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Last update - 01:52 05/01/2009
Not really a war
By Amir Oren
Tags: israel, israel news, hamas 

This is not a war, and it is also not the third occupation of the Gaza Strip by Israeli troops - the other two being in 1956 and after the Six-Day War in 1967. The headlines and slogans are excessive and superfluous. To the soldier in an engagement and the commander in battle it makes no difference - the risks are the same. But on a national level, it is best to be precise. Operation Cast Lead is a brigade-size raid, with an accompanying air and naval component. No more, no less - certainly not as long as there is no decision on whether to attach the reservist units being called up to the Gaza Division, or to use them as replacements for conscript units.

A raid means a military incursion similar in size to the operations in Karameh in Jordan in 1968 and Litani in Lebanon a decade later. For the time being, and hopefully until its completion, this operation is significantly more economical in terms of Israelis injured: In each of the other two operations, 30 soldiers were killed, in addition to those missing and imprisoned.

During the past few years, the Israel Defense Forces has carried out four major operations: the evacuation of the Gaza Strip in 2005; the campaign in Lebanon in 2006 (which took place in parallel with Operation Southern Shalit in the Gaza Strip, following the abduction of Gilad Shalit); the air strike on the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2008; and Cast Lead. You can also add Operation Defensive Shield in 2002 to this list.
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For Defensive Shield, five divisions were used, four in the evacuation of the Gaza Strip (two military and two police), and in Lebanon four. The difference in these operations depends very much on circumstances. A conscript force, be it a ground or an air unit, which is constantly in the field and has the necessary intelligence, planning and clear rules of engagement, will always be more efficient than reservists rushed to the fight with insufficient training.

At the root of the IDF's success in evacuating the Gaza settlements rapidly, assertively and without losses lay the willingness to quickly use disproportional force. This approach was also adopted in September 2005 in response to a barrage of Qassam rockets Hamas unleashed after an incident at the Jabalya refugee camp.

However, several months later, the Olmert-Peretz government abandoned the offensive approach. The decision to also deploy artillery against rocket attacks was quickly canceled following the disaster that befell the Ghalia family on a Gaza beach. One of the girls in the family, Ilham Ghalia, who was hospitalized in Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital, told a story that was different from what Palestinian propaganda would have us believe: Her father caused the lethal explosion when he handled an unexploded ordnance left behind from a previous incident.

Decision makers in the government and IDF for some reason shelved her admission, which relieved Israel of blame. This anemic attitude contributed to the failure to prevent the attack on Kerem Shalom and the abduction of Gilad Shalit.

After the violent takeover by Hamas of the Gaza Strip, Israel tried methods that had already failed in Iraq, Iran and everywhere else: sanctions. The distress in the Gaza Strip was major, but bearable. The hiatus in the fighting was exploited to import long-range rockets. Had Hamas managed to contain itself and extend the cease-fire a few more months, the next shipments - according to the staff of Defense Minister Ehud Barak - would have been able to target Tel Aviv. The end of the cease-fire created unique conditions that are not likely to repeat themselves, in the form of American, European and even Arab agreement for an aerial and ground offensive in Gaza, despite the hundreds of Palestinian casualties.

As in past assassination campaigns (Shehadeh, Yassin, Rantisi), the IDF and Shin Bet security service are trying to target the extremists in order to assist the moderates. The catch is that in the current operation, both the moderates and extremists (everything is relative) are members of Hamas.

The strike on the neighborhood housing the battalion commanders was not only meant to make command and control of resistance to a ground offensive difficult, but also to bolster those more sensible in the three centers of Hamas power - Gaza, the West Bank and Damascus - who recognize that the organization risks losing all it has.

The challenge for Israel is to create an Arab and international envelope around Gaza, free of Hamas' rockets, and restore to it the Palestinian Authority in the form of Mahmoud Abbas or Salam Fayyad. This may require new elections in the PA, and this time only the parties willing to recognize the existence of Israel and the validity of the Oslo Accords will be allowed to participate. Bringing Hamas face to face with such a reality will be the true success of Operation Cast Lead.
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  1.   How about talking straight for a change. 04:28  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/01/09
  2.   Taking back Gaza 10:52  |  Gary Cooperberg 05/01/09
  3.   Read the last paragraph first 10:56  |  Natallie Durson 05/01/09
  4.   PLA not acceptable to Gaza 11:07  |  Brian 05/01/09
  5.   #1 orin is flatly stating that only those accepting the existance 11:41  |  Susanna/Shoshana 05/01/09
  6.   A palestinian election 11:48  |  Eivind 05/01/09
  7.   Why Hamas recognise Israel, if Israel won`t recognise Palestine? 11:51  |  Michael 05/01/09
  8.   It won`t work 11:54  |  matt 05/01/09
  9.   Huffington Post reports Israel allegedly using Phosphorus Shells 11:57  |  Maureen Ann 05/01/09
  10.   The West`s coming confrontation with the global citizenry 12:01  |  Nick Ferriman 05/01/09
  11.   Try telling the truth 12:16  |  Murray 05/01/09
  12.   #6 Matt 12:42  |  Hastaroth 05/01/09
  13.   Hamas will never recognise Israel 12:48  |  Bas 05/01/09
  14.   Sauce for the gander, Shoshana? 12:53  |  Murray 05/01/09
  15.   Its Called "Liberation" 13:13  |  Baruch Gold 05/01/09
  16.   to Eivind and the Gazans 13:13  |  nina 05/01/09
  17.   A tragic truth Amir Oren 13:45  |  Mark Lincoln 05/01/09
  18.   To nina and all others 14:12  |  Eivind 05/01/09
  19.   Stop Blaming Israel for wanting to protect its citizens 17:01  |  Neil L. 05/01/09
  20.   What kind of liberation if in the end it is dictatorship?........ 17:15  |  Arab Citizen 05/01/09
  21.   # 3 couldn`t have said it any better 19:24  |  Kris Lazar 05/01/09
  22.   Next Israeli elections 19:41  |  André 05/01/09
  23.   from Barcelona, Spain 19:42  |  Albert 05/01/09
  24.   Response - Why Hamas recognise Israel, if Israel won`t 20:06  |  Aryeah245 05/01/09
  25.   yo michael and murray 20:12  |  justayid 05/01/09
  26.   It is time for International Community ty Analyze the FUNDS for.. 20:34  |  Vittorio 05/01/09
  27.   Response - Hamas will never recognise Israel 20:43  |  Aryeah245 05/01/09
  28.   Response - Sauce for the gander 20:53  |  Aryeah245 05/01/09
  29.   Not a war???? 21:02  |  American Patriot 05/01/09
  30.   a letter to the editer 23:24  |  AmericanPalestinian 05/01/09
  31.   oh maureen,we all see your propaganda bullshit in post #9 23:33  |  terrornator 05/01/09
  32.   arab citizen the truth is,if you arabs/muslims don`t have a boot 23:50  |  terrornator 05/01/09
  33.   american patriot #29 your far from being an american patriot 00:03  |  terrornator 06/01/09
  34.   #31 terromator re: Maureen A..Sent her one,repeating it AGAIN 01:33  |  Israeli 06/01/09
  35.   Haaretz For the (SEVENTH TRY).To # terromator.Put it out 01:46  |  Israeli 06/01/09
  36.   7 michael 07:29  |  Imam Zer 06/01/09
  37.   #38 american Palestinian 07:44  |  American Jew 06/01/09
  38.   "the validity of the Oslo Accords"? U mean the accords that... 08:01  |  peacelover 06/01/09
  39.   Free elections 08:51  |  Joe 06/01/09
  40.   You like to wach videos ? 08:52  |  Martin 06/01/09
  41.   The definition of Barbarism 08:56  |  Saul 06/01/09
  42.   HAMAS-GAZANS` DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVT! GET THEM ALL OUT!!!!)) 09:05  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 06/01/09
  43.   Merci Martin! That`s the 2005 Hamas accident the author mentions 13:36  |  Parisienne 06/01/09
  44.   #3 - Natalie - if you read last paragraph 06:04  |  Sheri 09/01/09
  45.   #4 PLA not acceptable 06:08  |  Sheri 09/01/09
  46.   #11 Murray - telling the truth 06:13  |  Sheri 09/01/09
 Read & React
Red Cross: Israel breaking int'l law, letting children starve in Gaza
Responses: 126
Two Lebanon rockets hit North; Hezbollah denies involvment
Responses: 70
Yossi Melman: Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from Lebanon errors
Responses: 21
Yoav Stern: Rocket fire on North may be realization of Iran threat
Responses: 25
Gideon Lichfield: So, why isn't Israel winning the PR war?
Responses: 81


More Headlines
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04:29 ANALYSIS / Israeli rejection of Gaza deal may topple Abbas
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03:45 UN: IDF officers admitted Gaza school shelling was by mistake
18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email
03:56 Czech FM: Israel needs Gaza truce to curry European favor
03:51 Carter: Fighting in Gaza could renew peace talks
05:53 NATO chief: We provide forum, not forces, to Israel and Arabs
05:59 Palestinians: IDF first sends dogs into Gaza homes, then soldiers
05:40 Despite Gaza operation, elections likely to be held as scheduled
05:34 Research sheds light on Ottoman era slave-owning Jews in Jerusalem
23:11 WATCH: Olmert spokesman says Israel never sought war in Gaza
05:25 Northern businesses ready for more Katyusha attacks
21:49 Iran bans volunteer suicide bombers from traveling to Israel
03:02 IDF unveils Hamas battle map seized by paratroopers in Gaza
22:05 IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi tours Gaza battlefields
19:57 UN says halting aid to Gaza, citing danger to staff from IDF
20:35 WATCH: U.S. Senate voices strong support for Israel's Gaza battle against Hamas
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