“In the end you are left with 1.7 million people in Gaza, and you don’t really want that.”
Responsibility.
Ehud Yaari‘s remark at The Washington Institute’s two-person panel “Sept. 11 – Gaza and Beyond: The Arab-Israeli Arena in the Wake of the Hamas War,” may tell how Israel’s latest response to Gaza rocket fire (and assault tunnel building) reached completion without changing much.
Indeed, Robert Satloff, the second speaker, would go on to characterize the incursion as “urgent, not very important.”
When asked in the Q&A that followed, “What does Israel want?” Yaari suggested that what Israel wants is to “let Hamas rot in the Gaza Strip.”
Noting that Hamas had seen fail it’s “Gaza Fortress” approach to assaulting Israel, the journalist said the Hamas would “try to make a leap to the West Bank . . . a whole new opera” with the contemplation of its terrorism reaching everywhere in Israel.
*
Not only Hamas may rot in Gaza, for no powerful or key element seems to want even to approach taking responsibility for 1.7 million Gazans.
Egypt, having with decision made the Muslim Brotherhood its problem, certainly does not want Gaza’s most egregious problem, except to keep the same exactly where it is.
Israel and Israelis: ditto, Egypt.
If there’s a transition plan for Gaza from Hamas sanctuary to, say, protectorate or suzerain in enthused and lasting peace (with the Jews and the Jewish State), I should like to hear of it.
The highly experienced and now octogenarian Mahmoud Abbas, who, anti-Semite that he may be, has been promoted as representing the Next Best Government, has looked over the nest and, so suggests Yaari, hasn’t the wish to run Gaza while Hamas, aspiring to ape Hezbollah, maintains its own army. While Hamas planners in Turkey pass thoughts to the West Bank Committee in Gaza, with interest in unseating Abbas, Abbas would have to address the massive screening of old staff, the mustering of troops sufficient to overwhelm Hamas, and that’s not happening.
Gaza appears to be stuck with Hamas.
Even worse for Hamas, Hamas appears to be stuck with Gaza.
While Hamas stews over Gaza as well as in it, Israel and the Arab World, so suggests Satloff, may be experiencing some convergence of perception of regional states of affairs.
Perhaps such as ISIS helps with that.
While Hamas may be isolated in Gaza — imho, it sure looks that way — and both Egypt and Israel control the boundaries and crossings containing the same and the Global Jew-Hate Commune emphasizes hate over help (most often) and the UNRWA remains deeply compromised (as a Hamas helper), Gaza may have one partner for peace after all: Gazans.
It’s what we all have, isn’t it?
Ourselves when it’s us.
Themselves when it’s them.
Some friends convince me that Gazans love Hamas, vote for Hamas, die for Hamas.
Happily.
Proudly.
And some friends convince me otherwise.
Except through the Hamas filter — media controlling, politically intimidating, image obsessed — one cannot “see” Gazans (politically) otherwise, or, perhaps simply not yet.
Reference
Blogger’s Note
It’s true I may now scribble notes at a desktop two hours away from the event location — but can I read them afterward? 🙂 And did I get words down right in the first place? And can I do a better job of differentiating between what someone else said and what I happen to think? Of course. With practice.
Every day online brings with it a slightly updated dawn that changes even the most remote soul’s intellectual ecology.
Yesterday’s live event, which I watched, is now a recorded event at the URL noted in reference. I may give it another listen, and if I must update here, I will. Internally, there’s an art in play — listen, notate, reflect, report, opine — and each step is its own dimension.
Update
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/from-gaza-to-isis-a-trip-report-assessing-the-arab-israeli-arena — “From Gaza to ISIS: A Trip Report Assessing the Arab-Israeli Arena”, Robert Satloff, September 12, 2014
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