help, trying to marshal support in the Arab world, and has
threatened to get Israel bogged down in international tribunals. Because
the two sides have a different definition of victory, Hamas says it has
come out victorious. Israel has won because it has something to show
for on the battlefield. This is the definition of victory in the
classical sense of the word. But a terrorist organization will forever
define success as survival.
The sentiment abroad is
in constant flux. As Israel's Channel 10 and Channel 2 reported
Thursday, Palestinian terrorism is going to be overlooked and even
excused. Only Israel will stand trial. The White House has adopted the
ever-hostile United Nations' claims that Israel was to blame for the
recent deaths at a facility operated by the U.N. Relief and Works
Agency. This in and of itself goes to show that there is no honest
broker to be found, even though the Americans love to throw around this
term.
The bias was evident
when Channel 2 news anchor Yonit Levi interviewed UNRWA Spokesman
Christopher Gunness earlier this week. The interview was conducted a day
after he broke out in tears while speaking with Al-Jazeera, accusing
Israel of deliberately targeting an UNRWA school. When Levi mentioned
that Hamas used UNRWA facilities as a rocket cache he beat around the
bush. He also said UNRWA did not take pictures of the rockets because
they could have exploded. It was particularly troubling to watch Gunness
answer a question on how he thought Israelis should react to the
barrages being fired on southern communities. His answer was very
reasoned, yet very evil: The two sides must make peace. As if Hamas
would ever be willing or prepared to do so.
With the military phase
of the operation drawing to a close, it may be time to launch a few
initiatives, even if only a few materialize. Repeating that Hamas is the
devil, that it uses children as human shields, is not enough. Israel
must make it clear that the West is reluctant to call Hamas out on this.
Israel should introduce a new international convention that would
prohibit the excavation of tunnels for war-related purposes and it
should engage those who have come out against Operation Protective Edge.
Israel should also take the first step in the thousand-mile journey
toward a rocket-free Gaza Strip.
No comments:
Post a Comment