Two birds with one stone
Exhausted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz appeared yesterday with short announcements for the public that showed the three have a long road ahead of them. In effect, there was no news. They did not give us any glimpse into the progress of the security forces in searching for the abducted teens. The statements to the public from the IDF's Central Command Headquarters were intended for discerning ears on two subjects:
First, Israelis were asked to be patient. Not to press, not to grumble the "come on already" we know so well. Not to point to a day without dramatic news developments as one that was wasted. This request shows that the trio at the top has accounted for the practical possibility that the operation will continue for longer than people expect and that the public should be prepared for that eventuality. Typical Israeli impatience is known as a burden on the national leadership.
Why will it take time? Because the clear, transparent move without trumpet blasts to rescue the boys is not one operation, it's two. The first and immediate one, the urgent, burning mission, is the hunt for the gang of Hamas murderers in the hope of finding the boys alive. This goal will be achieved, but not necessarily soon.
To this we must attach the military gambit to another operation intended to attack Hamas infrastructure in Judea and Samaria. The wave of arrests of terror operatives thus far reveals the extent to which it was built up even before Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas gave his blessing to a Palestinian unity government, and the extent to which it has gained steam since the deal.
Despite the public discomfort, the kidnapping is being used to drive many of Hamas' operatives out of Judea and Samaria. Abbas and Fatah have an interest in doing so, and are hinting at it on the sly. But even if the mission of driving Hamas out isn't fully realized, there is no doubt that the PA will welcome "Operation Brother's Keeper" if it weakens the Hamas base in the territory it controls.
Abbas called Netanyahu on Monday and condemned the abduction. The conversation was meant to give Israel a wink and a nod to continue purifying Judea and Samaria from most of the Hamas strongholds there. Which is why the PA leader has instructed his security forces to share information with Israel, and they did. It's convenient for him that everything be done under the auspices of the American and European policy of eradicating all terror activity.
The other issue intended for discerning ears was related to Netanyahu's appeal to the international community to support Israel's moves against Hamas. He asked for extensive assistance, but probably understood that he cannot prevent the United States' willingness for dialogue with the Palestinian unity government. But he will be able to temper U.S.-Palestinian cooperation for quite a while, and some European nations might join in.
This is not a strategic decision. Washington is refusing to listen, and Abbas does not dare to oppose Hamas the way Egypt does. But Netanyahu might be able to chalk up a long-term tactical victory against the Palestinians, maybe even to the silent satisfaction of America, Egypt, and the PA in Ramallah. It's a shame to miss such an opportunity.
טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו