Had Tuesday's short-lived unilateral cease-fire lasted, Israel would have not won; nor would it have restored deterrence. It would ended the flare-up in the south with a draw that would have allowed the terrorists to regroup and resume hostilities later. Such a denouement to a conflict between a regional superpower and a terrorist organization would have redefined the balance of power in this conflict. This would have not been the first time Israel and a terrorist organization are on a level playing field. Recall Israel's humiliating surrender in 1993, when the Jewish state and Yasser Arafat's terrorist organization were ostensibly at par with one another as they signed Oslo I accord. Israel has since been engaged in a "peace process" and maintained contact with terrorists who have been bent on destroying it: Arafat, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. I cannot think of any other country that pays such respect to die-hard terrorists who want to eliminate it. Israel has often paid a fee of sorts, through various concessions, just so it could have the honor of holding talks with terrorists over how they would like to annihilate it. During World War II, when the Allies fought Nazi Germany, they did not engage in talks, let alone make concessions for free. They demanded unconditional surrender. In our region, Israel does not get to set demands; only the enemy. Having already agreed to a draw, the least Israel could do is retaliate forcefully and without delay for Hamas' latest rocket fire. It should forgo forbearance or restraint, lest it be perceived as nothing more than a paper tiger. Israel must make sure Abbas and his cohorts stay out of any future deal. Abbas shares a blood bond with Hamas, his terrorist ally. He is part of the axis of evil, even though the lefties among us have tried to portray him as a moderate with whom we can sit down and talk. That is why we must ignore President Shimon Peres, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Labor Chairman Isaac Herzog and Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Gal-On, who have been tireless in the efforts to make him relevant again. Hamas has been very open about its intentions. Abbas, its blood brother, shares the same goal, but has been lying and deceiving his sympathizers in Israel and abroad. As for the possible ground assault Israel might launch: There is no justification for putting the lives of Israel Defense Forces troops in danger so long as there are other options that have not been exhausted, options that could spare Israeli blood. One could, for example, take the Gaza Strip off the Israeli electrical grid. Israel should not provide Gaza Strip with free electricity, period. The legal powers that be can voice their objection until the cows come home. Power outages do not create the same bad optics as, say, destroyed homes, but their impact is felt across the board. Israel would meet its obligations by supplying Gazans with water and food; it is not duty-bound to supply the enemy with goodies. Israel's strength has been compromised by the underground fortifications Hamas has built under residential homes in the Gaza Strip, using cement it got from Israel -- cement that was ostensibly designed to rebuild homes destroyed in previous operations. This underground apparatus, which threatens Israeli soldiers, could result in more Israeli casualties. Let's hope wisdom prevails this time around; let's hope Israel will not be so naïve as to provide its enemies with cement. Israel's unwillingness to use the massive array of troops it has assembled along the border sends the message that Israel is a paper tiger; it undermines deterrence. It seems as though the reserve call-up was nothing more than stagecraft that was designed to show Israel's determination. If that is the case, it would have been better not to announce the call-up in the first place. Operation Protective Edge has shown that Israel has great defenses. In soccer, a team that just hunkers down will not emerge victorious. At best it will squeak out a draw. This is not the same as restoring deterrence.
Professor Ron Breiman is the former chairman of Professors for a Strong Israel.
Israel must not become a paper tiger
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
