Israel's 2006 war with Lebanon now bears fruit

Submitted by jennifer solis (United States), Jan 11, 2009 at 20:50

The P.R. "war" is not one Israel will win by catering to it. This has been proven time and again. Success would be the best reply to bad press.

My opinion has always been that the 2006 war with Lebanon was a victory for Israel. The only recent few rockets thrown across Israel's northern border, and Hezbollah's denile of responsibility seems to me like a neon sign advertizing this. Hezbollah being Shi'a and Hamas being Sunni has little to do with it; Hezbollah, and the peoples, and the government of Lebanon recall, if the world doesn't, the massive structural damage the Israeli offensive in 2006 cost their country; financially, humanitarily. Sure, Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to exist - still funded by Syria/Iran - but after the summer of 2006, war by proxy, put into action, no longer is such an attractive calling.

I believe the same thing is happening now with Gaza.

When Hamas (Fatah is observing all this, to be sure) is responded to with continual, massive, overwhelming military force, THAT is the solution. These terrorist groups are forced to see an extremely negative "effect" of their "cause". The Palestinian citizens which voted Hamas in, and have sat by tacitly while 6,000 + missles have been launched into Israel, are being killed; SO WHAT? As of 1/10/09, 800 Palestinians have been killed (half civilian); in a population of over a million, that's not much. I'd multiply that times ten, and then send in Israeli troops. Humanitarian aid should be air-dropped.

While Hamas across the Arab world might temporarily gain recruits, Hamas in Gaza, along with it's citizens, are DECIMATED.

When it's clear that for every Kassam, Grad rocket there will be disproportionate, grave cost to Gazans - only then will Hamas lose support, where it COUNTS - in Gaza.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".