Fairly Predictable
Reader comment on item: Israel's War on Hamas: A Dozen Thoughts
in response to reader comment: Massive force

Submitted by Alan Fox (United States), Dec 30, 2008 at 18:08

I agree with Mr Chander below...

Continuing to engage the Palestinians/Arabs/Muslims from a Western perspective has already led to disaster - if not today, then surely tomorrow.

History has proven over and over that the most successful way to move the Israel/Palestine situation forward is overwhelming, unconditional, and unmitigated use of force. The only thing that will move the Palestinian side is a humiliating defeat. Military defeat moved them before, and it will again, because it is simple, clear, and unmistakable. Hopefully the Israelis will be less restrained by the Obama administration.

I remain perplexed at how poorly the media and most analysts of the current situation have missed what I believe is the most meaningful conclusion. The so-called occupation of Gaza was ended in 2005, supposedly the casus belli of Palestinian violence, terrorism, and war. This irritant was removed over 3 years ago, and the result has been unending hostility. Yet I have not heard even one analyst connect the end of the Israeli presence in Gaza with the violence we have seen, are seeing there today, and can reliably see every time Israel withdraws before its enemies. Not even one analyst has raised the question of why the violence has continued in the absence of so-called occupation.

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