Wednesday, July 30, 2014

As Gaza Goes, Judea and Samaria Assured

It's been said before recently

Now you can understand why I keep insisting that Israel's eastern security border will remain along the Jordan River. Who knows what the future holds?...The second challenge we face is to stabilize the area west of the Jordan River security line. In this area of the West Bank no force can guarantee Israel's security other than the IDF and our security services...[as] what happened in Gaza when the Palestinian Authority forces were defeated by Hamas after Israel's withdrawal;...We must understand that in any future settlement with the Palestinians, Israel will have to maintain long-term security control of the territory along the Jordan River.


“I think the Israeli people understand now what I always say: that there cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan...If we were to pull out of Judea and Samaria, like they tell us to, there’d be a possibility of thousands of tunnels [being dug by terrorists to attack Israel]



but it's always good to hear it from Ha-Ha-Haaretz:

If before, it had been possible to fantasize about some sort of peace, now the fate of the West Bank has been sealed and the settlers can relax.

...Even if we do not succeed in demolishing all the tunnels and rockets continue to be buried underground, awaiting their launch, victory is already in our hands. Maybe not in Gaza, but certainly in the West Bank. In Greater Israel. As happened during the withdrawal from Gaza, the system of connected vessels has returned to the psyche — a system according to which the bigger the threat Gaza poses, the more Israeli control of the West Bank is assured. The more we struggle with Hamas, the more the threat of withdrawal from “Judea and Samaria” recedes.

...if [after the Disengagement] Gaza had become a perfect example of a thriving and prosperous mini-state, free of rockets and terrorism, Israel would have had a hard time claiming convincingly that withdrawal from the West Bank constituted a security threat.

Fortunately for the devotees of Greater Israel, the withdrawal from Gaza and its takeover by Hamas two years later gave them the perfect excuse to hold onto the West Bank and never let it go. There will never again be any need for messianic ideology or a divine promise. Gaza provided all the “right” excuses: Look at Gaza and you will know what not to do in the West Bank. In the name of security and because of the rockets, we must hold on to the West Bank, to East Jerusalem, to settle on every inch. Anyone who hesitated, anyone who asked questions, was referred to the horrific show that took place in Gaza. The “trauma of being uprooted” provided its own cure. A defensive shield against peace.

...But then, three boys were kidnapped and murdered...And then came the war...Gaza sealed the fate of the West Bank. If before, it had been possible to fantasize about some sort of peace, if for a second the settlers missed a slight beat because of the talks, now they can relax. Because who would dare mention the word “withdrawal” now? Who would agree to make himself a laughingstock by calling for peace talks? What a wonderful victory. We love you, Gaza.

Another strategic view.

What we need for defense.


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