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I Think I Agree With Radu

Reader comment on item: Other Critics of Israeli Strategy in Gaza

Submitted by Alex (United States), Jan 17, 2009 at 10:59

"I agree with this analysis but put it differently – not that the Israeli elites are too Western but that they don't know enough about and are not interested in their enemy. Instead, they project their own attitudes onto the enemy – the easy, deceptive way to conduct war."

I think I would actually lean more towards Radu's phrasing of the problem. Israeli leaders are more familiar with their enemies than are Western leaders with the same enemies--in terms of language skills, geographical and cultural proximity, a longer history of dealing with these enemies--and they once actually upheld and fulfilled the doctrine of victory that Dr. Pipes recommends.

I think the problem with the self-defence doctrine of Israel's current leadership is less psychological projection onto the enemy of Israel's own goals than that Israeli leaders are afraid to define their own goals in the first place, after years of caving to American pressure to rely on more technologically-oriented defence aid and to ignore the role of hostile regional nation-states in militarizing rejectionism of Israel.

Also, I must admit that I do not trust Anthony Cordesman's analysis of anything relationg to Israel. He is a great analyst, but for some reason he often overly emphasizes civilian casualties that Israel accidentally in its military operations against terrorists. The evidence of popular perceptions in Gaza is very scant (to my knowledge), and so I see no reason to believe that "At least to date, the reporting from within Gaza indicates that each new Israeli air strike or advance on the ground has increased popular support for Hamas and anger against Israel in Gaza."

It may be possible that Gazans, because they are suffering from this conflict, may be beginning to learn to not support Hamas and groups like it. Similar dynamics helped compel Sunni tribes in Iraq's Anbar province to help US troops substantially reduce the terrorist presence there.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (19) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
The Tentura LIE (Jeninitis) [6782 words]MiraFeb 7, 2023 20:50292367
Helen Thomas doesn't know Hamas charter [634 words]gary fouseFeb 10, 2009 16:19150181
Re: racist Arab Helen Thomas: Arab-Palestinians should get back to ARABIA where they came from? [3723 words]DaisyJun 7, 2010 11:51150181
PALLYWOOD, Gaza edition - 2009 [424 words]TerryJan 27, 2009 19:42149289
UN, fire despicable 'massacres inspirer' Pallywoody bloody propagandist Khulood Badawi [298 words]NeillMar 22, 2012 03:40149289
Israel needs a strong commited leader. [215 words]vigilantJan 26, 2009 10:43149111
- - - JENINITIS - - - [641 words]AlJan 24, 2009 21:08148981
Jerusalem Post's invaluable Khaled Abu Toameh?? [72 words]james burkeJan 23, 2009 12:27148840
Yes, the INVALUABLE Abu Toameh! [85 words]saraJan 23, 2009 20:12148840
Israel Wins the Battles, Hamas Wins the War [198 words]Stephen HughesJan 20, 2009 16:07148543
Leon DeWinter Gets Inside the Palestinian Head - Harsh Lessons in Reality to Come [427 words]SofasogoodJan 19, 2009 13:54148428
Israeli Policy of Carrot and Stick [680 words]DemsciMar 15, 2009 04:51148428
Then what is the answer? [130 words]Kenny KomodoJan 18, 2009 02:01148328
The problem is the Arabs. Let them take responsibility for creating this problem so called a Palesltinian problem Huh?? [164 words]VIGILANTJan 26, 2009 18:03148328
They Supported Hamas Before Israel's Counter-Terror Operation [269 words]AmerisraelJan 17, 2009 13:02148286
The Media Is The Enemy - Fox's Mike Tobin Reports His Opinion As Fact [248 words]SofasogoodJan 19, 2009 14:39148286
Tobin is a great reporter for Fox news.Period! [47 words]vigilantJan 26, 2009 17:55148286
MIKE TOBIN TODAY OCT 9 2009 ONCE AGAIN MAKES VICIOUS ANTI ISRAEL RHETORIC [91 words]DAVID AARONSOct 9, 2009 06:00148286
I Think I Agree With Radu [316 words]AlexJan 17, 2009 10:59148283

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