Public Opinion

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Middle East: defeating Hamas « Previous | |Next »

January 7, 2009

So long as Hamas survives in Gaza, there will be no ceasefire based on the closure of tunnels because that would amount to the elected administration's unilateral disarmament. Signing its own death warrant. Israel has maintained control of access to the territory, denying Gazans the chance to run their own affairs.

Israel's imposition of sanctions on the elected Hamas government is designed to ensure the end of Hamas. Built a cage and then make life intolerable for those living inside.

Martin Rowson

The Bush administration has given unconditional endorsement to Israeli action. Despite the intensity of the bombardment and Israel's overwhelming military superiority, Hamas is unlikely to surrender or be destroyed. Resistance forms the basis of Hamas' ideology and if it can simply survive the attack it will claim victory over its mighty enemy.

In Conflict In Gaza at Chatham House Robert Lowe says:

International diplomacy is currently stuck over which side must climb down first. The basic question is whether Israel's economic blockade of Gaza or Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel must cease first. At present neither side is prepared to climb down first.The Israeli attack offers no remedy, rather it is a symptom and cause of the open-ended Israeli-Palestinian conflict and it is seriously harming a civilian population already enduring great hardship. Israel has tried and failed to defeat Hamas and other Palestinian groups before and it has no clear plan for ending the conflict with Hamas or its occupation of Palestinian territory. Israel cannot impose its will by force and one day it will need to talk to the people it is currently punishing through bombardment and blockade.

Most people in the Muslim world view Israeli actions as US actions. It is dealing with the aftermath of a strengthened Palestinian determination to continue to resist Israel that will prove much more difficult for Israel and its Arab allies to deal with.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 5:58 AM | Permalink

| Comments (4)

Comments

Tzipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister recently announced, in response to calls for truce: "There is no humanitarian crisis in the [Gaza] Strip, and therefore there is no need for a humanitarian truce."

Presumably this is an Israeli talking point.

Posted by: Peter S Stock | January 7, 2009 7:13 AM

Will Obama save the day? Can he? Does he want to? Will there be a change from Bush and Cheney?

Posted by: Nan | January 7, 2009 7:18 AM

"Will Obama save the day?"

What's the bet this will all be over before he gets the chance?

Gaza's infrastructure is gone and a couple of schools and ambulances have been whacked, ensuring ongoing hatred. Western nations will continue to support vulnerable Israel with its many inexplicable enemies.

Sarkozy is playing a more interesting role in this than the predictable US. Condi's looking a bit lame by comparison, but she's welded to Bush which wouldn't help at this point.

Posted by: Lyn | January 7, 2009 9:53 AM

Re Peter Stock's comment, Socrats is said to have commented that it is, in effect, far harder to do wrong than do right.
Judging by the mental and moral gymnastics that must surely have been employed to reach the end conclusion offered by Livny presented by Peter, the Israeli government must be at a point of utter exhaustion.

Posted by: paul walter | January 9, 2009 1:32 AM