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Bank of political objectives By Haaretz Editorial Tags: hamas, second lebanon war  It does not matter how you define what the Israel Defense Forces is waging in the Gaza Strip: a war, a battle or a retaliatory operation. It is extremely important, however - and that was one of the lessons of the Second Lebanon War - to define the goals and the chances of achieving them. Does Israel intend to stop the firing of Qassams, or merely to punish those who fire them, past and present? Is the operation aimed at calming Israeli public opinion, or at creating a new military situation on the ground? Senior army officials have admitted during briefings that they are not certain that the current operation, at its given scale, will stop the rocket fire on Sderot and Ashkelon. It follows that the Israeli public cannot be reassured yet, and that the new military situation cannot necessarily be achieved. The usual "criterion" for success - the body count - is on Israel's side, but it cannot be a goal in and of itself if it does not stop the Palestinian rocket fire. At the same time, the fighting in Gaza could damage the desire to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians over the long term. By Saturday, the Palestinian leadership had announced it was suspending negotiations with Israel because of the escalation in Gaza. In addition, Egyptian mediator and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman canceled his scheduled visit to Israel. He had planned to come to push for a deal for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit and a cease-fire with Hamas. These actions could be considered obligatory lip service, a mark of identification with the Gazans' suffering. Israel once took similar measures after each deadly terror attack in its territory. Advertisement But these messages already embody a sort of victory for Hamas in Gaza, which opposes all peace negotiations with Israel. The suspension of the talks, even if temporary and even if they have achieved nothing so far, hands veto power - and in effect the monopoly over the peace agenda - to Hamas. This does not serve either the Palestinians or the Israelis. The slogan coined in Yitzhak Rabin's time - Israel will fight terror as if there is no peace process, and pursue the peace process as if there is no terror - was meant to keep the veto power from the terror organizations. It is as applicable in Israel as it should be for the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority, which considers itself committed to the Arab League initiative and the understandings reached at the Annapolis summit - the same PA that was forcibly robbed of its authority in the Gaza Strip by Hamas - cannot escape its commitment to the peace process at precisely this trying time. But it would be delusional on Israel's part to think the PA can ignore the fighting in the Gaza Strip and calmly sit down at the negotiating table when not only gunmen but also innocent civilians, including newborns, are being killed in Gaza. And so, when senior Israeli military and political leaders speak about obliterating neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip or shrug their shoulders at the killing of Palestinian civilians, they must understand the price tag these kinds of retaliatory operations bear for the peace process. Bookmark to del.icio.us   In the line of fire Rights Group: Over 50% of Gaza casualties weren't militants. Uncle Sam blames you U.S. blames Hamas for sparking violence in south Israel, Gaza.

Today Online IDF pulls troops out of Gaza, Hamas declares 'victory' Responses: 260 PM: Peace talks to go on, as will attacks on Hamas Responses: 152 Issacharoff and Harel: Hamas wants lull, but only on its own terms Responses: 47 'We thought you wanted peace,' says father of slain Gaza sisters Responses: 134 U.K. Jewish pupils boycott Shakespeare test over Bard's anti-Semitism Responses: 75 More Headlines 01:03 UN Security Council approves tougher sanctions against Iran 22:40 Abbas: I'm ready to negotiate a truce between Israel, Hamas 00:47 Obama says United States should not meet with Hamas 21:13 Palestinian killed in IAF strike on rocket squad in northern Gaza 00:00 Haaretz journalist Ehud Asheri dies of cancer at 57 01:29 Prof.: Psychotropic plants made Moses hear 'voices' at Mt Sinai 00:00 Knesset okays law increasing financial aid to Holocaust survivors 01:52 Berlin to start sealing cracks in Holocaust memorial slabs 22:31 White House blames Hamas for sparking violence in south Israel 21:39 Arab ex-MK Azmi Bishara meets Syrian President in Damascus 21:27 Four Palestinians arrested after attacking police officers in E. Jerusalem Previous Editions Select Day 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb 22 feb 21 feb 20 feb 19 feb

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