11:46 am
Gaza
I don’t know if I have much to add to the discussion about the current crisis in Gaza. I am appalled by the Israelis’ indifference toward civilian casualties but at the same time find myself understanding their desire to end the threat posed by Hamas. And Hamas’s willingness to fire rockets at civilians (and their use of suicide bombing) is despicable.
If either Israel or the Palestinian Authority think that eliminating Hamas as a military threat will move the region toward peace, they’re sadly mistaken. The attack represents a failure of imagination, an inability to understand that it will further radicalize a population already inclined to support Hamas (not only in the Gaza Strip but also in the West Bank).
The conflict may result in fewer rocket attacks, but it’s also likely to increase suicide bombings. It’s as if Olmert doesn’t understand that he’s repeating his own mistakes in Lebanon. That’s why I think this has little to do with the threat posed by Hamas (no matter how real) and more to do with domestic politics. The real targets here are the political fortunes of Bibi Netanyahu and Likud.