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From Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz:
“This has been a summer of missed opportunities. Putinism must be defeated. But we don’t have a plan and won’t until after the U.S. elections." Kurt Volker, former US Special Representative for Ukraine negotiations, talking at Chatham House.
Putinism is a stupid word and as Michael Frayn said about terrorism you can't make war against an abstract noun. Has America not learnt that?The same goes for the patriotism or nationalism or anger or whatever you call it that drives Palestinian or Arab animus against Israel.
You can, however, make war against Russia, of course. Four men have done so: Charles XII, Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler.
You can make war against Hamas but to destroy Hamas you have to clear all the tunnels and either ethnically cleanse the Arabs from Gaza and the West Bank or find some way of persuading the Arabs not to seek to fight Israel. We'll see which option, if any, Netanyahu tries. I don't think he'll choose any. Deporting the Arabs to Egypt and Jordan would be ideal from his point of view, but those countries won't agree.
ReplyDeleteHis cowardice and procrastination are also why the war has dragged on for 204 days without a clear victory or defeat. Instead of hitting Hamas with a massive blow while the world was still in shock over the horrific videos of October 7, he has dragged us into a prolonged and slow-moving war as he aims to remain in power.
In the process, he has acted contrary to Israel's fundamental strategy, which has always aimed at short wars, on the understanding that a small country that is dependent upon world public opinion and a supply of weapons from the United States can't wage a prolonged, lengthy one. And in fact every day that passes our situation in the world worsens.
Boycotts against us intensify, damaging our economic power and pushing us toward ending the war without any accomplishments. Every day that passes demonstrates that we are further from "total victory." Hamas hasn't been destroyed. It's even beginning to rebuild the Gaza Strip and has also been managing to fire Qassam rockets at Sderot. And Hezbollah has continued to rain missiles on the north.
So as long as Chamberlain is prime minister, we have no alternative but to announce that we're prepared to end the war and withdraw from Gaza – on the condition that all of the hostages, the dead and the living, including the soldiers, are immediately released. After all, abandoning them would cause permanent strategic harm.
Sometimes you have to cut your losses to avoid bankruptcy, which is where the most despicable person in the history of the Jewish people is leading us. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-04-28/ty-article-opinion/.premium/time-for-israel-to-cut-its-losses-and-bring-the-hostages-back/0000018f-20d7-d502-a5bf-e0f7b0b70000