Although I disagree with 70%, an interesting take on Israel’s Gaza War

[bemildred]

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... Thus the dilemma facing the Israeli government last November: The public demanded action, but would abide neither the reoccupation of Gaza nor a surrender to Hamas’s demands. This left only one possible policy goal, namely to manage an indefinite conflict by suppressing the rocket fire, which in turn meant deterring Hamas. Hence Tzipi Livni’s explanation of Israeli war aims in the final days of the Gaza operation: We want to show them that Israel “has gone insane.”

The government prepared a series of options, starting with a massive campaign of precision air strikes, followed by a single reinforced division’s invading Gaza with the initial mission of punishing Hamas. If that proved insufficient, another division would be introduced, and then another, in an attempt to discover whether any level of force could bring Hamas to heel. In the end, diminishing returns on the field of battle, a growing mountain of civilian casualties, and Obama’s looming inauguration forced Israel to halt operations and withdraw its forces—under rocket fire.

Predictably, Netanyahu went from supporting the operation to charging that it hadn’t gone far enough. But the startling fact of the Gaza operation is that Hamas had to survive in order for the strategy to work. One prominent Israeli says, tongue in cheek, “The IDF was quite careful not to destroy them inadvertently.” Prof. Dan Sheuftan of Haifa University explains why: For Israel to deter Hamas, Hamas must be left with something to lose. Moreover, since 2006 Hamas has been caught in the vise of a dilemma between governing Gaza and “resisting” Israel. Overthrowing Hamas would in practice free it from the responsibility of governance and allow it to concentrate on terrorism. Right now, the political reality of governance places real constraints on Hamas; even with the flood of “humanitarian assistance” into Gaza, it still has to deliver for its people ...

http://agonist.org/hannes_artens/20090213/although_i_disagree_with_70_an_interesting_take_on_israel_s_gaza_war

The original piece, linked by The Agonist, is interesting too, although with a particular slant on events.

[GoesTo11]

1. Hamas must be left with something to lose

But then didn't they have more to lose before this? If they wouldn't be deterred then, why would they be now? Just because they think Israel has gone insane so they have more to fear? Maybe, sounds like kind of artificial thinking. It may be what people were really arguing, but it doesn't sound that logical.

[bemildred]

2. Well, the argument is that they have Gaza to lose.

I thought that was clear.

I'm not claiming it makes sense, but it seems clear that was the argument being made.

The crazy guy strategy is not new, I posted some stuff about it back while the hostilities were going on. Sank like a stone. Nixon thought it would work against Vietnam.

Logic will only take you so far. You only get out in conclusions what was implicit in your assumptions. If you don't like the conclusions, you can always make different assumptions. The assumptions are where the money is.

[pelsar]

5. i get the logic....

if the idf really did destroy hamas....who then takes over gaza?...israel doesnt want it...moving in the PA makes the real collaborators in the killing of fellow Palestenians and they will then be looked upon as occupiers (westbank Palestenians look down upon their gaza cousins as "second rate"...typical of almost all societies-having a group to look down upon).

Egypt has made it clear their views of the Palestinians....... Hamas is in fact the power.....they want responsibility, well they got it. Already there are groups in gaza saying hamas isnt extreme enough in that they are talking to israel about a year of quiet....and they will have to fight them as well.

anyway time will tell...hamas's biggest problem is their own kids....avg population is something like 15 with no employment other than "security"....breeding ground for even more extremists (how far can an extremist be-taliban?)

[bemildred]

6. Good, I'm glad somebody gets it. nt

[Mike 03]

3. Happy Valentine's Day, Bemildred. Thank you for being a nice person here

at DU. You are a very nice person and you are understanding towards people who don't exactly know all the rules here.

And you also inspired me to try to learn more complicated math so that I could understand physics.

You have been a real inspiration to me.

Happy Valentine's Day.

[bemildred]

4. My pleasure. Pass it along when you can.

I was very into math at one time, but I never did get the higher physics. I always liked the pure mathematics, group theory and mathematical logic, abstract analysis, but all that vector calculus and engineering math was a struggle. Then I wound up programming computers for 20 years, grubbing for money ...
:hug: