By Yoram Getzler Tens of deadly rockets are once again being fired from Gaza into southern Israel. Only this time the rockets seem to have undergone up-grading and advanced technical development. They reach further, appear to be more accurate (fewer are falling in open fields).
In considering a response the Israeli government must keep in mind that there have been a series of pronounced changes over time in the Middle-East. I think a review is unnecessary; what we need to keep in mind regardless of western optimism and enthusiasm; none of these changes have been advantages for us. More than that, each and every one have have been complex in their intentions and in their future intent. Some saw obvious catastrophic potential in the immediate moment they occurred. We now know that they were profoundly inhibiting in the current need to respond to tens of rockets falling on Israeli cities.
In our past attempt to end these attacks on our civilian population, it was not only the UN and Goldstone who stimulated and supported wide spread international condemnation of our efforts at self-defense. While the clash with Turkey was a kind of unintended collateral damage .Of course it is impossible to know how much of the Turkish involvement was an excuse/opportunity to change relations with Israel and what reasons would have been found in the absence of the Gaza blockade and attack.
Now, in addition, as a result of the changes brought about by the so called “Arab Spring” in Egypt and their subsequent involvement with Hamas and the Shalit deal; we also have the Egyptians entering into the frying pan of the encounter between Israeli and Hamas and Islamic Jihad. So that any military attempt to end these attacks on Israel will bring Egypt directly into the conflict in a way that could prove very dangerous and harmful for us.
And now there is Turkey as well; lurking in the background, a wild card with no apparent restraints on its actions.
These past years appear to me to confirm the direct opposite of our blinding conception, held by many important Israeli politicians, that “time is on our side”.
In case you have not been watching, things are NOT getting better!
SO, just what are we to do to safeguard our citizens? Who is in favor of another military attack on Gaza…it will be even worse for both of us this time. Things have changed. Surely looking to the world community is no answer. Will our fellow Jews &/or “progressives” rise to the occasion and make their voices heard?
I’m listening, just in case
It could save Arab and Jewish lives.
