 |
Dr. Aaron Lerner is co-founder of , Independent Media Review and Analysis, an Israel-based news organization which provides an extensive digest of media, polls and significant interviews and events relating to the Israeli-Arab conflict.
|
|
|
|
By Dr. Aaron Lerner
May 19, 2007
 Bookmark to del.icio.us
The struggle taking place between Palestinians elements today in Gaza isn't driven by poverty and hunger but instead by a hunger for power. That's an important distinction that policymakers must recognize as it means that pressing Israel to forfeit its security arrangements in the hopes that it will improve the Palestinian economy and in turn stability misses the point.
At the same time, it is crucial to note that independent of the intra-Palestinian conflict, all armed elements on the Palestinian side, regardless of affiliation or status, are determined to prepare for the day that "armed struggle" rather than diplomacy will be deployed against the Jewish State to achieve their goals.
The internal Palestinian debate over the choice between diplomacy and the gun is not a debate over principles but instead over tactics. "Moderate" Mahmoud Abbas doesn't renounce violence against Israel -- he only argues about its current efficacy. With the emphasis on the word "current".
And they certainly have been preparing.
The security hiatus-aka-ceasefire in the Gaza Strip allowed the Palestinians to build, train and equip armies without Israeli interference.
This development represents a clear and present danger to Israel. A casus belli regardless of whether Qassams are raining down on Sderot.
The challenge for Israel is to make it clear that a cessation of rocket attacks will not suffice. The security hiatus cannot and must not continue.
At the same time, the critical role of Israeli security activities in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) in preventing that area from being engulfed in the chaos of the Gaza Strip must be emphasized.
If not for ongoing Israeli operations, Hamas elements would have succeeded already long ago in their efforts to take control from within and without the various PA security services.
Abandon the daily security roundups, checkpoints and other Israeli security measures and it would only be a matter of time before the nightmare of Gaza takes second place to a horrific West Bank.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
