Dr. Aaron Lerner is co-founder of IMRA, 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. imra@netvision.net.il
The problem with soundbite solutions for Gaza
By Dr. Aaron Lerner
June 1, 2007 Bookmark to del.icio.us
In the last week various Israeli politicians have offered soundbite solutions for the ongoing security problems emanating from the Gaza Strip.
That's "soundbite solutions" rather than "plans" because they lack the depth to be called "plans".
Consider the proposal that Israel engage in a deterrent tit for tat -- leveling a block of buildings in the Gaza Strip in response to each salvo of Palestinian Qassams. The Palestinians residing in the targeted block would be warned in time to evacuate before the artillery barrage.
Even if such declaratively putative activity meets legal standards, it is unworkable on practical grounds. The idea hinges on the Palestinians willingly evacuating the target area. But the Palestinians could just as easily respond to the threat by flooding the block with people and media coverage. After all, this very tactic already succeeded in thwarting an IDF operation against a building in the Gaza Strip identified as housing a terror cell.
The proposal to cut off water and power supplies to the Gaza Strip before alternative supply arrangements are in place from Egypt also ignores the overwhelming pressure Israel would face to restore service.
The Gaza Strip isn't on the other side of an ocean -- it's in Israel's front yard.
Suggestions to introduce foreign security forces that are more likely to serve as human shields than anything else are also counterproductive.
The problem with soundbite solutions is two-fold. They serve as a fig leaf for leadership that is unwilling to pursue policies and programs that have a genuine chance to control the situation. To make matters worse, should they actually be implemented their certain failure will only serve to further frustrate the Israeli public while encouraging Palestinian defiance.
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.
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.