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Last update - 09:18 20/05/2008 A cease-fire with terror? By Moshe Arens Tags: cease-fire, Hamas, Israel  Terror is endemic to the Middle East. The early Zionist settlers faced acts of terror, and citizens of the State of Israel have been subjected to acts of terror for the past 60 years. But what for many years had been seen as a secondary danger, as compared to the danger of aggression by neighboring Arab states, became a full-fledged threat to the state during the second intifada, when Palestinian terror reached into the heart of Israel's cities almost daily. How to fight terror became the subject of endless discussions during that difficult time. As long as Israel seemed unable to find an effective answer to Palestinian terror, the defeatists in our ranks claimed that terror could not be defeated by force, while the more cautious argued that terror could not be defeated by the use of force alone. The implication was that Israel had no choice but to concede to at least some of the terrorists' demands - that they must be given a "political horizon." But once the Israel Defense Forces and the security services began to seriously tackle Palestinian terror, following the massacre at the Park Hotel in Netanya in the spring of 2002, it quickly became clear that terror could be defeated by force. As a matter of fact, it could be defeated only by the use of force. The terrorists view any hints of Israeli willingness to give in to a portion of their essentially limitless demands as a sign of weakness, which only serves to encourage further acts of terror. Advertisement But Israel's victory over Palestinian terror, which put an end to the daily bouts of suicide bombings, also induced amnesia in the minds of some of Israel's leaders. The lesson was quickly forgotten. The shameful unilateral withdrawal from the security zone in southern Lebanon, which served to trigger the second intifada, was acclaimed by them as a great success that brought peace to northern Israel - until the wake-up call came with the Second Lebanon War. At that point, twisted logic took over the minds of members of the Olmert government, and they acclaimed the first defeat Israel had suffered in its entire history as a defeat of Hezbollah. Maybe they will finally get some sense into their heads when they see what Hezbollah, which they claim to have defeated, is doing in Lebanon these days. What a missed opportunity! But they forgot everything and learned nothing. Though forcefully denying that they are carrying out any negotiations with Hamas while rockets and mortar shells are falling daily on hapless Israeli citizens in the South, they have actually been proceeding, via Egyptian mediation, with talks on a cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza. Abandoning the strategy of defeating terrorism, they are now offering Hamas terrorists a respite so they can rearm, train and prepare for the next round of attacks against Israel, with the help of the Iranians. Each round of attacks on the towns and villages of southern Israel has been greeted by completely senseless statements by our prime and defense ministers. After repetitive announcements that there is "no magic solution" to this problem, we were promised that in two and a half years, the army would install a system that would intercept Hamas missiles in flight. Then we were told that Israel would put an end to these attacks, but not right now: that a large-scale IDF operation was getting closer by the day, that there was a limit to our self-restraint. None of this rhetoric has made any impression on Hamas, or on Israeli residents of the South. Israelis living in the areas under attack were told to be strong and get used to it. After the latest attack on Ashkelon, the defense minister declared that we must think before we act. He has had two years to think about this problem, but has still not found the answer - which is simple, even if unpleasant: The rockets have to be moved out of range of Israeli towns by the presence of Israeli ground troops in the area. Now the Olmert government is placing its hopes on proposing a cease-fire to the terrorists. A truce with the terrorists, meaning that Israel would cease its attacks against organizations in Gaza whose leaderships are pledged to Israel's destruction, is ludicrous and self-defeating. It has not worked with Hezbollah, it will not work with Iran, and it won't work with Hamas. Until such time as Israel adopts the only strategy that works in the war against terror - attacking the terrorists until they are soundly defeated - Israel will continue to be weakened, and its citizens will continue to be casualties of terrorist acts. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Say what you want French court: Claim that Al-Dura tape doctored isn`t libelous. Peace in our time Olmert: Peace talks with Syria are a 'national duty'.   1.   Two Worst Case Scenarios Focus Not Fear 09:50  |  Yosemite 20/05/08   2.   Chickens come home to roost 10:48  |  an eye for an eye 20/05/08   3.   Actions speak louder than words 10:50  |  Harvey (Chaim) 20/05/08   4.   One thing the Palestinians learnt from Israel: only force works 11:21  |  Ben Alofs 20/05/08   5.   SOLUTION: GAZA AS A NEW DUBAI; PARTS OF W/B FEDERATED WITH JORDAN 11:25  |  G. Marcus 20/05/08   6.   #2 To THE CHICKEN 11:27  |  Hastaroth 20/05/08   7.   To Hastaroth (#6?) - see world in all its subtle complexity 12:30  |  an eye for an eye 20/05/08   8.   Geez #2 12:31  |  Walter 20/05/08   9.   NO TRUE PEACE UNTIL THE JEWISH MESSIAH REIGNS IN JERUSALEM ?? 12:34  |  BILL 20/05/08   10.   #4 more from dr quack with his weird history 12:49  |  v ictor hardman3 20/05/08   11.   Truce 13:00  |  Huilda 20/05/08   12.   Moshe Arens and simplicity! 13:00  |  Vinegar Hill 20/05/08   13.   Moshe Arens is blinded by his own self righteousness 13:44  |  Dutch 20/05/08   14.   Stop right there..... 13:44  |  Clickfool 20/05/08   15.   #6 Hastamroth... 14:30  |  ali 20/05/08   16.   History Lesson to Arabs Delusionists 23:22  |  Sam 20/05/08   17.   #16 Sam`s history lesson misses a footnote. 01:21  |  Johnboy 21/05/08   18.   Excellent, lucid and timely article by Moshe Arens. 06:21  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/05/08   19.   look a little closer at that map #17 09:44  |  yitz 21/05/08   20.   #19 Look again, yitz 13:57  |  Johnboy 21/05/08   21.   #20 johnboy 16:27  |  gh 21/05/08   22.   Exactly right 17:05  |  LA 22/05/08

Read & React Olmert to Haaretz: Syria contacts are 'historic breakthrough' Responses: 58 Editorial: Spin or no spin, Olmert must continue Syria talks Responses: 37 Poll: More Israelis against returning Golan than dividing Jerusalem Responses: 63 Shmuel Rosner: Will Bush attack Iran or won't he? Responses: 26 Suicide bomber blows up truck at Gaza crossing Responses: 55 More Headlines 17:51 Olmert: Israel and Syria both know what they need to do for peace 17:38 Israel asks U.S. for 25 F-35 warplanes, at $80 million a unit 17:53 Palestinian killed, five hurt in clashes with IDF on Gaza border 16:27 Border Police troops kills man who infiltrated Israel from Egypt 14:32 Is an attack on Iran a big risk? 14:48 Fashion wars / U.S. store pulls 'pro-violence' Palestinian T-shirt 16:17 Palestinians and Israelis come together to lose weight, make peace 13:24 Sources: Not enough evidence to indict Olmert for bribery 14:39 Israeli elephant expert dies in Ethiopia blast 17:36 Russia to extradite Israeli wanted in Colombia for training guerillas 11:02 Israeli tourist strips in anger at New Zealand men's whistles 12:51 Report: Israel releases Syrian suspected of aiding Hezbollah Previous Editions Select Day 21 may 20 may 19 may 18 may 16 may 15 may 14 may 13 may 12 may 11 may 09 may 08 may

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