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Good news from Gaza
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Hamas, West Bank, Gaza 

The group of reservist paratroopers returned all astir: Hamas fought like an army. The comrades of Sergeant-Major (Res.) Ehud Efrati, who fell in a battle in Gaza about two weeks ago, told Amos Harel that "in all parameters, we are facing an army, not gangs." The soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces were impressed by their enemy's night vision equipment, the tactical space they kept between one another - and their pants even had elastic bands to make them fit snugly around their boots. This is good news from Gaza.

First, it is good that reservists were sent on this mission because "if these missions were left to the regular soldiers, no one on the home front would understand what's happening in Gaza," one of them said. Indeed, the time has come for the soldiers to speak out. But the news the soldiers brought is also encouraging on several other levels. According to their descriptions, a Palestinian Defense Force has emerged. Instead of a rabble of armed gangs, an orderly army is coalescing that is prepared to defend its land. If it makes do with a defensive deployment against Israeli incursions, we will again have no moral claim against them: Hamas is entitled to defend Gaza, just as the IDF is entitled to defend Israel.

The coalescence of an army also ensures that if Israel tries to reach an accord with the Hamas government - the one and only way to stop the firing of Qassams - there will be someone in Gaza to prevent the firing. An armed and organized address in the chaos of Gaza also means good news for Israel. But the respect the reservists felt for the way Hamas fought is liable to trickle down deeper. "The Palestinians never looked like this," the surprised soldiers told Haaretz. Perhaps we will finally stop calling them "terrorists" and refer to them as "fighters." A bit of respect for the Palestinians and, in particular, an end to our dehumanization of them is liable to mark the beginning of a new chapter.
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Furthermore, the fact an army has arisen in Gaza, if this assessment is correct, is liable to prevent another large-scale, ground-based military operation with its many casualties and futility. Perhaps the reservists' reports will dissuade the defense minister from carrying out his plan to conquer Gaza and will motivate Israel to try, for the first time, a different approach with Hamas - negotiations. Only the recognition of Hamas' strength is liable to persuade Israel to be cautious about another operation, and only its military buildup will make us understand the full stupidity of the boycott policy that was designed to weaken Hamas.

We have always acted this way. Without violent Palestinian resistance, life in occupying Israel is great and no one pays any attention to the need to end the occupation. No resistance - no Palestinians. No terrorism - no progress. If not for the Qassams, no one would give any thought to life in Gaza after the disengagement. Ours is a country that has been ready to make concessions only after blood is spilled. Since the interim accords following the Yom Kippur War and through the withdrawal from Lebanon and the disengagement, Israel has needed a relatively strong enemy to get its act together. If not for Hezbollah, we would still be in Lebanon; if not for Hamas, we would still be in Gaza.

Now the time has come for the next chapter: Did we think leaving Gaza and imprisoning it was enough for life in Israel to be hunky-dory? Hamas comes along and reminds us that this does not suffice. The West Bank is quiet in the meantime? Until an organized and strong resistance movement is revived there, we will not consider evacuating even one little outpost. We will conduct talks every two weeks with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, we will go to Annapolis, but we will not discuss, heaven forbid, the "core" issues there. And our terrific lives will continue, while in the West Bank the masses will crowd together at the checkpoints for hours, be subject to humiliation and risk their lives every time they go outside.

These words are not meant to encourage another wave of Palestinian terror. They are intended to try to motivate us, for the first time, to move beyond our usual habits and reach the conclusion - this time without bloodshed - that the occupation cannot continue forever. Perhaps the news about the elastic bands on the Hamas men's pants will do it for us, and the next cycle of violence will be averted.
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  1.   Levy, How do you accommodate with Hamas charter? 09:14  |  Rob 11/11/07
  2.   IT`S STRONG, THEREFORE IT`S EXIST 09:17  |  indrajaya 11/11/07
  3.   Another Low For Levy 09:28  |  Ron 11/11/07
  4.   The Arabs must make very painful concessions for real peace: 09:36  |  Uzi 11/11/07
  5.   There can never be any separate Arab polity west of the Jordan: 09:38  |  Uzi 11/11/07
  6.   Left loss of credibility 09:45  |  Efraim 11/11/07
  7.   It seems that for Levi the objective is not peace 09:52  |  Logician 11/11/07
  8.   Stupid, greedy Israel only concedes when it is made to 10:08  |  Clickfool 11/11/07
  9.   Gideon Levy as usual 10:16  |  Igal Azuelos 11/11/07
  10.   Cowardly ole Ron # 3 10:31  |  Clickfool 11/11/07
  11.   # 4 - First win the war, then make demands 10:43  |  Velvl Shmerlson 11/11/07
  12.   liberal supporting intolerence??? 10:47  |  Dr Eric 11/11/07
  13.   to Gideon Levy 11:00  |  Judah N. Wenkel 11/11/07
  14.   Rob, how about The Talmud, how about Eretz 11:21  |  Paul 11/11/07
  15.   You`re losing, Gideon 11:24  |  Existential 11/11/07
  16.   CFOOL.UNSCR1701 as requested. Note " unconditional release" 12:13  |  PETER SM 11/11/07
  17.   Hams should simply takeover Gaza,the time for reflections even 12:23  |  lakshmi 11/11/07
  18.   Pretty weak, Peter SM # 16 12:28  |  Clickfool 11/11/07
  19.   to #`s 1 & 3 and any others too blind to see 12:29  |  eric 11/11/07
  20.   Gideon`s Dad had rejoiced at Hitler`s strength,until 12:32  |  Absolute Sweden 11/11/07
  21.   Occupation versus Terror 12:39  |  Ben - Farfel Africa 11/11/07
  22.   PAUL.LIST"a dozen political parties who believe in Israel from -- 12:57  |  PETER SM 11/11/07
  23.   Surrender All of Israel 13:29  |  Daniel Wein 11/11/07
  24.   Gideon Levy as usual: smart and courageous 13:43  |  Pierre 11/11/07
  25.   Hamas Is More Effective At Killing Jews 13:43  |  Moshe 11/11/07
  26.   to Dr. Eric # 12 13:45  |  Judah N. Wenkel 11/11/07
  27.   Levy Articulates What Hamas Thinks 14:23  |  Jane 11/11/07
  28.   Seal Gideon in Gaza with Hamas and Flatten it IAF! 14:25  |  Mark Hamil 11/11/07
  29.   Oy Givalt,Hamas is a fully fledged army 14:37  |  Yoav Naor 11/11/07
  30.   Great news: hamas has an army to attack Israel (!!!) 14:38  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  31.   Stop incursions and pound from the air and sea 14:40  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  32.   Hamas is still a TERRORIST organization 14:44  |  Josh 11/11/07
  33.   Hamas solution is not through accords but through jihad 14:45  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  34.   Good news Levy - keep the rockets coming 14:47  |  Zev 11/11/07
  35.   On recognition 14:49  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  36.   it wasn`t israel that refused the 1947 lines 15:02  |  2 german lakshmi 11/11/07
  37.   indrajay # 2 does that mean hamas is strong enough to fight like 15:08  |  terrornator 11/11/07
  38.   Iranian militarily well-trained TERRORISTS nevertheless. 15:09  |  Fortuna Benmayor 11/11/07
  39.   Alas our generals will not rest until they get rockets flying on 15:10  |  www.kibush.co.il 11/11/07
  40.   qassams is peaceful "resistance" 15:18  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  41.   Gideon Levy supports the qassam-launchings 15:21  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  42.   # 37, TERRORNATOR 15:21  |  indrajaya 11/11/07
  43.   Terrorist to fighter 15:23  |  howiej 11/11/07
  44.   Ha`Aretz moronic twaddle 15:25  |  Arik Yacobi 11/11/07
  45.   #37 Bravo! NOW, FOR THE ANSWER 15:36  |  Petra 11/11/07
  46.   gideon is awesome 15:40  |  moses mujahid 11/11/07
  47.   "No terrorism - no progress" (G. Levy dixit) 16:00  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  48.   ISRAEL DOES RECOGNISE HAMAS 16:03  |  Jason 11/11/07
  49.   KUTW joins the other dandelion, Ron # 31 16:06  |  Clickfool 11/11/07
  50.   It is Hezbollah that attacks Israel 16:08  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  51.   For 2 German Lakshmi # 36 16:09  |  Clickfool 11/11/07
  52.   If not for Hamas 16:11  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  53.   So should Israel have left Gaza or not? 16:13  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  54.   The West Bank is quiet? 16:15  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  55.   #31 KUTW is showing her real `terrorist` colours 16:24  |  Mark B. 11/11/07
  56.   49.Clickfool: I have joined Gideon Levy 16:28  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  57.   Well done the reservists 16:51  |  Nick Ferriman 11/11/07
  58.   #57 nick and the suprise that opponents have guns and know how t 17:07  |  victor hardman 11/11/07
  59.   The clouds of war. 17:08  |  Stephen 11/11/07
  60.   Gideon Levy, An Army on both fronts 17:16  |  Dutch 11/11/07
  61.   55.Mark B.: Terrorize the terrorists 17:18  |  KUTW 11/11/07
  62.   OCCUPATION 17:23  |  Samer 11/11/07
  63.   How can the subjugation of an entire people... 17:33  |  Reader 11/11/07
  64.   ron 3 17:36  |  realism 11/11/07
  65.   Gideon Lewy- 150% correct 17:41  |  Michael N 11/11/07
  66.   #60doris and vain hopes of victory for terrorists 17:43  |  victor hardman 11/11/07
  67.   Another Great Article 17:43  |  Arad 11/11/07
  68.   How on Earth can the Palestinian Arabs Survive Without Israel ? 17:43  |  Reader 11/11/07
  69.   yoav naor 29 17:49  |  realism 11/11/07
  70.   Reader from Edmonton 18:03  |  Another reader 11/11/07
  71.   Levy`s wishful thinking (if thinking is the word) 18:09  |  Mark Lincoln 11/11/07
  72.   A Proud Gideon 18:09  |  Ron 11/11/07
  73.   65Michael N. agree with your comments,except that 242&338 18:12  |  lakshmi 11/11/07
  74.   Actually Gideon Levy - Terrorists Are Much More Dangerous Than A 18:14  |  Eli 11/11/07
  75.   obvious 18:15  |  khairi janbek 11/11/07
  76.   Hamas strength and the killing of Israeli cows 18:16  |  Jonathan S 11/11/07
  77.   Whether occupied (J/S) or liberated (Gaza) , the Pals want blood 18:16  |  Jason 11/11/07
  78.   happy about your enemys stregnth ???????? 18:17  |  tony 11/11/07
  79.   39www.kibush.co.il will not rest until Sharia laws in Israel 18:21  |  Rob 11/11/07
  80.   Hamas More Effective At Defending Gaza Perhaps 18:26  |  Reader 11/11/07