Given sufficient military power, there’s always a military solution. The question is: Would it serve the political objective? Obviously, the IDF could crush Hamas under its boot heel. But that would not answer for policy.
As things stand, Israel’s policy is—or should be—simply to stand pat. Her enemies cannot destroy her, nor are they willing to negotiate in good faith. Thus they can be ignored unless they make a nuisance of themselves, in which case they can be slapped down, as has just happened to those Hamas rats. Admittedly this is not an ideal state of affairs for the Jewish state. But for Israel’s enemies, it’s even less satisfactory.
My eyes are too old and tired to be seen through, freshly. However...
This strikes me as the issue at heart, and perhaps Gabi or others can provide me with a little fresh eyesight: "It’s easy enough to say that most Israelis and Palestinians want peace. But I also know the majority don’t believe peace is achievable under the current circumstances, and don’t necessarily want to make the personal effort required to reach that goal."
The question in this American's mind is "Do they really want peace? And are they simply beholden to the recalcitrance of their political leaders?" Or, do they claim to want peace, but at the same time both sides' public endorse policies that are untenable to the other sides' public? If I'm an ethnic and/or religious Jew in Jerusalem, who claims to want peace, but enforce public officials and policies that the average Palestinian cannot support, am I contributing to the problem? And vice-versa.
Given sufficient military power, there’s always a military solution. The question is: Would it serve the political objective? Obviously, the IDF could crush Hamas under its boot heel. But that would not answer for policy.
As things stand, Israel’s policy is—or should be—simply to stand pat. Her enemies cannot destroy her, nor are they willing to negotiate in good faith. Thus they can be ignored unless they make a nuisance of themselves, in which case they can be slapped down, as has just happened to those Hamas rats. Admittedly this is not an ideal state of affairs for the Jewish state. But for Israel’s enemies, it’s even less satisfactory.
My eyes are too old and tired to be seen through, freshly. However...
This strikes me as the issue at heart, and perhaps Gabi or others can provide me with a little fresh eyesight: "It’s easy enough to say that most Israelis and Palestinians want peace. But I also know the majority don’t believe peace is achievable under the current circumstances, and don’t necessarily want to make the personal effort required to reach that goal."
The question in this American's mind is "Do they really want peace? And are they simply beholden to the recalcitrance of their political leaders?" Or, do they claim to want peace, but at the same time both sides' public endorse policies that are untenable to the other sides' public? If I'm an ethnic and/or religious Jew in Jerusalem, who claims to want peace, but enforce public officials and policies that the average Palestinian cannot support, am I contributing to the problem? And vice-versa.
I don't know the answer...so I'm asking.