Israeli Deterrence and Quick Fixes

Submitted by Lowell D. Blackman (Israel), Sep 21, 2007 at 08:04

Dear Daniel,

You are, of course, absolutely right.

But, here in Israel, in our day and age of quick fixes, cognitive dissonance, short term "solutions", spins and spinmeisters, cabinet ministers in love with their seats, and polls, polls, and polls, that is how the ruling party wants to us see things.

One of the first items published in one of the daily newspapers was the poll showing how Olmert's popularity rating had climbed in the wake of the raid. That, commentators suggested, should make him feel pretty comfortable - comfortable enough to promise away some of our assets to a non-entity, non-existent government of unrepentant irredentists.

Deterrence, as you note is hard earned, and so, when Olmert's deputy, the questionable Haim Ramon, speaks publicly about a plan to divide Jerusalem or when Olmert himself speaks about the Syrian dictator in glowing terms, it's as if any modicum of deterrence earned on that lightning raid evaporated just as quickly.

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