Thursday, August 14, 2008

Israel projects weakness

How Israel became the boy who cried wolf -Evelyn Gordon

The Palestinians violated this truce: Hamas declined to stop organizations from firing rockets. Yet Israel never responded militarily, and though it did initially close the border crossings it had opened under the truce, it immediately reopened them at Egypt's request.

The lesson was clear: Terrorist organizations can violate deals with impunity since Israel will honor its commitments anyway.

Hamas achieved through force what Fatah failed to achieve through negotiations: a cessation of IDF operations in its territory. In short, rather than showing that peace pays better than terror, Kadima showed that terror pays better than peace - thereby encouraging it.

In short, rather than Israel deterring Hamas, Hamas is deterring Israel.
[Jerusalem Post]
[Sculpture: Rodin's The Three Shades]

No comments: