Truly do I wish I knew how to coherently describe
what is going on now with regard to Hamas. But the situation is terribly
unclear and fluid. There is no closure, no finality. IDF troops
have definitely pulled back from portions of Gaza, and lend the impression that
the operation is close to an end.
Some troops have been pulled out and are being
given a break, with the understanding that they might go back in.
Yet, today, the JPost cites a senior IDF figure
thus (emphasis added):
“There
is no decision to stop the operation. We are preparing to attack, not only to
defend. If a decision is made that this is necessary, we will attack."
It could not really be otherwise, as the south of
Israel is still being hit rather fiercely by Hamas rockets.
~~~~~~~~~~
At the same time, Palestinian Arab delegations –
Hamas and the PA, with other smaller groups such as Islamic Jihad - have shown
up in Cairo to begin the “negotiations” that Israel will not be attending.
Other “international” figures such as Tony Blair
are also present.
The agenda called for those Arab delegations to
first meet amongst themselves regarding a joint position, which they would then
take to the Egyptians. And word tonight is that the delegations have
already agreed:
“Cease-fire, the pullout of Israeli forces,
ending the blockade, releasing the prisoners ... and starting the
reconstruction process..” And an end to Israeli “incursions, invasions,
assassinations, house shelling and flights over the Gaza Strip.” They are also
demanding free passage between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, freedom of fishing
within 12 miles of the coast, reopening the Palestinian airport in the southern
Gaza Strip, construction of a seaport and cancellation of buffer zones along
the border with Israel.
Cute? A pretty comprehensive list.
What happens next is anyone’s guess. Israel
is in constant touch with the Egyptians. At some point Egypt is going to
come forward with a “plan,” which will not incorporate all of the above demands
but may well honor some of them.
Both the Egyptians and the US are pressuring
Netanyahu to join the talks. The very excessive nature of the Arab demands
surely will stiffen his back. It is terribly important that the terrorists in
Gaza not be rewarded for agreeing to stop launching rockets at us, and that he
hold to his position that Hamas cannot be trusted to honor commitments.
~~~~~~~~~~
It may be that something is transpiring behind
the scenes that we are unaware of. Our prime minister, who is under
breathtaking pressure in this situation, may know what he is doing. Who
knows what “other options” he is weighing.
But I write today with an enormous sense of
unease. We cannot permit this to end badly for Israel. And I am
hardly the only one who would like to see a definitive victory.
That Hamas is still launching rockets at us means
they are not yet on their knees. Their leaders are still hiding out – whether
in Qatar or in tunnels under Gaza City. As long as the heads of some of
them have not been separated from their shoulders, they will emerge from their
tunnels with intent of rebuilding.
The risks of a reinvigorated Hamas, which manages
to secure even better weapons for next time – perhaps because demilitarization
has not been genuinely enforced, not genuinely embraced by the international community
– do not bear thinking about.
My friends, this is an existential issue for
us. We cannot allow ourselves to be defeated by the likes of that
Palestinian Arab mother who loves death.
We here in Israel are all moving about with heavy
hearts. None of this is simple for us.
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