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The nearly daily firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip at civilian targets in Israel is an act of war. Despite this provocation, Israel responded with great restraint for 10 months, sending no troops into Gaza and focusing most of its counterstrikes on terrorists responsible for the ongoing violence. When the Palestinians took the additional belligerent step of killing several soldiers on Israel’s side of the border, and kidnapped a young soldier, it was no longer possible to wait for the Palestinians to act responsibly and put an end to the provocations and the decision was made to launch an operation to secure the release of the soldier and stop the rocket attacks.
Even after sending troops into Gaza, Israel has continued to use a minimal amount of force. Because the terrorists continue their cowardly tactics of operating from civilian areas, Israel has been unwilling to unleash its full military might and has made every effort to avoid harming noncombatants. The IDF displays far greater concern for the Palestinian people than the terrorists who use them as shields.
The kidnapers have demanded that Israel release prisoners in exchange for the soldier they are holding, but the people in Israeli jails are there because they were involved in terrorist activities and many committed heinous crimes. Out of the 109 women and 313 juveniles currently in prison, 64 women and 91 juveniles “have blood on their hands.”
Palestinian prisoners under the age of 18 threw Molotov cocktails, transported weapons and associated with terrorist organizations. The women planned suicide attacks, prepared bombs and assisted suicide bombers; they also attacked Israeli soldiers and joined terrorist organizations. Ahlan Tanimi, for example, brought the bomb that murdered 16 in the Sbarro pizza restaurant in Jerusalem. Kahira Sa'adi drove a terrorist to King George Avenue, where he blew up three people. Hanady Jaradats killed 21 in the Maxim restaurant in Haifa.
It is true that Israel has exchanged prisoners for soldiers in the past, often in lopsided trades of dozens of prisoners for a handful of Israelis. Sometimes the Israelis have already been killed and the nation is just trying to retrieve the bodies of its soldiers. These cases demonstrated how much Israel values the lives of its citizens, and reflects the IDF policy of leaving no soldier — dead or alive — on the battlefield.
Prisoner exchanges are dangerous, however, because they increase the risk that the terrorists will see kidnaping as a weapon to use repeatedly to force Israel to make concessions. It is the prospect that Hamas and the other Palestinian terror groups might be emboldened to take more hostages that led Prime Minister Olmert to dismiss any discussion of trades and to demand the unconditional release of 19-year-old Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
The acts of war committed by a small number of Palestinian terrorists has brought great suffering to the general population. No one takes any pleasure in seeing the Palestinian people suffer and Israel has gone to great lengths to provide humanitarian assistance, but wars have consequences and the people have a responsibility to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent the terrorists in their midst from instigating a conflict.
Leaders also have a responsibility to demonstrate statesmenship. Many people have suggested that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is a partner for peace, but he was unable or unwilling to stop the rocket attacks over the last 10 months. He was unable or unwilling to prevent Gaza from descending into chaos prior to Israel’s incursion. And now he is unable or unwilling to secure the release of Cpl. Shalit. In what respect then is he a partner for peace? What hope do Israelis have that he is able or willing to deliver peace in any negotiation?
The situation today is particularly tragic because the Palestinians had an opportunity to build a model of a peaceful, democratic Arab state. Less than a year ago, every Israeli civilian and soldier was evacuated from Gaza. Nothing prevented the Palestinians from spending the last ten months developing their economy, building infrastructure, dismantling the refugee camps and demonstrating to Israelis that coexistence is both desirable and possible. The whole world was ready and willing to help the Palestinians create a bright new future.
Instead, the Palestinians once again proved the old saying that they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. For years, they chanted the mantra “end the occupation” to suggest that peace would follow Israel’s withdrawal from disputed territory. Instead of land for peace, Israel traded land for more terror.
Israel left behind greenhouses that had produced food, flowers and wealth for the Jews who built them and could have done the same for the Palestinians, but, instead, the greenhouses were looted and vandalized, and many were rendered useless.
Israel left behind areas where Jews had created communities. Houses were destroyed because we were told the Palestinians did not need the beautiful homes that held small Jewish families and that apartment buildings would be built in their place to finally empty the refugee camps. Instead, Palestinians have fought over the land the Jews evacuated and not a single residential building has been constructed. The leadership of the PA still prefers to see its people confined to refugee camps where they are radicalized rather than moving them into homes where they would have a chance for a normal life.
The decision of the Palestinians to instigate a war at this time is even more tragic because it was done just after Prime Minister Olmert made clear his intention to withdraw from even more territory and to give the Palestinians an even greater opportunity to improve their lives and move closer to independence. Olmert remains committed to his vision of realignment, but it will be much more difficult now. No one wants to trade more land for more war.
Technorati Tag: Israel and Mitchell Bard and Terrorism and Gaza and Hamas.
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