Israel Matzav

Israel's 'exit strategy'

One of the reasons why Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert has not given the order to send large numbers of IDF ground troops into Gaza is his fear - which unfortunately is shared by a large percentage of the population - that sending ground troops into Gaza will result in a 'reoccupation.' In a word, Israel's 'leadership' has so traumatized the country that the 'occupation' of Gaza - and for that matter of southern Lebanon - was a 'bad' thing, that Israel fears going in and doing what needs to be done because troops might be 'stuck' there. This is something I discussed previously in connection with a possible retaking of the Philadelphi Corridor (see the maps). The fear of 'occupation' must be overcome, because there is no other way to secure our southern border or any other border for that matter. No one else is going to fight our battles for us, and none of the Arabs are going to let us live in peace. We are not and can never be a 'normal' country.

Nevertheless, the Olmert-Barak-Livni junta is continuing its quest to find others to fight our battles. The latest idea it has hit upon (which is really not a new idea) is to have Israel expend our soldiers' blood to retake Gaza, and then turn it over to 'international forces' who will act as human shields to protect the 'Palestinian' terrorists against us. If this sounds familiar, it should.

But if the last time there was at least the basis for the presence of an international force before Israel entered the war theater, this time there is not. Recall, that there was UNIFIL in southern Lebanon before the summer of 2006, albeit a much smaller force. There is no such thing in Gaza. Our two Arrogant Ehud's want to present the world with an ultimatum.

Israel is considering a large-scale incursion into the Gaza Strip during which it would present an ultimatum to the international community for the deployment of a multinational force as the only condition under which it would withdraw, defense officials have told The Jerusalem Post.

...

While Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said numerous times that a major operation in Gaza is inevitable, the IDF has been reluctant to recommend such an incursion for a number of reasons, especially the lack of a clear exit strategy. [That's nonsense. The IDF has said over and over and over again that there is no choice but to go in. It's the political echelon that is insisting on an 'exit strategy.' And yes, that includes Barak. CiJ]

Without a multinational force on the ground and with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party too weak to retake control of Gaza, a large operation seems unlikely. [So Sderot will continue to be bombarded by Kassams. I guess that's okay because Sderot is NotInMyBackYard anyway. CiJ]

However, Defense officials told the Post on Sunday that the current thinking in the defense establishment was to launch an operation in Gaza if deemed necessary by the political echelon, even without a multinational force in place. [Actually the 'political echelon' is a bunch of bamboozling idiots, and the operation should be launched when the IDF thinks it's necessary - preferably now. CiJ]

But the worst part of having this government remain in power is that they have learned nothing from their failure in Lebanon in the summer of 2006:

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has called for the deployment of such a force numerous times in recent months.

Toward the end of Israel's monthlong war against Hizbullah in the summer of 2006, Israel told the US and Europe it would not agree to withdraw its troops unless the UN force in Lebanon was beefed up and given more aggressive rules of engagement. In the end, a cease-fire was reached after European countries pledged their participation in UNIFIL.

"We are talking about the Second Lebanon War model," a defense official said. "To go to war and tell the world that if they want a cease-fire and for us to leave then they will need to send a force to replace us."

That was a real effective model, wasn't it? If they make an 'international force' in Gaza, does anyone think its rules of engagement will include patrolling at night? Will it need permission from Hamas to make arrests? Will it only patrol 12 miles off the coast, so Hamas will have room to smuggle arms in by sea? Will it include troops from Islamist countries? Maybe we can ask 'our friends the Egyptians' to participate - they have so much experience in Gaza already, and the Iranians will be happy to supply weapons. Maybe the Russians would like a base in Gaza too. And if we get into another war with the 'Palestinians' will the 'international force' give Hamas useful real-time data with which to fight us?

For those of you who actually followed all those links, do any of you still think Israel should seek to install an 'international force' in Gaza? I didn't think so....

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:00 AM