by Prof. Ron Breiman
The most prominent
achievement of Operation Protective Edge was not properly manifested in
the stated goals of the operation -- weakening Hamas, without toppling
it. This achievement, if properly maintained, can be used to protect
Israel from the threat of a renewed "peace process," which would be
based on the erroneous premise that the establishment of an enemy state
in the heart of Israel would bring about peace. Anyone with eyes has
seen the dangers since "peace" broke out in 1993. Those who have yet to
sober up should observe the consequences of the wintry Arab Spring.
Those who do so will understand that Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas, like his brothers in Hamas, is a problem, not a solution.
The extreme hate-filled
speech Abbas gave at the U.N. General Assembly meeting over the weekend
can be viewed with a glass half-full approach -- he did Israel a favor
by revealing to even the peace delusionists in Israel and the wider
world his true face, which is that of a bitter enemy. He is no different
than his partners in Hamas. Their goals are the same and even their
styles are not that dissimilar. Abbas and Hamas comprise an axis of evil
and therefore Israel must not advance suicidal plans under the guise of
a peace process.
Abbas must not be
strengthened while Hamas is weakened. The partial nature of Israel's
achievements in the war means that it must ready itself for the renewal
of fighting -- it will come, because full deterrence was not
established. Israel must not dance around the golden calf of "peace" by
bolstering Abbas and Hamas.
Despite the erosion of
public support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he is still
popular and polls show that voters see no suitable alternatives to him.
In fact, despite the drop in his poll numbers, Netanyahu stands heads
and shoulders above his political rivals who are seeking to oust him.
Operation Protective Edge gave Netanyahu two types of "diplomatic
horizons." In my opinion, Netanyahu should immediately make clear that
his duty as prime minister of the Jewish state is to ensure a diplomatic
horizon for the Jews, not their enemies.
However, it would be
wrong for the 72 Israelis who died in Operation Protective Edge to serve
as a silver platter for the flawed diplomatic horizon of installing
Abbas in Gaza and strengthening him in Judea and Samaria, backed by IDF
bayonets. This was not what the IDF was meant for.
Netanyahu must not
return to paying protection money to the enemy in Ramallah, in the form
of the release of terrorists, a freeze on Jewish construction in Judea
and Samaria or aiding the reconstruction of Gaza. If, God forbid,
Netanyahu is tempted by the reckless advice from the Left, he could lose
his support from the Right. Likud ministers will refuse to publicly
back him if he is suspected of marching down the foolish Oslo path, and
the heads of Habayit Hayehudi and Yisraeli Beytenu will continue to bash
him for not toppling Hamas.
If it becomes clear
that Netanyahu's diplomatic horizon is what the Left and many media
outlets hope it will be, the disappointed Right will not fall in love
with Netanyahu again and he could pay a heavy political price. But if
Netanyahu wants to improve the country's situation, he must mold the
diplomatic horizon in line with his promises and advance Israel's
interests. As I see it, he must, first and foremost, deny the
theoretical connection between peace and a Palestinian state, as these
are a contradiction in terms.
The Zionist vision, not
"peace," must be Israel's top priority. The government should focus on
gathering the Jewish people in their homeland, which would increase the
chances of true peace.
Professor Ron Breiman is the former chairman of Professors for a Strong Israel.
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=10085
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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