I read the news incredibly late these days (sadly) and just got to this email.
Friedman saying Israel would apply Hama rules has aged incredibly well.
But the Dahieh Doctrine handed Lebanon to Hezbollah*. What will the Hama rules do?
*After the 2006 war; Hezbollah's base was angry and had nothing to lose as a direct result of Israel's indiscriminate bombardment. In the last 2 days of the war alone; after a ceasefire seemed agreed upon, Israel dropped MILLIONS of cluster submunitions all over the south. Hezbollah leveraged that position to launch May 8 2008. It declared war on Lebanon. All other parties in Lebanon, who did have something to lose, surrendered almost immediately. Hezbollah won and has been ruling Lebanon since; and that can be traced directly to Israel destroying anything in the South that wasn't made for war.
With the news today that Dr. Refaat has been killed in a targeted strike (and with Reuters explicitly blaming Israel for the death of its Journalist in early October); I remember what Hezbollah and Assad did in Lebanon in 2005: A systematic, ruthless targeting of the intelligentsia. This is how they smothered the Cedar Revolution in the crib; killing a national movement before it could try to flourish. Israel is doing the same today; but I fear it will backired as the 2006 war backfired.
Claire - thanks for your response. I'm finding the readings very helpful and interesting. Unfortunately, I sing in the choir and cantor at our Sunday morning service here in Wisconsin so I can't participate in the class sessions. I appreciate what you are doing and the perspectives that are simply not available from the usual US channels.
Sometimes the only reasonable option is a very bad option. Israel has to destroy Hamas as a military, if not political force, and that requires a ground operation in Gaza. No one appreciates how dangerous and difficult that will be more than the IDF but it simply has to be done to restore any credibility to Israel’s military deterrent. Half measures will only guarantee more attacks on Israel’s civilian population.
I would also argue the Arab armies in 67 and 73 presented a different but much more imminent threat to the existence of the State of Israel than Hamas and Hezbollah do today.
Jewish encroachment on the West Bank is definitely a sore point. That could be managed.
The big problem is that counting coup on Israel is a sure path to prestige, and therefore political power, among the Palestinian people. If and when Hamas is removed, another group will take their place. Israel must break that path to power to have any hope of a peaceful settlement.
The USA had a similar problem with the plains tribes of native Americans. A durable peace was impossible. The modern narrative is that the European immigrants continually encroached on their land. That was true. The other problem was that their young men would raid their neighbors. After enough raids, everyone of good will lost it. Every campaign to end the raids resulted in smaller remaining territory.
All the tribes who had taken up agriculture had other ways for their young men to prove themselves. They have more or less integrated.
May I put in a word for that perennial wallflower, moral clarity? Can we all not agree that the Jewish state is righteous in its determination to eradicate the virus that infects Gaza and, indeed, the Palestinian Arabs? What other hope is there for peace? The UN? The US State Department? Harvard University?
It was unfortunate to read the Israeli bombardment characterized as carpet bombing. No such thing is happening, nor is it necessary in this age of precision-guided munitions. It's certainly true that civilians in the Gaza Strip are being killed in significant numbers, but this is due to the tactics of Hamas, which uses them as human shields and welcomes a high body count because it makes for good propaganda.
It comes down to this: If Israel proceeds to root out Hamas and end its power in the Gaza Strip, many more Palestinians are going to die. "War is killing and you cannot refine it." It's either that or Israel stands down, handing Hamas a great victory and compromising its identity for all time. For if Israel cannot vindicate the principle, "Never Again," what's the Jewish state for? It's an intolerable moral dilemma, but let's be clear about which side set it up.
Hey Claire;
I read the news incredibly late these days (sadly) and just got to this email.
Friedman saying Israel would apply Hama rules has aged incredibly well.
But the Dahieh Doctrine handed Lebanon to Hezbollah*. What will the Hama rules do?
*After the 2006 war; Hezbollah's base was angry and had nothing to lose as a direct result of Israel's indiscriminate bombardment. In the last 2 days of the war alone; after a ceasefire seemed agreed upon, Israel dropped MILLIONS of cluster submunitions all over the south. Hezbollah leveraged that position to launch May 8 2008. It declared war on Lebanon. All other parties in Lebanon, who did have something to lose, surrendered almost immediately. Hezbollah won and has been ruling Lebanon since; and that can be traced directly to Israel destroying anything in the South that wasn't made for war.
With the news today that Dr. Refaat has been killed in a targeted strike (and with Reuters explicitly blaming Israel for the death of its Journalist in early October); I remember what Hezbollah and Assad did in Lebanon in 2005: A systematic, ruthless targeting of the intelligentsia. This is how they smothered the Cedar Revolution in the crib; killing a national movement before it could try to flourish. Israel is doing the same today; but I fear it will backired as the 2006 war backfired.
Claire - thanks for your response. I'm finding the readings very helpful and interesting. Unfortunately, I sing in the choir and cantor at our Sunday morning service here in Wisconsin so I can't participate in the class sessions. I appreciate what you are doing and the perspectives that are simply not available from the usual US channels.
Hi Claire,, I expressed interest in the readings (and possibly the class, given timezone restrictions). Did not receive an email.
cheers
Hi Claire, I expressed interest in your class but have not received the email. Thank you!
Argentine. Gotta say, I didn't see that one coming.
Hi Claire
I expressed interest in the class and haven’t yet received and email. Thank you!
Sometimes the only reasonable option is a very bad option. Israel has to destroy Hamas as a military, if not political force, and that requires a ground operation in Gaza. No one appreciates how dangerous and difficult that will be more than the IDF but it simply has to be done to restore any credibility to Israel’s military deterrent. Half measures will only guarantee more attacks on Israel’s civilian population.
I would also argue the Arab armies in 67 and 73 presented a different but much more imminent threat to the existence of the State of Israel than Hamas and Hezbollah do today.
Jewish encroachment on the West Bank is definitely a sore point. That could be managed.
The big problem is that counting coup on Israel is a sure path to prestige, and therefore political power, among the Palestinian people. If and when Hamas is removed, another group will take their place. Israel must break that path to power to have any hope of a peaceful settlement.
The USA had a similar problem with the plains tribes of native Americans. A durable peace was impossible. The modern narrative is that the European immigrants continually encroached on their land. That was true. The other problem was that their young men would raid their neighbors. After enough raids, everyone of good will lost it. Every campaign to end the raids resulted in smaller remaining territory.
All the tribes who had taken up agriculture had other ways for their young men to prove themselves. They have more or less integrated.
Hello, I haven’t received the email either. Thanks!
Do you have it now?
No, I haven’t received anything…
Okay, I'm working on another way of signing up, because clearly I'm missing a lot of emails, or not connecting them to the right names. Stay tuned.
Hello!
Just became a paid subscriber to join the class (if it's still possible!). May you add me to the list?
Did you get it?
No unfortunately :(
May I put in a word for that perennial wallflower, moral clarity? Can we all not agree that the Jewish state is righteous in its determination to eradicate the virus that infects Gaza and, indeed, the Palestinian Arabs? What other hope is there for peace? The UN? The US State Department? Harvard University?
Hi Claire-I did not receive the email. -Jennifer Colyer
jco32552@gmail.com
Hi Claire, thanks for getting out of bed. I can empathize. I did not receive your email either but am looking forward to it!
Claire - thank you for this. Please add me to your class. I'm looking forward to the homework.
Did you send an email?
It was unfortunate to read the Israeli bombardment characterized as carpet bombing. No such thing is happening, nor is it necessary in this age of precision-guided munitions. It's certainly true that civilians in the Gaza Strip are being killed in significant numbers, but this is due to the tactics of Hamas, which uses them as human shields and welcomes a high body count because it makes for good propaganda.
It comes down to this: If Israel proceeds to root out Hamas and end its power in the Gaza Strip, many more Palestinians are going to die. "War is killing and you cannot refine it." It's either that or Israel stands down, handing Hamas a great victory and compromising its identity for all time. For if Israel cannot vindicate the principle, "Never Again," what's the Jewish state for? It's an intolerable moral dilemma, but let's be clear about which side set it up.
I didn’t get an email, but my email’s been wonky lately.
I need you to send me an email asking to be put on the list. Otherwise I don't know where to send the material.
I was typing another email while you were replying. Great minds and whatnot!