Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., July 01, 2008 Sivan 28, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:32 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 08:38 11/06/2008 No good reason for Gaza op By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Hamas, Egypt, Gaza, Israel The prime minister's skills as a military leader were tested in the Second Lebanon War and documented in the Winograd Report. The State of Israel paid dearly for the decision to go to war against Hezbollah in July 2006, a price that is still difficult to gage in terms of loss of deterrance. Hezbollah came out of that war politically and militarily strengthened, and the explanation that this was a justified war turned out to be worthless. Now on the agenda is a justified military action in Gaza. The overabundance of talk about a major operation, one that alternately approaches and recedes depending on the political predicament of members of the government, broadcasts neither strength nor deterrance, but rather indecision. There is no persuasive reason for a military action, except the fact that we cannot accept continued firing on Israel, and Hamas' continued arming. In contrast, there are a number of reasons for a cease-fire, however temporary. The main reason is that Hamas can no more be eradicated than could Hezbollah. After all, both these organizations are first and foremost political movements and not only terror groups. Gaza can be laid to waste no more than could Southern Lebanon, and therefore, former National Security Council head Giora Eiland's advice to bombard from the air instead of staging a ground operation is as bad for Gaza as it was for Lebanon. Advertisement Indifference to the firing on the communities around the Gaza Strip is intolerable not only because of the suffering of the people there, but also because the country must not become accustomed to such blows to its sovereignty and citizens. A border means a line of defense for a country's inhabitants; otherwise it has no point. To immediately change the situation is the government's primary task. Kfar Aza and Sderot do not need to wait for the Kadima primary nor for Morris Talansky's cross-examination. People are demanding that their elected leader make decisions. They are not necessarily demanding military action. When Housing and Construction Minister MK Ze'ev Boim and Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit demand firm military action, the question is, what do they know that Defense Minister Ehud Barak does not know? The latter's support for an Egyptian-sponsored cease-fire shows that Israel's security will not be fatally compromised if this option is tried. The concern is that Barak will find himself in the opposition after the vote on moving up the elections next week, and Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz will become the minister who decides whether we go to war or head toward a calm. That is not calming news. The concern over a cease-fire with Hamas is understandable: Egypt might not protect the crossings, and Hamas will continue to grow stronger. However, Egypt might also want to prolong the calm and try to ensure that the agreement with Hamas - which puts its prestige to the test - will be kept to the letter. In any case, calm should be tried and its success judged with the passage of time, rather than trying war and judging its outcome after hundreds of casualties. In the twilight of his term, the prime minister should not attempt to take the country into another military operation. The Egyptian-sponsored cease-fire must not be delayed. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Death penalty Iran hands down death sentence to man who spied for Israel. Robot hospital The place where IDF treats droids wounded in the line of fire.   1.   TYPICAL HAARETZ DEFEATISM 08:54  |  Dave 11/06/08   2.   the mighty "o" at it again! 09:01  |  Moshe 11/06/08   3.   HAARETZ RIGHT, AS USUAL. 09:05  |  Robert 11/06/08   4.   For Dave # 1 09:26  |  Clickfool 11/06/08   5.   # 3 Robert 09:45  |  Vinegar Hill, 11/06/08   6.   NO GOOD reason if you live in Tel Aviv.Ask Sderot residents 09:46  |  PETER SM 11/06/08   7.   haaretz is lame 09:48  |  cleva treva 11/06/08   8.   muslims winning from super power weapons 09:56  |  khaled 11/06/08   9.   Olmert should not be leader when the offensive begins 10:11  |  Dror 11/06/08   10.   The haaretz quisling latte-sipping tel-aviv elitists... 10:14  |  Denise Thompson 11/06/08   11.   THE ONLY GOOD REASON IS THIS 10:18  |  indrajaya 11/06/08   12.   Israel must take off the kid gloves and crush Hamas 10:20  |  Denise Thompson 11/06/08   13.   No good reason? 10:25  |  Dror 11/06/08   14.   arab talks tough. arab pays the consequences 10:29  |  Denise Thompson 11/06/08   15.   Foiling Hamas strategy 10:33  |  Dror 11/06/08   16.   INDRAJAYA GOOD REASON is to stop Qassems at Israeli civillians 10:34  |  PETER SM 11/06/08   17.   When we were under fire in the North 10:37  |  Dror 11/06/08   18.   For Clickfool #4 Haaretz is defeatist 10:39  |  Greg 11/06/08   19.   Very clever cleva treva 10:39  |  Dror 11/06/08   20.   After Lebanon2, the IDF has a new strategy 10:48  |  Natallie Durson 11/06/08   21.   ANYONE STILL DOUBT HAARETZ IS ON THE SIDE OF OUR ENEMIES? 10:54  |  Freethinker 11/06/08   22.   Denise, your post survived the use of the word `Schocken`! 11:00  |  Freethinker 11/06/08   23.   Try Calm Before the Storm 11:09  |  Tzfonit 11/06/08   24.   Haaretz 11:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/06/08   25.   to Natallie Durson #19 Unfortunately, you are right 11:43  |  Greg 11/06/08   26.   Haaretz suggests "turn the other cheek" 11:45  |  Boaz 11/06/08   27.   Khaled - the clever muslim 12:19  |  LIFE 11/06/08   28.   For Greg # 18 12:54  |  Clickfool 11/06/08   29.   Greg 12:58  |  Natallie Durson 11/06/08   30.   For Clickfool #28, you said it... 13:38  |  Greg 11/06/08   31.   The cost of not going in to war. 14:08  |  Dr D 11/06/08   32.   Mr H. is better than his reputation-was Haaretz analysis of adolf 14:11  |  Absolute Sweden 11/06/08   33.   Freethinker? Nothinker! 14:18  |  A.M. 11/06/08   34.   The reason for not invading? Abbas and Rice 15:12  |  Mark B. 11/06/08   35.   From a `histerical poster` to level-headed A.M. in T.A. 15:34  |  Freethinker 11/06/08   36.   Agreed. 15:48  |  Jo 11/06/08   37.   @ LIFE: no, sadly kahlid`s brethren 16:02  |  samos 11/06/08   38.   WAS THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN? 16:07  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 11/06/08   39.   Hamas will defeat you 16:30  |  Raed kami 11/06/08   40.   Hamas will defeat you 16:30  |  Raed kami 11/06/08   41.   Hamas will defeat you 16:30  |  Raed kami 11/06/08   42.   I actually support the Haaretz Editors on this 16:37  |  Hamas Islamobastard 11/06/08   43.   mert`s cabinet/clones sway back and forth like drunkards;double.. 16:53  |  glenna 11/06/08   44.   #11 your muslim brothers send their children to die 17:26  |  McQueen 11/06/08   45.   IDF destroys Palestinian archives, that is also one reason 17:32  |  mehmet 11/06/08   46.   Technically, Haaretz is correct, a small focused op will suffice: 17:39  |  Dr. L. Brnd 11/06/08   47.   Hitler was legitimately elected and Americans bombed 18:13  |  Denise Thompson 11/06/08   48.   Israel has become an Apartheid state 18:32  |  Jonathan S 11/06/08   49.   LIFE over the edge of reality and beyond... 18:36  |  BBSNews 11/06/08   50.   Cipora on rockets and mortars... 18:48  |  BBSNews 11/06/08   51.   you must be joking 19:13  |  citizen zero 11/06/08   52.   I agree fully with the Haaretz Editors - Jews should be pacifist 19:31  |  Hamas Leader 11/06/08   53.   #24( Ms. Kohn ) - On The Money 20:29  |  Tod Zuckerman 11/06/08   54.   A Gaza Operation would only humiliate the IDF and Olmert further 20:38  |  Yossi Cronenberg 11/06/08   55.   #37 BBS - So we give them a couple of reservations and casinos 21:00  |  WWACD 11/06/08   56.   BBS - appease, appease and appease some more 21:04  |  WWACD 11/06/08   57.   Why is it that the people... 21:09  |  WWACD 11/06/08   58.   To life 21:42  |  Khaled 11/06/08   59.   life 21:51  |  khaled 11/06/08   60.   WWACD on "appease" 21:55  |  BBSNews 11/06/08   61.   WWACD on logic... 22:09  |  BBSNews 11/06/08   62.   Information for Denise Thompson # 35 22:14  |  Clickfool 11/06/08   63.   BBS - As soon as an arab gets in front of a camera 22:55  |  WWACD 11/06/08   64.   more info for denise thompson #35 22:58  |  citizen zero 11/06/08   65.   48 BBS - that would be the polar oposite except that its not real 23:04  |  WWACD 11/06/08   66.   The arabs must be mad to think that nothing they do 23:15  |  WWACD 11/06/08   67.   There *is* a good reason for Gaza Op 23:21  |  Clicksage 11/06/08   68.   SYJONISTYCZNI ZBRODNIARZE 23:23  |  priv 11/06/08   69.   No good reason 00:06  |  Hildar2@aol.com 12/06/08   70.   Poland 00:23  |  Guy 12/06/08   71.   #50 KHALID . CREATION OF ISRAEL FORBIDDEN IN TORAH ??