When I saw the following link at Ha’aretz – Aluf Benn: ‘Hamastan’ is prototyope for future Palestinian state, I was surprised. Benn is a committed leftist, and I was surprised that he was acknowledging the danger of strengthening Hamas. Then I read it.
Three years after the disengagement, 15 years after Oslo, Israel faces an independent Palestinian entity with full security and civilian responsibilities for a contiguous area in which there are no Israeli soldiers or settlers. Finally there is someone prepared and able to manage Gaza “with no High Court and no B’Tselem,” as Yitzhak Rabin hoped. Finally there is an authentic Palestinian leadership that rose from the grassroots and demonstrates discipline and enforcement abilities. Finally the buds of mutual deterrence are emerging that may bring calm to the border.
For better or worse, “Hamastan” is the pilot program of the Palestinian state – the laboratory for a permanent-status agreement.
This column isn’t one of despair. Benn really thinks it’s a good idea. In fact he sees it as following another success:
The model for the tahadiyeh is based on the arrangement developed by Ehud Barak and Hassan Nasrallah, who created it around the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from Lebanon in 2000. At its heart is Hezbollah’s willingness to enforce quiet on the Lebanese side of the border without giving up its hostile ideology and bellicose rhetoric. Hamas insisted it would not be the “policeman of the occupation,” and refused to restrain other groups until it gave in to the weapons of hunger and closure and to the temptation of receiving indirect recognition of its rule in exchange for enforcing quiet.
Hamas and Hezbollah are not only Iran’s proxies on Israel borders; every time Israel reaches an agreement with either, they are gearing up for the next conflict. The failure of Israel to insist on the disarming of Hezbollah after 2000 is the cause of the 2006 war. The kidnapping of Regev and Goldwasser wasn’t an isolated incident. It was one more breach of the international border by Hezbollah. Each violation was more brazen, threatening Israel to respond.
Aluf Benn lives in a fantasy world where enemies don’t mean what they say, where Iran isn’t spoiling to control more and more of the Middle East and where there is an acceptable level of terrorism.
Coincidentally, when I saw the Benn article there was another article about a failure to confront evil at an early date, when taking appropriate action might have prevented greater destruction later.
“
Hitler vor Gericht” (Hitler on Trial) explores the 1924 trial of Adolf Hitler in Munich for his part in an abortive coup d’etat that could have earned him the death penalty.
Instead, he served just nine months in prison and was able to rebuild the shattered Nazi party soon after his release.
Had Hitler been given a long sentence, the history of Europe might have been very different, said Ian Kershaw from the University of Sheffield in England.
Living with Hamas and Hezbollah is no prescription for peace and calm. The longer these malignant groups are allowed to thrive, the more damage they will cause. Aluf Benn is an arrogant and blind fool to believe that it’s good thing that Israel’s borders are controlled by these terrorist organizations.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
