Olmert Will Begin Targeted Assassinations

I was actually wondering about whatever happened to Israel's policy of targeted assassination of terrorist leaders and whether there had actually been any while Olmert has been Prime Minister. Whether that have been or not, it looks like there may be some now:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert instructed the heads of the defense establishment to target members of the Hamas leadership. This was reported by British newspaper The Sunday Times. Israeli security sources reported to the newspaper that the decision was made in cooperation with Defense Minister Amir Peretz.

According to the report, the decision was made on the background of the fatal Qassam rocket that landed Wednesday in Sderot that killed Faina Slotzker and robbed one of Peretz's bodyguards of his legs. After the incident, the newspaper writes, Israel decided in a desperate attempt to stop the Qassam rockets, not to allow Hamas political leadership in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and abroad to "escape responsibility" any longer.

The Sunday Times reported that Peretz was the one who advocated the change in tactics against Hamas.

I suppose the story might carry more weight if instead of quoting a British newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth could have reported it based on their own sources.

It's also odd that the same Peretz who was reported to have claimed about the Kassam attacks on Sderot:

while the current situation is unacceptable, he does not believe he will achieve total success, signaling a"limited" number of attacks will be an acceptable reality.

is the same one who has decided to restart targeted assassinations. The YNet News article above about the new policy mentions Peretz's decision to change tactics in the same paragraph about his tears at news that one of his bodyguards had his leg amputated as a result of the blast--let's hope his new change in policy is based on more than an emotional reaction.

That brings us to the key question. Assuming that the story is true, is it a well thought-out plan or a reaction to bad poll numbers and growing discontent?

For that matter, is Olmert up to the job of seeing through such an operation successfully and then dealing with the inevitable backlash from world opinion? Considering Olmert's reflexive apologizing in the past--he apologized to Egypt when Egyptians were killed after infiltrating into Israel and shooting at the IDF; he apologized about the Gaza Beach incident--will he stand firm and defend a targeted assassination or wither under the inevitable condemnations?

Place your bets.

My bet is that instead of being seen as a sign of strength, Olmert's decision will come across as an act of desperation--and he will act (read: apologize) accordingly.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Olmert and Peretz and Hamas.