Patrick Seale: Drawing the Lessons of Israel’s Gaza War

[scarletwoman]

Drawing the Lessons of Israel’s Gaza War

by Patrick Seale Released: 9 Jan 2009
Although Israel has still not halted its slaughter in Gaza, some consequences of its assault on the suffering, grossly over-crowded Strip may already be observed. More than ever, Israel has turned itself into a pariah in the Arab and Muslim world, where it is now an object of great and enduring hate.

The cruel punishment which it has inflicted on a largely defenceless Palestinian population will not easily be forgotten or forgiven. Some of its victims -- who have seen their children or other family members blown to smithereens – will seek to pay Israel back in its own coin. The anger in the region is so great that many will be persuaded that violent attacks on Israelis -- and on Jews in general -- are a legitimate response to Israel’s state terror.

<snip>

There can be no clearer pointer to Israel’s real war aims. Its goal is evidently to smash Palestinian national aspirations, once and for all, freeing it to proceed with the steady absorption of the West Bank by means of expanding settlements, as it has done since the 1967 war. Those small separated portions of the West Bank, which Israel might be unable or unwilling to digest, would then be reduced to the status of a docile protectorate. The remaining Palestinian population would be bludgeoned into silence or driven out to Jordan.

<snip>

Israel’s objective, therefore, is not simply to stop the Qassam rockets – that is the pretext it has trumpeted for its war -- but to destroy Hamas altogether. It seems to believe that rooting Hamas out of Gaza, whatever the cost in shattered Palestinian lives, will put an end to Palestinian armed resistance. This is the cruel gamble Livni, Barak and the outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have embarked upon.

Full article at link

sw

[scarletwoman]

1. Self kick -- because I think this is a piece worth reading. (nt)