Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., February 03, 2008 Shvat 27, 5768 | | Israel Time: 23:08 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 09:26 23/01/2008 They neither see nor remember By Amira Hass Tags: Gaza, Israel, Closure  The security establishment was quick on Monday to boast of the success of its tactic of escalation against Gaza: Look, the number of Qassams declined. By the time these lines are published, the security establishment may spin another logical axiom: Since we renewed the supply of diesel fuel on a one-time basis, the Palestinians have gone back to firing Qassams. The conclusion: Continue the escalation. The logic of escalation is the middle name of the current defense minister, Ehud Barak, and many Israelis are adopting it. Barak was prime minister in September 2000, when the Israel Defense Forces responded with escalation to popular demonstrations against the Israeli occupier and to the throwing of stones: lethal fire against civilians, among them many children. Not surprisingly, the Palestinians did not understand the lesson and turned to escalation tactics of their own. That is how we reached the point where we are now - homemade rockets of all kinds, which become even developed, the more Israel escalates its punishment measures in response to them. Books, articles and one or two films have have already discussed, albeit tardily, the foolishness of the tactic of escalation. But that does not matter to those who support the application of more and more pressure on the 1.5 million residents of the Strip. This shows that they - like their defense minister and the rest of the political leadership - are suffering from four failings: amnesia, shortsightedness, disorientation and learning disabilities. Advertisement Amnesia allows exponents of this position to ponder the ostensibly welcome results of the escalation for a period of time ranging from days to months. Israelis forget the deadly Israeli attack that preceded the last Qassam barrage. And because they do not connect today's Qassams to those killed at the beginning of the intifada, that is, to the steps of escalation that the army took seven years ago, they cannot imagine what the result will be of the interruption to the water supply due to the power cuts; the collapse of the sewerage system; the insult inherent in dealing only with food and the cold. Because of amnesia, Israelis do not think about the future: about the Palestinian, all-Muslim, all-Arab attitudes and positions that are being formulated at this very moment, which will end up shattering any temporary calm. The shortsightedness of those who support escalation allows them to watch television broadcasts from Gaza - of children crying and spokesmen pleading or raging - and feel these are signs that the current escalation is working. They do not see beyond the screen. They do not see the mutual help, the resourcefulness and the humor people are showing, the stubborness and the political and popular pressure on their Egyptian neighbor. Disorientation causes supporters of escalation to believe that Gaza is really a separate geographic and demographic region, that it does not not belong, that the fate of its inhabitants means nothing to Palestinians in other areas. Disorientation causes Israelis to relate to the Green Line and treat it as sacred only when Palestinians cross it and strike at them. They forget that they - that is, we Israelis - are crossing the Green Line at any given moment: with settlements and gunfire and separate roads, shelling and bombardment and military orders. And this began long before any Palestinians learned how to manufacture Qassams. It all connects to learning disabilities. The escalation, its proponents are convinced, will lead to popular pressure on the Hamas government. But the Palestinians do not forget that various forms of siege and closure, economic attrition, land expropriation and foot-dragging in negotiations, are testimony to the failure of the Palestinian Authority and its elected president, Mahmoud Abbas, much more than they are to the failure of Hamas. Those who champion escalation ignore the fact that hermetic closure of all crossings into Gaza reminds the world what it loves to forget: Israel is the occupier. The aggressor. The learning disabled and the short-sighted do not see the moral - and not just security - bankruptcy of the escalation policy. Others will do that in their place. Bookmark to del.icio.us   60 years later The JNF is reportedly planning to commemorate demolished Palestinian villages. Mika and Amy Mika says he would like to work with Amy Winehouse on her 'Jewish album'.   1.   DON`T STOP, THAT`S THE POINT HERE 09:38  |  indrajaya 23/01/08   2.   Frantic, hungry people and the rise of world anti-semitism 09:47  |  Clickfool 23/01/08   3.   Indraya (a.k.a. Lakshmi) Has a Cruel Message 10:05  |  Craig 23/01/08   4.   Collective Punishment Is Not the Answer 10:08  |  David Howard 23/01/08   5.   good analysis 10:19  |  old palestinean 23/01/08   6.   Who`s being collectively punished? 10:27  |  David 23/01/08   7.   # 3, CRAIG (a.k.a. PETER SM) 10:28  |  indrajaya 23/01/08   8.   # 6 to david; your sderot is a decoy duck 10:38  |  eric 23/01/08   9.   an explanation is required? where does the money come from 10:40  |  v hardman 23/01/08   10.   Where do you live Amira Hass? 10:46  |  De 23/01/08   11.   What I don`t get... 11:04  |  SP 23/01/08   12.   Escalation 11:29  |  Brenda 23/01/08   13.   Amira at it again ! 11:33  |  Benzaken 23/01/08   14.   #6 to David 11:39  |  Yair 23/01/08   15.   TO AMIRA 11:44  |  ROBERT 23/01/08   16.   Telling it like it is. 11:52  |  Phillies Wright 23/01/08   17.   #to Yair 11:56  |  Aby 23/01/08   18.   brilliant article! 11:59  |  peter 23/01/08   19.   Amira move to Sderot please 12:10  |  arthur 23/01/08   20.   evil and the zionists 12:15  |  John and the truth 23/01/08   21.   True but irrelevant 12:17  |  Joab 23/01/08   22.   sderot 12:18  |  kas 23/01/08   23.   Oh Wise Amira! Tell us how to deal with Kassams 12:20  |  Allon Dabah 23/01/08   24.   They neither see nor remember 12:25  |  Ralph 23/01/08   25.   #7 Indraya to Craig 12:32  |  King 23/01/08   26.   Selective Amnesia 12:36  |  Michael 23/01/08   27.   Wow Yair, great response. 12:36  |  David 23/01/08   28.   Amira : a brave lady 12:46  |  Al Hussein Barghouti 23/01/08   29.   Yes, Yair, the evil `responsibility` of living 12:54  |  David Teich 23/01/08   30.   Sincere thanks Amira 13:04  |  Ursula 23/01/08   31.   No Kassams - No Attack of Gaza - Kassams.. 13:21  |  Rafi 23/01/08   32.   More ranting from the Ramalla-based Drekess 13:22  |  `Hass` means `Hate` 23/01/08   33.   Did Amira Support Kadima in the Last Election? 13:22  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 23/01/08   34.   Stand up, Nik Miller - we can`t quite hear you # 29 13:29  |  Clickfool 23/01/08   35.   Amira, you certainly have made a statement.! 13:46  |  Stephen. 23/01/08   36.   # 3 Craig, Excellent post 13:49  |  Petra 23/01/08   37.   Prespectives.... 13:57  |  Buzaglow 23/01/08   38.   Yeah, they blasted down the wall 13:58  |  Marilyn 23/01/08   39.   # 37, PETRA 14:01  |  indrajaya 23/01/08   40.   You forgot one Amira - Rabid Hatred 14:19  |  Fred the Magnet Man 23/01/08   41.   Amira Hass 14:19  |  Edithann 23/01/08   42.   Now listen VERY closely Motek 14:27  |  Gideon Reader 23/01/08   43.   Bold Announcement 14:29  |  bob p 23/01/08   44.   The Palestinians are saying `NEVER AGAIN, does anyone remember th 14:35  |  Ferd 23/01/08   45.   ONLY to the Jaundiced 14:41  |  B 23/01/08   46.   Not So Hermetic Any More 14:46  |  Jane 23/01/08   47.   Hammas failed to create Hizbullah like front in Gaza 14:48  |  DDD 23/01/08   48.   It Connects To An Act Of Will 14:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 23/01/08   49.   Israel the aggressor..?? 14:49  |  Elie 23/01/08   50.   INDRAJAY A.K.A paid Arab mouthpiece.Worry about Indonesia failing 14:55  |  PETER SM 23/01/08   51.   INDRAJAY A.K.A paid Arab mouthpiece.Worry about Indonesia failing 14:55  |  PETER SM 23/01/08   52.   Amira Hass` World View 15:14  |  Norman F Birnberg 23/01/08   53.   Keep this way 15:42  |  Moaied 23/01/08   54.   war crimes accountability 15:49  |  margaret 23/01/08   55.   they neither see nor respond 16:12  |  jorge luis 23/01/08   56.   Gaza siege reminds people that Gaza is Egypt 16:35  |  Herbert Kaine 23/01/08   57.   Hass vs Levy 16:42  |  Yaacov 23/01/08   58.   Amira Hass neither sees nor remembers 16:52  |  Barry Newman 23/01/08   59.   Gaza "seige" reminds the world who voted terrorists into power 17:49  |  smarter then amira 23/01/08   60.   #53 Norman F. Birnberg` world view 18:27  |  Dutch 23/01/08   61.   GAZA 18:31  |  JW 23/01/08   62.   So What is the answer 18:35  |  Preston 23/01/08   63.   clickfool israelis are not savages they just want to get to 18:37  |  Real Palestinian 23/01/08   64.   who needs reminders.....? 18:46  |  ravi 23/01/08   65.   margaret,international court judge for war crimes? 18:54  |  JfromC 23/01/08   66.   The Escalation 18:56  |  Ron 23/01/08   67.   Really having a field day 18:58  |  Dangalil 23/01/08   68.   Amira, It`s like dumb and getting dumber 19:00  |  Dutch 23/01/08   69.   #55 fake margaret 19:10  |  margaret 23/01/08   70.   stones and suicide bombers originated escalation 19:30  |  reizel 23/01/08   71.   #69 Dutch 19:30  |  Amira 23/01/08   72.