The Re-Invasion of Gaza

There is much to say about what’s happening in Israel right now. Events there are so astonishing that a palpable sense of shock and bewilderment can be detected among the running commentary. Still, certain elements are easy to assess.

Although Corporal Gilad Shalit is indeed being held by a faction within Hamas, and although Israel genuinely would like him to be released unharmed, that is not what the re-invasion of the Gaza Strip is about. The first sign of some larger plan came with the destruction of the only power plant in Gaza. This was an unmistakable attempt at collective punishment for which Israel has become famous. An incursion into Syria and the arrest of the Palestinian government rounded out the true motives of the Gaza operation: nothing less than the complete destruction of the Hamas-led government.

The press, of course, treads delicately as the contours of Israel’s ultimate goal slowly become clear enough to safely state the obvious. Nonetheless, in spite of this timidity, Time Magazine has hit upon the pivotal error that led to the current massing of troops on the Gaza border:

“The kidnap drama has simply highlighted a fundamental flaw in the policy of unilateral withdrawal on which Olmert based his election campaign. Absent any agreement with a Palestinian government that is willing and able to enforce order, militants will continue to attack Israel. The idea that Israel can "disengage" from the Palestinians without their cooperation is wishful thinking.”

While the immediate goal of the Gaza withdrawal might have been to make the permanent occupation of large swathes of the West Bank easier to swallow, it was never a serious or stable long-term solution. In short, the re-occupation (in some form or other) of the Gaza Strip was inevitable. In spite of the touching concern that Israel shows for its Jewish citizens, the kidnapped corporal is a mere detail.