Israeli Army May Need to Hit Gaza, General Says

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM — Israel’s military chief of staff warned Tuesday that the repeated rounds of escalated violence in the south would eventually require Israel to carry out another large-scale military operation in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

“We cannot continue with one round after another,” the official, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, told a closed meeting of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. He said the point at which a military operation would become necessary was “drawing closer.”

General Gantz’s assessment came during a routine security briefing to the parliamentary committee. The military later released a summary of his remarks.

Any such operation would have to be ordered by the political leadership, not the military. Nevertheless, the comments raised the prospect of another armed conflict in Gaza, where a fierce three-week Israeli military campaign in the winter of 2008-2009 drew international opprobrium.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/world/middleeast/israeli-military-action-in-gaza-may-be-needed-official-warns.html

[ellisonz]

1. Bad idea.

Israel should wait to see how events in Syria play out. The road through peace in Palestine goes through Damascus.

[King_David]

2. I do not think any sane self respecting country

would sit back and just allow terrorists to fire rockets at them, and wait for things to unfold in Syria.

[ellisonz]

3. I don't think any sane self respecting country

At this point thinks there is a military solution in Gaza itself.

Choke off the supply routes and they will have no rockets.

Israel needs to be spending its energy on propagandizing for peace otherwise it's going to be endless.

[King_David]

7. Peace with Hamas?

What does Hamas want?

There are no Jews in Gaza and yet all the attacks come from Gaza, hence the siege.

[oberliner]

4. How do you see the events in Syria playing out?

Any predictions?

[ellisonz]

5. I'm thinking you're going to see an expanding armed rebellion...

...once you start a war of liberation like that you don't quit unless you're wiped out or 15+ years pass and there's no sign of victory. I think we're going to see a liberated Syria within the next year and a democratic government within two. Libya is a powerful model. I think smaller nations that undergo prolonged conflict tend to have military fatigue if they go democratic. If a dictator emerges they wear themselves out with pointless military campaigns and the state decays if not collapses. I think the end result is a more secure Near Middle East with a free Lebanon and a free Syria - that is resistant to Iranian proxy but still deeply suspicious of Israel. I think in terms of regional security it's a wash for Israel, but in terms of the disruption of a coordinated flow of arms it's a winner.

[oberliner]

6. Thanks for sharing your insights

Hard to imagine how the dominoes would fall after that.