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Last update - 02:42 28/02/2008
On the edge in the South
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: Hamas, Qassam, Gaza, Israel

Yesterday, when he eulogized Dan Shomron, the 13th chief of staff who was his immediate predecessor and his friend, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Shomron was "one of the Israel Defense Forces more daring architects, and at the same time one of its more level-headed ones."

Israel is now in need of such a combination of daring action and good judgment, in light of the escalation in the attacks on its communities from Sderot to Ashkelon.

The dozens of rockets that were fired yesterday from the Gaza Strip - one of which killed Roni Yehiah, a 47-year-old father of four - have placed the IDF on the threshold of a major raid into the Palestinian territory. Crossing this threshold is soon liable to be seen as a necessity that cannot be condemned, but it can still be prevented.
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Responsibility for the escalation lies entirely with the Palestinian side; in other words, the Hamas government. We can only imagine what would happen had the Palestinians launched rockets southward into Egyptian territory. We can assume that Egypt would protect its sovereignty and the welfare of its citizens with a tough response directed at the sources of the firing.

Israel is entitled to preserve its sovereignty, which is violated daily by steep-trajectory firing and occasionally by underground activity as well. Its citizens deserve protection from the Qassams.

At present there is no system for intercepting the Qassams, nor is there sufficient protection from them. Even when the development of security measures is completed and the protection is expanded, tens of thousands of Israelis will remain exposed to the Qassams, the Katyushas and the Grad missiles. The IDF's preventive activities against the armed squads, most of them from the air, are justified. They cannot serve as an excuse for the rocket barrages.

What is delaying the IDF's ground operation in Gaza is no longer the fear that a return to the territory from which Israel withdrew in the summer of 2005 will be an admission of failure. The government has an obligation to address present needs and future considerations. Even when our blood is boiling, the calculation has to be cold in terms of cost-effectiveness: Can the IDF expect to pay an intolerable price in casualties when it enters the territory and until it knows how to leave it, and to what extent and for how long will this remove the threat of steep-trajectory terror from its citizens?

After the severe attack at the Tel Aviv Dolphinarium in June 2001, Ariel Sharon said that "restraint is strength." Sharon stopped thinking so nine months later, after hundreds had been killed, and after the mass murder in the Park Hotel in Netanya. It's true that in the South there have been fewer casualties, but Israel has been restraining itself for a far longer time, to the point where restraint can no longer be seen as strength.

Although the situation has worsened, a massive invasion of Gaza is not unavoidable, if outside forces can be harnessed to decree restraint on Hamas. Primarily U.S. President George W. Bush and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, whose senior emissaries are investing a great deal of diplomatic effort which has been unsuccessful so far in cooling the flames. The U.S. secretary of state and the Egyptian intelligence minister, both of whom are scheduled to arrive in Israel in the coming days, can and must make it clear to Hamas that if Israel is pushed into crossing the fence in Gaza should the efforts fail, the world will be understanding.

The decision as to whether, how and when to embark on an operation will remain in Israel's hands. We must hope that this decision will be both daring and level-headed
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Power to the people
Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity, to wean dependency on Israel.
Calculated escalation
Hamas has been trying for some time to create a balance of deterrence with Israel.
  1.   A convoy of merchant ships to break the Egyptian blockade 08:43  |  Yonatan 28/02/08
  2.   We Can Win With Minimal Risk To Our Troops 10:05  |  Yishai Kohen 28/02/08
  3.   Another form of Daring 10:24  |  Tzfonit 28/02/08
  4.   #1, Yonatan, you are right 10:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/02/08
  5.   Quassam 10:41  |  ruti 28/02/08
  6.   Here`s a truly amazing suggestion for Israel 10:43  |  Clickfool 28/02/08
  7.   YISHAI COHEN You mean do it Arab style?They understand each other 10:47  |  PETER SM 28/02/08
  8.   Simple solution per Yossi Peled & Meir Shitrit 10:47  |  Dr Eric 28/02/08
  9.   This morning on Kol Yisrael - Yossi peled reccommended!! 10:50  |  Dr Eric 28/02/08
  10.   Just an idea 10:59  |  Lobo08 28/02/08
  11.   For ridiculous, simplistic, ignorant Yishair Kohen # 2 11:01  |  Clickfool 28/02/08
  12.   Re Yishai #2 11:02  |  Esther 28/02/08
  13.   A few small problems with Yishai Kohen`s plan 11:02  |  spyguy 28/02/08
  14.   Olmert is NOT holding back the military 11:11  |  spyguy 28/02/08
  15.   The Spirit of Joshua 11:18  |  Dennis 28/02/08
  16.   Sick and TIRED!............. 11:19  |  Jeff 28/02/08
  17.   SPYGUY What problem?Arabs have sorted each other out that style 11:34  |  PETER SM 28/02/08
  18.   TZFONIT - Diplomacy failed miserably - See the oslo accords!!! 11:53  |  Dr Eric 28/02/08
  19.   Spyguy - as long as arabs have oil- Israel won`t be popular!!!! 11:58  |  Dr Eric 28/02/08
  20.   Esther: Listening To You Is Why There Is War In The South 12:00  |  Yishai Kohen 28/02/08
  21.   Gee Spyguy: History Already Proved You Wrong In Judea And Samaria 12:04  |  Yishai Kohen 28/02/08
  22.   Tzfonit daring-do 12:25  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/02/08
  23.   For Yishai Kohen again # 21 12:49  |  Clickfool 28/02/08
  24.   The carrot and the stick 13:01  |  Arnie 28/02/08
  25.   Imagine Hamas attacking Egypt 13:04  |  JJ burke 28/02/08
  26.   Gazian people made their choice, Israel must make ours 13:11  |  Steven 28/02/08
  27.   Haaertz showing true colore? 13:14  |  pal 28/02/08
  28.   Margie, Yishai Kohen, Eric 13:19  |  Tzfonit 28/02/08
  29.   Tzfonit 13:20  |  Walid 28/02/08
  30.   #3 Tzfonit 13:22  |  Yonatan 28/02/08
  31.   Yishai Kohen 2 how dare you speak the truth 13:23  |  Steven 28/02/08
  32.   #6 Clickfool`s "wisdom" 13:24  |  Yonatan 28/02/08
  33.   Esther 12 Do me a favor 13:26  |  Steven 28/02/08
  34.   Tzfonit is right 13:34  |  sh 28/02/08
  35.   Remind us Dr Eric 13:39  |  sh 28/02/08
  36.   Gaza 13:43  |  Avi 28/02/08
  37.   Gaza operation has to start in Natanz 14:02  |  Jonathan S 28/02/08
  38.   Yishai Cohen Has it Right 14:26  |  Jane 28/02/08
  39.   Be Careful! You`re being Suckered Into a War Situation ! 14:27  |  MIKE 28/02/08
  40.   Np, The World Will Not Be Understanding 14:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/08
  41.   Stop vacillating and do something! 14:53  |  Saul 28/02/08
  42.   Before That Man Was Murdered By Hamas I Had A Great Idea... 14:56  |  Yosemite 28/02/08
  43.   Double Negative? 15:00  |  Jeff Northridge 28/02/08
  44.   Oaf Sharon was pushed into "restraint is strength" by Yoska Fishe 15:23  |  Absolute Sweden 28/02/08
  45.   Yes or no. NO chetsi chetsi 15:23  |  Tulip 28/02/08
  46.   Margie Daring-Done 15:48  |  Tzahi 28/02/08
  47.   Distorsion of facts 15:52  |  Jan Elshout 28/02/08
  48.   If there is no Politcal Solution. An invasion is.. 16:08  |  Stephen. 28/02/08
  49.   respobnsibility 16:14  |  geroge 28/02/08
  50.   Why should Isaraelis live in peace while the occupationcontinues? 16:21  |  Fritz T. 28/02/08
  51.   occupation continues 16:47  |  Barry 28/02/08
  52.   Fritz # 26: `occupation` exists because they won`t give us peace 16:53  |  x-ray 28/02/08
  53.   Cut 16:55  |  observer 28/02/08
  54.   israel is not a normal state,it is still shell shocked from world 17:16  |  lakshmi 28/02/08
  55.   Abu Rish Brigades ... Islamic Jihad ... 17:32  |  Rowan Berkeley 28/02/08
  56.   I`ve got a great candidate, Emira Hass (sounds like Hamas) 17:43  |  Ha Shamayim 28/02/08
  57.   Re Yishai #20 17:46  |  Esther 28/02/08
  58.   x-ray to Fritz on the occupation 17:50  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/08
  59.   Fritz T. # 26 Self-Defense? Hardly 17:52  |  Jeff Northridge 28/02/08
  60.   Clickfool_read Hamas Charter and You Will Know Why... 18:07  |  Albert 28/02/08
  61.   To Peter SM 18:08  |  pal 28/02/08
  62.   On the edge in the South 18:09  |  Julian 28/02/08
  63.   Bush and Egypt will have no influence whatsoever. 18:11  |  sandra chitayat 28/02/08
  64.   TO: PETER SM 18:15  |  pal 28/02/08
  65.   #33 the ash tree sways in the wind of blame 18:42  |  v hardman 28/02/08
  66.   Tzfonit 18:45  |  Walid 28/02/08
  67.   #38 pal and misinformation revisited 18:47  |  v hardman 28/02/08
  68.   IDF has excellent kill ratio, keep it up, no need to change 18:49  |  Voice of Reason 28/02/08
  69.   Operation cannot be "daring and level-headed" simply because... 18:56  |  common sense 28/02/08
  70.   unsettling naivity 19:04  |  nachman pilpel 28/02/08
  71.   The Delusion of the Worldly Acceptance 19:07  |  Yahrael 28/02/08