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Ari Shavit / Gaza op may be squeezing Hamas, but it's destroying Israel's soul
By Ari Shavit, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: gaza, hamas, israel news 

On Thursday it happened, conclusively - Operation Cast Lead turned insane. Attacking any densely populated city is a serious act at any time, but when Israel's international legitimacy is being ground to dust, such an attack is nothing but madness.



Shelling a United Nations facility is something not to be done at any time, but doing it on the day when the UN secretary general is visiting Jerusalem is beyond lunacy. The level of pressure the Israel Defense Forces has been exerting on Gaza may be squeezing Hamas, but it is destroying Israel. Destroying its soul and its image. Destroying it on world television screens, in the living rooms of the international community and most importantly, in Obama's America.
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Israel is not Russia and Gaza is not Chechnya. Israel cannot deal with its enemies the way belligerent superpowers deal with theirs. Wars must be just and proportional.

Without being just, Israel cannot triumph on the battlefield. Without a sound moral foundation any Israeli victory is Pyrrhic.

Twenty-one days ago the campaign against Hamas was balanced and right. About a week ago it started slipping and in the last few days it has crossed every line. True, Hamas is in distress, its leaders are being killed, its prestige is dwindling. But this cannot change the fact that what began as a vital, calculated military operation has become a riotous rampage in a populated area. At any given moment the rampage could end in disaster.

The prime minister has apparently decided to act like some kind of Putin. If he ended his first war with no clear conclusion, he will end his second one with a scorched earth. But one should also ask, where is Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is supposed to "look the truth in the eye" in his election campaign? And where is Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who claims to have the courage to change things?

After two weeks of serving their state, they are now in cahoots with licentious military moves.

In a few days the fire will cease and the fog will disperse, revealing the horror. Hamas will be crushed, but pictures of outrageous destruction and killing will flood the world. Beirut's "Waltz with Bashir" will pale by comparison to Gaza's waltz with Olmert.

Then we'll discover that we will not be paying the price of the past week's belligerent escapade only in Obama's America. We will be paying it with the damaged souls of our sons and daughters.


Related articles:
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  • Boy, 7, seriously hurt as Gaza rockets slam into Be'er Sheva
  • Rice cautions Israel over IDF shelling of UN warehouse
  • Palestinian sources: 'Iranian unit' of Hamas has been destroyed
  • Livni to set off for Washington for talks on Gaza cease-fire
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Waltz with Oscar
    Critically acclaimed Israeli film 'Waltz with Bashir' nominated for an oscar.
    Not convinced
    Hamas say Obama represents no change, will fail in Mideast.
      1.   Obama`s America 03:31  |  James 16/01/09
      2.   How do the political polls read? 03:32  |  Brian 16/01/09
      3.   Destroying Israel`s Soul 03:32  |  AUH 16/01/09
      4.   grow up Avi 03:37  |  joe smith 16/01/09
      5.   You can`t loose something you`ve never had... 03:43  |  Ziad from Lebanon 16/01/09
      6.   Carpool Lane 03:44  |  Fish 16/01/09
      7.   Nonsense - Your Towns Are Still Being Rocketed 03:45  |  Tod Zuckerman 16/01/09
      8.   Bravo! 03:46  |  Arturo 16/01/09
      9.   Where`s my barf bag? 03:47  |  Brent 16/01/09
      10.   " Wars must be just and proportional. "???? 03:48  |  matt 16/01/09
      11.   That`s pretty silly 03:50  |  Aleksey 16/01/09
      12.   War is Hell - Save the Soldiers 03:50  |  sam 16/01/09
      13.   American naiviety 04:14  |  Shalom 16/01/09
      14.   Just & Proportional 04:24  |  Brad 16/01/09
      15.   For those who suffer... 04:29  |  p.man 16/01/09
      16.   This war is just, moral, proportional & revives Israel`s soul: 2 04:31  |  Avraha 16/01/09
      17.   america 04:34  |  Jesse 16/01/09
      18.   This war is just, moral, proportional & revives Israel`s soul: 3 04:35  |  Avraham Bernstein 16/01/09
      19.   Nonsense 04:37  |  Ofer 16/01/09
      20.   Ari Shavit - Proportionality 04:43  |  Eli E. Hertz 16/01/09
      21.   ISRAEL`S SOUL IS FINE! 04:44  |  Arie 16/01/09
      22.   In related news 04:45  |  steve from Raleigh 16/01/09
      23.   Rather live than look good on TV 04:45  |  Avi 16/01/09
      24.   Bla Bla Bla Bla 04:46  |  Fernando 16/01/09
      25.   No Delay in Removing Hamas 05:11  |  Tom Gallagher 16/01/09
      26.   Avi- Answer Matt`s question 05:12  |  Ken Bodenstein 16/01/09
      27.   Israel`s Soul Will Recover- Lets Hope Hamas Won`t 05:12  |  J Narod 16/01/09
      28.   To Quote Esteemed an Poster Here. Paleeeeeeeeese 05:13  |  Alex 16/01/09
      29.   Blaming the wrong party 05:14  |  Jeff 16/01/09
      30.   Israel`s soul 05:25  |  sam 16/01/09
      31.   Our indifference?! 05:31  |  Ariel 16/01/09
      32.   Blah, blah, blah.. 05:38  |  Claude 16/01/09
      33.   War is war - Hamas knows it, Now Israel does too. 05:43  |  Slappy 16/01/09
      34.   Ari Shavit 05:49  |  Andrei 16/01/09
      35.   Israel has a soul? 06:14  |  moshe moshe ano ne 16/01/09
      36.   What is this guy thinking?? 06:15  |  Javier 16/01/09
      37.   How about visiting us in Be`er Sheva and then commenting? 06:32  |  Mladen Andrijasevic 16/01/09
      38.   "shelling a United Nations facility is something not to be done" 06:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/01/09
      39.   So then let me get this right... 06:39  |  Jeffrey 16/01/09
      40.   I hope to see answers to all of the above posts! 09:17  |  Liz 16/01/09
      41.   Indeed but again Hamas could have agreed a ceasefire before!! 09:48  |  arthur 16/01/09
      42.   Ari Shavit 09:56  |  Avraham 16/01/09
      43.   Ari 10:02  |  Chris 16/01/09
      44.   drama queen 10:09  |  don 16/01/09
      45.   Now That You Mention It... 10:33  |  Brendan 16/01/09
      46.   soul 10:41  |  Robert 16/01/09
      47.   Ari Shavit 13:25  |  Ordinary person 16/01/09
      48.   Bravo, Ari Shavit ! 16:39  |  Erico Stern 16/01/09
      49.   #15 - p.man : I agree 100%! 21:00  |  Maurice 16/01/09
      50.   What soul 22:23  |  Dave Duncan 16/01/09
      51.   Comments of for US Marine 22:24  |  andy 16/01/09
      52.   Comments of US Marine 2 22:27  |  andy 16/01/09
      53.   to #5-ziad 22:45  |  francisco 16/01/09
      54.   Coward 23:25  |  Bronislav 16/01/09
      55.   Amen #48, Mr Stern 01:27  |  Lisa 17/01/09
      56.   Israel`s image 00:21  |  Michelangelo 18/01/09
      57.   Obama`s America 14:54  |  Gary A. Busic 23/01/09
     Read & React
    Obama: We will aggressively seek lasting Mideast peace
    Responses: 78
    UN rights official: Gaza evokes memories of Warsaw Ghetto
    Responses: 79
    Shashi Tharoor: India watched in envy as Israel attacked Gaza
    Responses: 8
    Yossi Sarid: Israeli mercy missions should go to Gaza only
    Responses: 4
    Dutch MP behind film on radical Islam: Decision to prosecute me is political
    Responses: 16


    More Headlines
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    11:44 UN human rights official: Gaza evokes memories of Warsaw Ghetto
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    15:00 Israel's multi-faceted Gaza cease-fire
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    11:34 Hadash Web sites prove two-faced in view on Gaza war
    05:17 Mayors of rocket-battered towns emerge as soul of the South
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