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The siege of Gaza has failed
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: Border, Israe; Egypt

While politicians and the media are waiting with bated breath for publication of the Winograd report on the Second Lebanon War, a new situation is taking shape on the Egyptian border that might eventually result in a new investigative committee. The diplomatic and security situation that arose on the Israeli-Egyptian border once the Egypt-Gaza border was flung wide open has apparently not yet penetrated the Israeli consciousness. But it is time to start asking pointed questions about the events of this week instead of about those of July 2006.

The border with Egypt was breached in a single moment, with no warning. It is impossible to refrain from asking whether any of our decision makers, or any of those who whisper in their ears, foresaw this scenario and prepared for it. When Vice Premier Haim Ramon boasts of the impressive decision-making process that preceded last fall's military operation in Syria, his words sound bizarre in light of what is happening in the South.

While hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are streaming into Egyptian Rafah and Hosni Mubarak is having trouble reestablishing the border, while Hamas has succeeded in ending the siege of Gaza via a well-planned operation and simultaneously won the sympathy of the world, which has forgotten the rain of Qassam rockets on Sderot, Israel is entrenching itself in positions that look outdated.
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The prime minister speaks about the need to continue the closure on Gaza, and the cabinet voices its "disappointment" with Egypt - as if there were ever any chance that the Egyptians would work to protect Israeli interests along the Philadelphi route instead of thinking first of all of their own interests. The failure of the siege of Gaza, which the government declared only a week ago to be "bearing fruit," and especially the fear that this failure will lead to a conflict with Egypt, requires the government to pull itself together and prove that it has been graced with the ability to solve crises and to lead, not merely to offer endless excuses for its leadership during previous crises.

As hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were streaming into Sinai by car and making a mockery of Israel's policy in Gaza, the prime minister gave a speech at the Herzliya Conference that sounded disconnected from reality. There is little point in extolling the quiet on the northern border when a diplomatic and security crisis for which Israel has no solution is taking place in the South. The Qassam fire is continuing, the policy of sanctions on Gaza has collapsed and Hamas is growing stronger politically, militarily and diplomatically. It is clear to everyone that reestablishing the border along the Philadelphi route will be impossible without its consent. The confusion that characterized official Israeli responses to the international media shows that the developments in the Gaza Strip took the government completely by surprise.

In his speech, Ehud Olmert declared: "Mistakes were made; there were failures. But in addition, lessons were learned, mistakes were corrected, modes of behavior were changed and, above all, the decisions we have made since then have led to greater security, greater calm and greater deterrence than there had been for many years." Olmert was referring to the Winograd report. But he categorically ignored the fact that what was happening in the South completely contradicts his statements. If that is what learning lessons looks like, if that is what deterrence means, the Olmert government has precious little to boast about.
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Painful lessons
The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War.
Brothers in guilt
'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.
  1.   Israel and the Rational Agent Problem 10:25  |  Thomas Jackson 25/01/08
  2.   LEBANON AND GAZA: BOTH WERE FAILED 10:37  |  indrajaya 25/01/08
  3.   Thre is hope for the nation 10:41  |  Outsider 25/01/08
  4.   I think the answer is simpler, Thomas # 1 10:44  |  Clickfool 25/01/08
  5.   Excellent leader Haarets; well done! 10:48  |  Chanalau, Tova 25/01/08
  6.   Stop occupation 10:51  |  Minda 25/01/08
  7.   That 2005 Gaza pullback keeps looking more and more ill-advised 10:57  |  DJStahl 25/01/08
  8.   Clickfool #4 10:57  |  S 25/01/08
  9.   ONLY ONE SOLUTION 11:01  |  Ariel 25/01/08
  10.   "4th best equipped army in the world" 11:13  |  DJStahl 25/01/08
  11.   The inability to see what`s ahead 11:18  |  sh 25/01/08
  12.   Olmert Didn`t Even Read The Winograde Interim Report 11:19  |  Joseph E . 25/01/08
  13.   Gaza 11:24  |  Ralph 25/01/08
  14.   Good Editorial 11:29  |  Natallie Durson 25/01/08
  15.   The other option 11:33  |  Fadhil 25/01/08
  16.   Olmert is the Clown who want to be a King, Bwha ha ha ha ha ha 11:36  |  Joseph E . 25/01/08
  17.   Never understood why it took so long 11:39  |  El-Birawi 25/01/08
  18.   First attempt of Arab world reunification since Nasser 11:43  |  Hipocrisy Monitor 25/01/08
  19.   Gaza 11:46  |  Baruch 25/01/08
  20.   THERE HAS BEEN NO SIEGE:POWER WAGES AND FUEL HAVE GOT THROUGH 11:50  |  Lou Knee 25/01/08
  21.   The Palestinians are winning this PR battle 11:53  |  Stephen Murray 25/01/08
  22.   People Power at its Best 11:57  |  Tzfonit 25/01/08
  23.   Send A Strong Signal Across the Mideast , 12:00  |  Joseph E . 25/01/08
  24.   Let the Wall stay down -keep the "BORDER" OPEN 12:03  |  Dangalil 25/01/08
  25.   Time to be bold and even radicalis. 12:09  |  Akram Zekaria 25/01/08
  26.   For 2 Soldiers , Israel leveled Lebanon , for 1 soldier Israel 12:13  |  Joseph E . 25/01/08
  27.   WAS RABIN THE ONE AND ONLY KING 12:21  |  Refugee 25/01/08
  28.   To Natallie. Bad editorial 12:28  |  Altalena 25/01/08
  29.   The lessons 12:29  |  sh 25/01/08
  30.   Ralph 12:36  |  sh 25/01/08
  31.   The "siege" has yet to truly begin and illogic of Haaretz 12:42  |  Mark Hamil 25/01/08
  32.   Maybe something good will come of it 12:54  |  The Northern Wind 25/01/08
  33.   indirect circumstances of latest events 13:01  |  Dror 25/01/08
  34.   Dr sh 13:03  |  Iz Ray Leigh 25/01/08
  35.   The world community must now collaborate to see to it that Gaza 13:06  |  Avihu 25/01/08
  36.   How does that appear? 13:12  |  jac 25/01/08
  37.   The vile siege has failed and this is the beginning of the 13:39  |  lakshmi 25/01/08
  38.   The "peace" process has failed 13:51  |  Frank 25/01/08
  39.   More Of The Same - Thanks, Ehud Olmert! 14:02  |  Norman F Birnberg 25/01/08
  40.   Mistakes, that simple! No, plain ignorance..! 14:13  |  Stephen. 25/01/08
  41.   Military Strength vs People Power 14:25  |  Tzfonit 25/01/08
  42.   Response to DJStahl - 4th strongest army 14:42  |  Thomas Hill 25/01/08
  43.   Gaza IS HOTBED FOR TERROR!! 14:44  |  Suzie 25/01/08
  44.   Blinded By The Abuse of Power 14:45  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/01/08
  45.   But What Occupation, they will shout! 14:50  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/01/08
  46.   TO MINDA - YOU OBVIOUSLY ARE CLUELESS!!! 14:51  |  Steve 25/01/08
  47.   Shame on Minda for supporting Terror 14:54  |  Sharon 25/01/08
  48.   to Sh, laughable 15:02  |  Ralph 25/01/08
  49.   Hooray to the Palestinians 15:02  |  Marilyn 25/01/08
  50.   the border is between Gaza and Egypt for god`s sake 15:18  |  mehmet 25/01/08
  51.   #36 hasnt anyone told marylin the egyptians are ordering them bac 15:29  |  v hardman 25/01/08
  52.   To Steve 15:34  |  Minda 25/01/08
  53.   To Sharon 15:41  |  Minda 25/01/08
  54.   The Great escape 15:42  |  Roger Bannister 25/01/08
  55.   The siege ? Editorial common sence has failed 15:45  |  Sal 25/01/08
  56.   For Sharon # 33 15:50  |  Clickfool 25/01/08
  57.   One Of The Few Time I Agree 15:51  |  Ron 25/01/08
  58.   Gaza Raid: Gaza Authority Future Reclaims 15:58  |  Hin Boon Long 25/01/08
  59.   Gaza Raid: Gaza Authority Future Reclaims 16:01  |  Hin Boon Long 25/01/08
  60.   #9 Ariel, You don`t get it! 16:08  |  ME 25/01/08
  61.   there was no siege to fail 16:12  |  israel kukiah 25/01/08
  62.   The Siege of Gaza and other subjects 16:14  |  David Moreinis 25/01/08
  63.   What seige? 16:15  |  David Nigel Braham 25/01/08
  64.   #39 roger forgets the worlds poor whonever haveany of these thing 16:17  |  v hardman 25/01/08
  65.   Clickfool 16:25  |  Tamir 25/01/08
  66.   What`s the fuss, tell me what`s happening" - J C 16:25  |  17 25/01/08
  67.   #10 DJStahl--Saudi military #8, Israel #15 16:26  |  ME 25/01/08
  68.   minda Who Defines International law?? 16:31  |  Steve 25/01/08
  69.   D**n right it`s failed! 16:36  |  Fred Michaelsberg 25/01/08
  70.   Yaakov Sullivan 16:38  |  17 - Darvin 25/01/08
  71.   It failed because Israel values the arab enemy over its Jews 16:39  |  smarter then olmert 25/01/08
  72.   #22 Avihu 16:44  |  ME 25/01/08