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Let Gaza live
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Gideon Levy

Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy

Here is a success story: Israel and the West imposed a boycott on the Palestinian Authority with the aim of weakening Hamas, and a year and a half later this brilliant policy has yielded its fruits: Hamas has become stronger. If there is a lesson from the fiasco in Gaza, here it is: Starving, drying up and blocking aid do not sear the consciousness and do not weaken political movements. On the contrary.

Reality has refuted the chorus of experts and commentators who preached in behalf of the boycott policy. This daft notion that it is possible to topple an elected government by applying pressure on a helpless population suffered a complete failure. The world boycotted the unity government, which could perhaps have prevented the harsh scenes in Gaza if it had been allowed to rule, and consequently we received the alternative: the complete takeover of Gaza by Hamas in a military coup, tearing Gaza away from the West Bank. This is bad news.
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It is possible to make a list of the fateful mistakes committed by Israel, the U.S. and Fatah, which led to what has happened, but the question now facing us is where to go from here.

Will we continue the boycott policy until an even more extreme and dangerous government arises in Gaza, such as the global jihad or Al-Qaida? Or will we internalize the fact that force will not succeed, that it is impossible to return to the status quo ante on the backs of this weak population and that we need to change direction?

Israel and the U.S. are now embracing Mahmoud Abbas. There is a considerable amount of hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness about this. Not long ago he was considered a leader with "plucked feathers." All of his requests and demands were rejected, one after another, and every effort was made to undermine his government. So what has changed now? There is no basis for claiming that the talk about the need to strengthen Abbas is designed to hurt Hamas. Gaza is lost. Fatah will not mount a comeback anytime soon in Gaza after its leaders fled to Ramallah, abandoning its people to the mercies of Hamas. It is very bad that Hamas took over Gaza, and Abbas should indeed be strengthened, but the limitations of this approach must be recognized: Things will not be as they were before.

We now have two Koreas: the West Bank as South Korea and Gaza as North Korea. Despite the demonization of Hamas and the glorification of Fatah, the two movements are very problematic. Gaza fell like a ripe fruit into the hands of Hamas mainly due to the socioeconomic differences between Gaza and the West Bank. Gaza is poorer, and thus has become more extreme. The thought that exacerbating hunger among its residents will change their minds and make them into lovers of Zion and America is mistaken: It will only make them more and more extreme. There is no alternative to adopting a nearly equal approach to the two new entities that have arisen: We need to help both of them. With or without Hamas, only a prosperous Gaza will change its direction.

Hamas is trying now to stabilize its rule after the brutal coup it conducted. Foreign journalists who visited Gaza in recent days report that there is quiet in the streets, very few armed men and checkpoints, and even a directive that prohibits men from walking around with their faces masked. Even the wars of the clans, which sliced up Gaza in recent months, have subsided a bit. The new Hamas-appointed commander of the police in Jabaliya, Mohammed Abu Sisi, said at the end of the week that his forces are capable, more than others, of putting an end to the anarchy. This is apparently correct.

Now we must also demand that the new leadership put an absolute end to the firing of Qassams on Israel and bring about the release of Alan Johnston and Gilad Shalit. If they do this, Israel and the world should lift the boycott and begin to enable Gaza to live. In the West Bank, of course, a series of broad steps should be initiated without delay: a complete cease-fire, removal of all the internal checkpoints, and a massive release of prisoners. Perhaps nothing sweet will emerge from Gaza, but every effort should be made to sweeten the bitter pill. The Israeli interest is to let Gaza live, even if the leadership is not to our liking.
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  1.   different lesson- more force 10:21  |  joe 24/06/07
  2.   G.Levy: Your hatred towards Israel is so deep that you could 10:26  |  Vittorio 24/06/07
  3.   Let Gaza Live 10:28  |  Silvienne 24/06/07
  4.   Does every article title in haaretz use MUST 10:31  |  Richard 24/06/07
  5.   #2 Vittorio 10:36  |  Silvienne 24/06/07
  6.   Gaza 10:37  |  JonathanInTelAviv 24/06/07
  7.   Um, they kept bombing Israel, remember? 10:41  |  TM (Jewlicious.com) 24/06/07
  8.   Hamas makes Gaza a safe haven for Palestinians 10:46  |  John 24/06/07
  9.   HAMAS HAS DOOMED ITSELF LEVY 10:49  |  paul harris 24/06/07
  10.   How do you tame a rattle snake Gideon? 10:53  |  Daniel 24/06/07
  11.   Democratic elections 10:56  |  Joseph 24/06/07
  12.   Twice the problem? 10:58  |  Shaun 24/06/07
  13.   Let Gaza live 11:06  |  Jez 24/06/07
  14.   Think! 11:19  |  Shelly 24/06/07
  15.   Gideon Levy 11:31  |  Ralph 24/06/07
  16.   #3 WHEN DID ISRAEL CRUSH THE ARABS SILVIENNE 11:33  |  paul harris 24/06/07
  17.   Let Nazi ideology rule in Gaza! 11:37  |  Jonathan S 24/06/07
  18.   A GRAND OPENING OF GAZA 11:39  |  indrajaya 24/06/07
  19.   Rockets 11:47  |  guido 24/06/07
  20.   What else do you expect from two Boneheads? 11:54  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  21.   Order and peace in Gaza 12:00  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  22.   Indrajaya"A GRAND OPENING OF GAZA" No,just more of the same 12:02  |  PETER. S.M 24/06/07
  23.   The release of Gilad Shalit 12:04  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  24.   Grateful to Hamas 12:53  |  Doug 24/06/07
  25.   I almost agree with Gideon Levi 12:55  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 24/06/07
  26.   Israel`s Iraq is Gaza 12:55  |  Pierre 24/06/07
  27.   indrajaya recruiting Beethoven for Hamas 12:59  |  christoph 24/06/07
  28.   #25 Shlomo 13:09  |  guido 24/06/07
  29.   Hamas and Eggs and Clickfool the Chef 13:16  |  Chaim Gorenstein 24/06/07
  30.   Hamas and Eggs and Clickfool the Chef 13:16  |  Chaim Gorenstein 24/06/07
  31.   Thanks, Chaim # 29 13:29  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  32.   Egypt should give land to Gaza 13:39  |  FOX 24/06/07
  33.   In 1945, should Allies have let Germany live? 13:41  |  Tomer 24/06/07
  34.   read Fouad Ajami: Palestinians have ruined their chances for a st 13:41  |  fouad knows better 24/06/07
  35.   " 1" joe 13:43  |  Labhras 24/06/07
  36.   `5 Silvienne re `2` 13:51  |  Labhras 24/06/07
  37.   ckickfool 14:05  |  jimmy 24/06/07
  38.   Some reasonable questions have no reasonable answer 14:09  |  Natallie Durson 24/06/07
  39.   Hamas never will accept Israel!!!! 14:30  |  zebulonguy 24/06/07
  40.   Gaza 14:31  |  Mitch Cohen 24/06/07
  41.   CLICKFOOL#23, YOU ARE WRONG 2 FOLD IN YOUR POST (AS USUAL) 14:38  |  MOSHEH 24/06/07
  42.   Hamastan and Abbastan 14:45  |  Ronnie Wolman 24/06/07
  43.   LET ISRAEL LIVE 14:57  |  Issy Hass 24/06/07
  44.   Levy - The Hamas PR Minister 15:01  |  Jane 24/06/07
  45.   #38 Reasonable 15:21  |  Chris 24/06/07
  46.   letpalestine live 15:33  |  julia 24/06/07
  47.   CFOOL.glad to see you trust Hamas Fatah brothers couldn`t 15:36  |  PETER SM 24/06/07
  48.   pierre 15:42  |  bev 24/06/07
  49.   To gideon levy 15:43  |  Charles 24/06/07
  50.   guido 15:46  |  bev 24/06/07
  51.   For Mosheh # 41 15:58  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  52.   For Peter SM # 47 16:03  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  53.   Gideon Levy warning of the devil 16:05  |  Jonathan S 24/06/07
  54.   There are 700,000 children 16:13  |  Marilyn 24/06/07
  55.   Haaretz, why you publish Islamo-Fascists 16:15  |  Leonid 24/06/07
  56.   # 50 bev 16:15  |  guido 24/06/07
  57.   The WAY THINGS HAPPEN 16:18  |  Double Click 24/06/07
  58.   CFOOL So Hamas is absolved from humanitarian behaviour 16:21  |  PETER SM 24/06/07
  59.   #56,Well just like Israel the Gazans have the right to self defen 16:23  |  Leonid 24/06/07
  60.   Haaretz, somebody said that Islamo-Fascist CFOOL is idiot 16:28  |  Leonid 24/06/07
  61.   #38 - Attacks Did Nothing For Israel 16:33  |  Double Click 24/06/07
  62.   Levy`s typical confusion 16:42  |  David Teich 24/06/07
  63.   Egypt must let Gaza live 16:45  |  Pideon Pevy 24/06/07
  64.   #54Marilyn-PLEASE STOP PUSHING CENTRIST ISRAELIS TO THE RIGHT. 16:47  |  Mitch Iginer 24/06/07
  65.   Gideon Levy`s reflection about the situation is accurate 16:49  |  Smadar 24/06/07
  66.   IN THEORY GIDEON IS RIGHT 16:51  |  RICHARD 24/06/07
  67.   To leonid 16:51  |  guido 24/06/07
  68.   Let Gaza live: show us the money 16:53  |  I. Barr 24/06/07
  69.   guido very simple 16:57  |  bev 24/06/07
  70.   As if demanding an end to Qassams will have any effect 16:58  |  McQueen 24/06/07
  71.   Why should Israel care about the fate of Johnston? 16:59  |  McQueen 24/06/07
  72.   Marilyn pay attention........ 17:06  |  Lynn 24/06/07
  73.   to marilyn, have you read sheik abu sager? 17:06  |  bev 24/06/07
  74.   To guido 17:14  |  Leonid 24/06/07
  75.   McQueen 17:17  |  bev 24/06/07
  76.   You can`t duck your historic responsibility, Fox 17:20  |  Ben Alofs 24/06/07
  77.   Dear Mitch Iginer, 17:21  |  Leonid 24/06/07
  78.   #69 bev 17:30  |  guido 24/06/07
  79.   gazashtan 17:40  |  Shmuelshachor 24/06/07
  80.   CLICKFOOL#51. WE SPEAK TO YOU APPLES, YOU ANSWER PEARS (AS USUAL) 17:40  |  MOSHEH 24/06/07
  81.   Gideon Levy, why do you complain? 17:42  |  Ron 24/06/07
  82.   Wow Gideon! At last! 17:45  |  Guy 24/06/07
  83.   clickfool 321 17:46  |  Jo Jo 24/06/07
  84.   #76dr ben and the inability to diagnose tunnel vision 17:57  |  victor hardman 24/06/07
  85.   It is imperative to involve Hamas in the political process 18:23  |  Ben Alofs 24/06/07
  86.   Immoral to Embrace the Oppressors 18:35  |  HH Independence 24/06/07
  87.   MR G.Levy.A very good assessment of the situation .... 18:36  |  Becky 24/06/07
  88.   marilyn 18:44  |  eva 24/06/07
  89.   Levy knows nothing-Hamas is good for Israel 18:48  |  Joseph 24/06/07
  90.   Press Not TElling TRuth 18:50  |  TOBIA 24/06/07
  91.   g. levy you are dumb, boycott was not a strategy, it was 18:51  |  vladimir 24/06/07
  92.   #85 DR BEN AND THE GOLDEN RULE IGNORED 18:57  |  paul harris 24/06/07
  93.   Now you`ve got it, Leonid # 60 19:02  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  94.   For Jo Jo # 83 19:09  |  Clickfool 24/06/07
  95.   #84 Victor 19:16  |  Ben Alofs 24/06/07
  96.   Levy`s articles are posted on Hamas websites, no wonder! 19:19  |  Aviva 24/06/07
  97.   #3 "It was amazing that Israel thought this tactic could succeed" 19:24  |  Johnny 24/06/07
  98.   #54 - "The children did not do this" 19:30  |  Johnny 24/06/07
  99.   31 Clikky thinks he does well....a legend in his own mind 19:33  |  The Equalizer 24/06/07
  100.   The Hamas Charter 19:40  |  Johnny 24/06/07
  101.   #100 Johnny and the Hamas Charter 19:52  |  Ben Alofs 24/06/07
  102.   Does Israel want peace? 20:01  |  Justice Seeker 24/06/07
  103.   Who can be more extreme? 20:02  |  yaron Zohar 24/06/07
  104.   justice seeker 20:10  |  bev 24/06/07
  105.   #102Lieseeker-DO THE PALESTINIANS WANT PEACE 20:17  |  Ben 24/06/07
  106.   Well aren`t I silly? 20:21  |  Marilyn 24/06/07
  107.   Hamas charter 20:21  |  Chris 24/06/07
  108.   Hamas proves that there is no diplomatic Solution 20:22  |  Bruriah Sarah 24/06/07
  109.   102 - Hamas and Fatah want to make Israel Judenrein 20:25  |  Bruriah Sarah 24/06/07
  110.   #102**seeker-Do the palestinians want peace?(part2) 20:28  |  Ben 24/06/07
  111.   gee Marilyn 20:38  |  bev 24/06/07
  112.   54#maryln there are 700,000 children yes 20:40  |  Zebulonguy 24/06/07
  113.   First Gilad then supplies 20:44  |  Miche Norman 24/06/07
  114.   Now you`ve got it, CFOOL # 93 20:49  |  Leonid 24/06/07
  115.   #106 Marilyn-ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS JEWISH? 20:49  |  Mitch Iginer 24/06/07
  116.   Let Gaza live? 20:51  |  Nik Miller 24/06/07
  117.   6 - The Terrorists destroyed the Greenhouses 20:55  |  Bruriah Sarah 24/06/07
  118.   #115 Mitch-ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS Jihadi? 21:15  |  Leonid 24/06/07
  119.   Beware of cause and effect 21:23  |  Tosefta 24/06/07
  120.   Gaza is still legally Occupied 21:31  |  Tosefta 24/06/07
  121.   Ben Alofs #76 just does not care 21:50  |  FOX 24/06/07
  122.   Our leftist democrats in support of a coup 22:01  |  FOX 24/06/07
  123.   Mr. Levy, it is hamas 22:01  |  KUTW 24/06/07
  124.   #106 Marilyn asks, Isn`t she silly. I say "YES, she certainly is. 22:03  |  Vittorio 24/06/07
  125.   I beg to differ with the genius (Clickfool) 22:15  |  Murray of Montreal 24/06/07
  126.   #95 clocks go forwards alofs not backwards 22:19  |  victor hardman 24/06/07
  127.   Bravo Levi 22:21  |  Eric Trembley 24/06/07
  128.   Marilyn #106 conotations 22:28  |  FOX 24/06/07
  129.   #2Vittorio. It is not hate for Israel. 23:24  |  Maureen Ann 24/06/07
  130.   #117 - Feeling Superior 00:12  |  Double Click 25/06/07
  131.   "...even if the leadership is not to our liking".Our?? Since when 00:12  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 25/06/07
  132.   move gideon to gaza let him really talk with not make up stories 00:47  |  ralph 25/06/07
  133.   Tearing Gaza away from the West Bank is a bad thing? 00:51  |  Bruce 25/06/07
  134.   No Gideon, the plan is to live and let die. 01:29  |  Phillies Wright 25/06/07
  135.   Fatah is a pig wearing lipstick. 02:03  |  Chaim 25/06/07
  136.   Beware of cause and effect 02:05  |  Tosefta 25/06/07
  137.   Foolish to help your enemy before winning the war 02:07  |  bernard ross 25/06/07
  138.   Gaza is still legally Occupied 02:12  |  Tosefta 25/06/07
  139.   Again where are you heads? 02:13  |  Shelly 25/06/07
  140.   Foolish jews keep debating Herman Goering 02:16  |  bernard ross 25/06/07
  141.   Gideon Levy, RE: It is in Israel`s interest 02:21  |  Dutch 25/06/07
  142.   For a change, I agree with Gideon Levy 02:26  |  Ron 25/06/07
  143.   let gaza live 02:28  |  Mark 25/06/07
  144.   Guido - 02:48  |  Reid 25/06/07
  145.   Natalie Durson - Lebanon War did nothing 03:00  |  Reid 25/06/07
  146.   Julia 03:06  |  Reid 25/06/07
  147.   Dutch #131 - The only ones not going anywhere is you 03:12  |  Johnny 25/06/07
  148.   Ben Alofs 03:33  |  Reid 25/06/07
  149.   Maureen Ann 03:49  |  Reid 25/06/07
  150.   Tosefta - Gaza legally Occupied 03:57  |  Reid 25/06/07
  151.   Proof Gaza is occupied 04:12  |  Labhras 25/06/07
  152.   How Israel should deal with Gaza 04:21  |  Tosefta 25/06/07
  153.   Occupation (Reid #150) 04:26  |  Tosefta 25/06/07
  154.   `150 Reid, Re Gaza occupation 04:40  |  Labhras 25/06/07
  155.   `150 Reid, Re Gaza occupation 04:59  |  Labhras 25/06/07
  156.   LABRAHAS Gaza Ocupied by Hamas murderers with more murders 05:02  |  PETER SM 25/06/07
  157.   One more statement..... 05:10  |  Shalom 25/06/07
  158.   Silvienne..... 05:18  |  Shalom 25/06/07
  159.   #62 David Teich is convinced everyone ELSE is confused! 06:13  |  Johnboy 25/06/07
  160.   levy you are not "we" any longer 06:21  |  israel israeli 25/06/07
  161.   #125 Murray of Montreal 06:25  |  Johnboy 25/06/07
  162.   #150 Reid, yes, agreed. And what about Israeli responsibility? 06:38  |  Johnboy 25/06/07
  163.   #151 labrat AND OCCUPATION ? 07:51  |  paul harris 25/06/07
  164.   no. 1 wrong joe, typical of israeli short sightedness 08:30  |  arab 25/06/07
  165.   Johnboy 08:33  |  Reid 25/06/07
  166.   A lesson for Gideon Levy. 08:42  |  Dagma 25/06/07
  167.   Labhras 08:45  |  Reid 25/06/07
  168.   #149Reid. Then it was not my post. 09:03  |  Maureen Ann 25/06/07
  169.   #165 Reid wants to clarify some things 09:58  |  Johnboy 25/06/07
  170.   Clickfool 21 16:57  |  ChasaBoy 25/06/07
  171.   Maureen & Clickfool 17:12  |  ChasaBoy 25/06/07
  172.   For Johnboy (I`m right about everything, Boy" 17:17  |  ChasaBoy 25/06/07
  173.   Some misapprehensions in this piece. 22:57  |  Colin Wright 25/06/07
  174.   To Arab in Palestine 04:12  |  Silvienne 26/06/07
  175.   Shalom 04:14  |  Silvienne 26/06/07
  176.   Hey Labhras.... 04:18  |  Silvienne 26/06/07
  177.   Paul Harris 04:20  |  Silvienne 26/06/07
  178.   #172 Chasaboy says "Arabs? The all look alike to me" 05:19  |  Johnboy 26/06/07
  179.   174: Of course you`ve said it, Silvienne 09:57  |  David Teich 27/06/07
  180.   David Teich, you are writing words I didn`t say 04:24  |  Silvienne 28/06/07
  181.   180: Silvienne admits to the Big Lie (2nd try) 16:18  |  David Teich 01/07/07
  182.   159: Poor JB, thinks everyone lives as he does (3rd try) 16:19  |  DAvio 01/07/07
  183.   159: Poor JB, thinks everyone lives as he does (3rd try) 16:19  |  David Teich 01/07/07
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Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran
Responses: 10
Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements
Responses: 38
Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran
Responses: 12


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