A war of stamina

Israel completely understands the desire of Gaza border residents to move to the center of the country until the violence passes. But it should also be aware that this mass move will exact a price, one that must be paid and not ignored. It is yet another weight added to the burden that sits atop those leading this operation, because these photographs and interviews -- which are completely legitimate and should be and seen and heard -- are mistakenly being interpreted by those on the other side of the fence as a success that hardens the hearts of Hamas and its supporters.

It is the same with the heart-breaking death of the little boy, Daniel Tregerman, in Nahal Oz. Everyone is moved to tears. This is characteristic Jewish empathy and identification. There is nothing more beautiful, but at the same time, it comes with a price to be paid by many Israelis throughout the war.

This may also happen if they send ground forces into the heart of Gaza (on Sunday, I saw photographs showing that the capital city of the Gaza Strip has not yet been so badly damaged as to make its residents turn on Hamas). One can imagine the following situation: Elite units burst into Shifa Hospital and kill the Hamas leaders hiding there in underground bunkers. (Would Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg agree to them killing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the rest of those murderers with no trial, something she took issue with in previous targeted assassinations? When Meretz cries heartache because its decisions during military campaigns are described as "worthless," these are precisely the types of stances that are being criticized.)

But during a successful campaign like this one, a few soldiers may, God forbid, be killed -- as the song goes, "the handsome, young boys." In a sad situation like this one, you must exchange the feelings of mourning, sorrow and doubt -- especially the doubt -- for appreciation of a stellar commando operation that will be studied in military academies around the world for years to come.

The public's treatment of the victims is a heavy burden to carry, but a positive one as well. And if Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz is trying to balance between the necessities and the risks, to exercise both appropriate force and restraint, it is not because the IDF has been deterred. (The price of reconquering the Gaza Strip, as was presented to the cabinet, is not necessarily correct. It could in fact be less. There is reason to think this way when facing attacks like those in the Gaza border communities.) And yet, not much progress has been made on the option of using ground forces wisely.

There is no room to complain about mistakes that cost people's lives. There are mistakes in every war. But there is no reason to rush into these mistakes, the ones burned into our collective memory, like the heroic battle in the Mitla Pass during the Sinai Campaign and the battle at Wadi Saluki during the Second Lebanon War.

Now, the battle is about stamina. It is also about ways of thinking. Hamas has a dictatorship on the latter -- Hamas who murders its own citizens in the town square has a basic advantage over Israel. Public opinion in Gaza is less of a concern than it is in the towns of southern Israel.

It's true, we must not end up in an ongoing war of attrition; and this campaign has already gone on very long; but in a few months time, if the school children from southern Israel join those in the rest of the country -- as has been planned if the conflict continues -- they will sit in packed classrooms and be taught, just as my generation was taught, that you must not lose your patience.

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו