Israeli Policy of Carrot and Stick

Submitted by Demsci (Netherlands), Mar 15, 2009 at 04:51

When I talk about the middle east conflict with my Islamic colleagues + even my own brother and other Dutch people, I often hear a lot of bitter criticism of Israel. I myself and many others have bitter criticism of Israel's Islamic enemies. However, when we view history in the 5000 years that mankind knows how to write, live in cities and states, we see a lot of violence. And according to prof. Steven Pinker it is actually diminishing over the centuries, even decades now, and steadily so.

Of course he views it as violence per 100.000 humans, as is logical, because also per 100.000 people many more males now reach old age instead of being killed before that. Also; for ages the English and the French were mortal enemies, but never really since Napoleon. Since then for instance the Germans and Russians did untold damage to each others peoples, but now seem to go on very well with each other.

Yes, I think there is progress. And so the old idealists really WERE right; In the end more and more people will want prosperity over conquering land, killing enemies. It is already happening worldwide!

The policy of the Israeli government would make sense, if only they made the choices for the Palestinians and the muslims and the world at large as clear as possible. The Gazans have only 2 reasonable ways to go; beating Israel or becoming more prosperous (=less miserable). Because, as they so amply broadcast, their situation is desperate.

If only the Israeli policy would be to punish every aggression of fundamentalists harshly (disproportionality allowed), but also to strive mightily for the well-being of the Gazans, when they are peaceful. Also aid-givers should recompense yearly Israeli damage from Gaza. That way damage done to Israel costs Gazans reconstruction-money. And both sides need to do a lot of forgiving in favor of the clear goal of a peaceful, happy future for both Israel and Gaza, or of at least their own country.

Weapon-smuggling into Gaza by Hamas sounds very threathening. And we also can safely assume that a percentage of any help given to Gazans will find its way to Hamas-people, who either will buy weapons for it or enrich themselves. So the old Israeli wisdom is to blockade to prevent this. But now UNRWA criticizes this blockade very harshly.

And the answer could be; let the Hamas import all weapons they want. After all, Israel cannot prevent this from all its other enemies. Let them be corrupt, the other Gazans won't like them for it. The real important issue is to give the aid on conditions of honest elections, freedom of speech, other democratic ground-rules. Deterrence also is very important. This part of Israeli policy already is the right one. Provided as many people as possible believe that the Israeli democracy will not start hostilities, only respond to them. It was Nazi Germany that took the whole of Czechoslowakia after the Sudetenland was given to it peacefully. But Israel is not like that.

Israel should even go out of its way to give the Gazans at least the best chance of prosperity. For the simple reason that a rich neighborhood is peaceful because it has too much to lose. Also it was shown on TV that help to Gaza enormously benefited Israels economy already. And of course a prosperous Gaza could do good business with Israel. It is this stark choice that Israel, and America, the West, should offer the Gazans again and again.

If HAMAS then still attacks out from Gaza, they will be seen more and more as the real cause of the problems. Sure, they want to liberate the lost country of Palestine in its entirety. But at least Gaza is now free, especially if there is positive Israeli coöperation, and it would be increasingly difficult to defend a policy of fighting from there. Palestinians could fight from elsewhere also, meanwhile letting Gazans being lifted up out of their terribly miserable circumstances. In my opinion Israel should follow and persist in such a policy!

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