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Last update - 02:55 29/05/2008
A lull of no return
By Meron Benvenisti
Tags: Gaza Strip, Hamas, Fatah 

Israelis' opinions on the "lull" in the Gaza Strip usually divide along the usual left-right split. Between those who support a show of force to break the Hamas government in Gaza and end the Qassam rocket attacks, and those who believe in a confluence of interests between Israel and Hamas through Egyptian mediation.

One of the causes delaying such an agreement is Israel's difficulty in accepting that Hamas has proved it controls the Gaza Strip and operates a military force that skirmishes with the Israel Defense Forces and leaves the impression that it is Israel, and not the Palestinians, that needs a cease-fire.

Israel's wish to achieve a deal is therefore viewed as a weakness, and those who oppose negotiations are viewed as being to the right of the government. The debate relates to the immediate situation: Who benefits from the cease-fire, which is considered temporary? Is it Hamas, which will now have time to increase the range of its rockets, or is it Israel, which will be able to develop a defense against the rockets?
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In the background hover the fears that the cease-fire, even if unofficial, grants Hamas legitimacy and thereby harms the Israeli interest of ending Hamas rule in Gaza and renewing the Palestinian Authority's control there.

The struggle against Hamas unites the majority of Israelis and international bodies who are partners in the blockade of the Gaza Strip. But it is worth examining this struggle in the long term and integrate it into the historical process now underway. Such an examination would reveal that paradoxically the right, which strives to destroy Hamas, needs to support the cease-fire and the establishment of Hamas control in Gaza. And the left, which supports a single state led by Fatah, needs to object to the establishment of a separate government in Gaza.

The cease-fire accompanied by an agreement on the crossings, and in particular the opening of the Rafah crossing, will help Hamas to cement its control over Gaza. They will establish their own organization, which will grow and spread and become permanent - and distance themselves from the government in the West Bank. It seems that the cease-fire, even if it is fragile, will mark a point of no return in the splitting off of the Gaza Palestinians into a separate authority.

It is possible to pretend that the main battle is against Hamas, which seeks the destruction of Israel. It is also possible to blame Israel, whose consistent policies led to the detachment of Gaza and the Hamas takeover. It is also possible to claim that the split between the West Bank and Gaza is structural and the Palestinians of the West Bank always feared being flooded by Gazans, and that is why they never protested too loudly against the nonimplementation of the safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank.

Whether we give Israel credit for a sophisticated strategy that produced results, or whether we call the result a coincidence, it is clear that the additional split in the Palestinian people serves long-term Israeli interests.

The isolation of a million and a half Gazans allows indirect, outside control. This could be replaced - after a long period of violence and blockade - by a policy of nonintervention, and even indirect aid for economic development, as a way to divert human resources from violence to constructive channels.

The accessibility to the outside world, by land and sea, and an efficient and uncorrupt government are likely to turn that piece of land into the Palestinian state.

The other Palestinian canton, whose area is geting smaller and smaller due to the spread of the settlements, now has 2 million people and is considered the heartland of the Palestinian people. But it is quickly turning into an adjunct of Israel for all practical purposes, and it is experiencing political processes similar to those experienced by Israeli Arabs since 1948.

These processes will be exposed when the Palestinian Authority falls apart on its own, once the Gaza cease-fire gives it a fatal blow.

This is the system of divide and conquer that will enable Israeli control over the long term. Its cornerstone is the isolation of Gaza. This is the way to view the cease-fire in Gaza, and then we will see who is the true right or left.
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  1.   Does Hamas control Islamic Jihad? 10:13  |  Rowan 29/05/08
  2.   a dull lull 10:37  |  JJ burke 29/05/08
  3.   Benevenisti, assuming that this is in Israel`s interest, 10:45  |  Boaz 29/05/08
  4.   Small is beautiful 10:46  |  Chanalau, Tova 29/05/08
  5.   Gaza`s Misery is the sole fault of Hamas 11:05  |  Baruch Gold 29/05/08
  6.   Israel plus Palestine=Palestine, Not Israel. This is bad. 11:52  |  dyinglikeflies 29/05/08
  7.   What a hilariously contradictory article! 12:03  |  Johnboy 29/05/08
  8.   These are the days of the calm before the storm 12:11  |  Natallie Durson 29/05/08
  9.   meron benevisti the bore 12:17  |  naphtali 29/05/08
  10.   The Hamas is Israel`s sworn enemy-It must be crushed!!! 12:43  |  Dr Eric 29/05/08
  11.   The future of the gaza cannot be connected to the West Bank!! 12:46  |  Dr Eric 29/05/08
  12.   The gaza strip`s future is Egypt`s problem!!! 12:49  |  dr eric 29/05/08
  13.   israel must prevent any extremest group from controling Yosh 12:54  |  dr eric 29/05/08
  14.   Yehuda and shomron is part of Eretz yisrael 12:56  |  Dr eric 29/05/08
  15.   read the first rashi in the torah 12:56  |  Dr eric 29/05/08
  16.   The oldest document of purchase - was Abraham buying Hebron! 13:01  |  dr eric 29/05/08
  17.   brilliant analysis but wrong numbers 13:12  |  mark 29/05/08
  18.   Sorry folks ... 13:33  |  Jamie 29/05/08
  19.   17, Mark- your numbers are unrealistic because... 13:40  |  dyinglikeflies 29/05/08
  20.   BeniVenisti advocates making easy for Israel enemies to terrorize 14:17  |  Genuine Tosefta 29/05/08
  21.   Divide and conquer 14:23  |  Genuine Tosefta 29/05/08
  22.   A Jewish state with a permanent Arab minority 14:38  |  Afikoman 29/05/08
  23.   Benevisti spilling the beans 14:52  |  Dror 29/05/08
  24.   Gaza is part of Egypt 15:05  |  Herbert Kaine 29/05/08
  25.   Qassams are a very effective weapon 15:34  |  Margaret Connell 29/05/08
  26.   Qassams are a very effective weapon II 15:35  |  Margaret Connell 29/05/08
  27.   #10 Dr Eric, you have become one evil doctor 16:03  |  Dutch 29/05/08
  28.   More self-delusional Land-for-Peace tales from Meron the Moron 16:12  |  The Historian 29/05/08
  29.   #12 Dr Eric, It is Israel that`s must be crushed... 16:26  |  Dutch 29/05/08
  30.   # 4 :Chanalau, Tova "Small is beautiful` 16:28  |  What is your size? 29/05/08
  31.   Mostly correct assessment 16:31  |  17 29/05/08
  32.   Why Israel does not accept the lull 16:40  |  Afikoman 29/05/08
  33.   10 Natallie Durson, It pays to be rough with the Israelis 16:58  |  Dutch 29/05/08
  34.   Meron`s Post-Zionist BS - Yada, Yada 17:36  |  Tod Zuckerman 29/05/08
  35.   Ignorant Dutch 17:38  |  Afikoman 29/05/08
  36.   #25 A detail, I know 17:45  |  outsider 29/05/08
  37.   DUTCH AND ISRAEL: THE SAME "DIVIDE ET IMPERA" 17:49  |  indrajaya 29/05/08
  38.   Israel`s Policy 17:58  |  Resigned 29/05/08
  39.   #27 Dutch 18:14  |  Boycott 29/05/08
  40.   WE HAVE TRIED TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER IZRAIL FOR THE LAST 60 YEARS 18:29  |  ARAB BOYCOTT 29/05/08
  41.   wake up israel 19:07  |  ravi 29/05/08
  42.   Indrajaya , the evil oppressors 19:18  |  Dutch 29/05/08
  43.   Afikoman, My Response 19:40  |  Dutch 29/05/08
  44.   @4, chanalau, tova. agree, let´s make several 20:52  |  vladimir 29/05/08
  45.   Let Hamas take over the PA 21:09  |  Ronnie Wolman 29/05/08
  46.   benvenisti,proves once again,leftism is a mental disease 21:27  |  chaim 29/05/08
  47.   to Dr eric #14 21:58  |  zeev 29/05/08
  48.   to Afikoman #22 22:20  |  zeev 29/05/08
  49.   Long live the independent State of Gaza! 22:23  |  Goliath 29/05/08
  50.   Bravo Ronnie Wolman #45 22:43  |  sh 29/05/08
  51.   to Chaim #46 22:49  |  zeev 29/05/08
  52.   Lull? 22:59  |  P. J. Casey 29/05/08
  53.   to Dr eric #14 - 2nd try 23:18  |  zeev 29/05/08
  54.   to Afikoman #22 - 2nd try 23:20  |  zeev 29/05/08
  55.   Eventually, it`ll be common sense 23:20  |  realist 29/05/08
  56.   More Israeli divide and conquer policies 00:07  |  Genuine Tosefta 30/05/08
  57.   zeev the arab counter 00:25  |  meir 30/05/08
  58.   zeev the arab counter 00:28  |  meir 30/05/08
  59.   zeev the arab counter 00:30  |  meir 30/05/08
  60.   zeev the arab counter 00:34  |  meir 30/05/08
  61.   We will turn Gaza into a parking lot 00:48  |  Nathan 30/05/08
  62.   Durson 00:57  |  Nathan 30/05/08
  63.   Dutch - Response to your foolish postings 01:02  |  WYSIWYG 30/05/08
  64.   Whose fault 01:35  |  Daniel 30/05/08
  65.   Does Benvenisti Want Israel to Win the War? 02:04  |  Jane 30/05/08
  66.   Another Dr of death, hate and destruction on talkback-"Dr Eric!" 03:11  |  Maureen Ann 30/05/08
  67.   # 45, RONNIE WOLMAN 03:15  |  indrajaya 30/05/08
  68.   to Afikoman #22 03:30  |  zeev 30/05/08
  69.   to Jane #59 03:41  |  zeev 30/05/08
  70.   Dr eric which god ? 04:23  |  Truth 30/05/08
  71.   meir on zeev (is paranoia better than quotes) 04:56  |  Roberto 30/05/08
  72.   HAARETS - DO YOU MEAN HAMAS LEADERS? 05:13  |  U DID IT AGAIN 30/05/08
  73.   Israel has the right to keep Gaza, NO LAND FOR PEACE 05:28  |  Rachel 30/05/08
  74.   #73 Rachel. The fact is... 05:55  |  Maureen Ann 30/05/08
  75.   Grant Benvenisti the Meshaal Grant to live in Khan Yunus 06:21  |  Fortuna Benmayor 30/05/08
  76.   Camden residents are smarter than Moron Bum in Bath 06:37  |  Genuine Tosefta 30/05/08
  77.   #Non genuine non Tosefta. Building bridges. 08:01  |  Maureen Ann 30/05/08
  78.   If Gaza keeps attacking, then her people must suffer 08:25  |  Jason 30/05/08
  79.   #74 moaning ann and a blank refuusal to accept fact 08:35  |  victor hardman 30/05/08
  80.   Meron Benvenisti, Beyond Israel`s & Hamas` response 10:05  |  Dutch 30/05/08
  81.   74 Maureen,No country on Earth would tolerate this from Israel 10:16  |  Dutch 30/05/08
  82.   Rachel #73 - 2 questions, if I may 10:33  |  zeev 30/05/08
  83.   to meir #57 11:29  |  zeev 30/05/08
  84.   to meir #58 11:52  |  zeev 30/05/08
  85.   benvenisti is a sick man. who threatens to destroy whom? 12:01  |  dante 30/05/08
  86.   to meir #59 12:39  |  zeev 30/05/08
  87.   to meir #60 13:37  |  zeev 30/05/08
  88.   WYSIWYG #63 - Response to your foolish posting 13:50  |  zeev 30/05/08
  89.   #85 Dante, it`s Israel that`s really sick today... 16:15  |  Dutch 30/05/08
  90.   Moron Bum et such Dutch, Camden/AU residents do not tolerate 18:54  |  Genuine Tosefta 30/05/08
  91.   WYSIWYG we need to stop offering Peace to Arabs 18:59  |  Genuine Tosefta 30/05/08
  92.   to WYSIWYG #63 - the unabridged version 20:23  |  zeev 30/05/08
  93.   zeev 23:26  |  American in NY 30/05/08
  94.   to American in NY #93 10:10  |  zeev 31/05/08
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