Ceasing Fire
Israel has come under increasing international pressure to stop shooting. OK, stop.
For once, though, Israel should get ahead and announce the conditions under which it is choosing to stop. If we could be so bold as to make a suggestion to the Israeli government, an announcement could look like this:
The IDF has completed the current phase of operations in Gaza and is withdrawing its forces. The IDF has ceased firing, but will return fire on its way out as required.
The Government of Israel does not agree to a cease-fire with Hamas and reserves the sovereign right to protect the citizens of Israel. It will do so in a manner of its choosing, consistent with its right to self-defense and the obligation of the government to be responsible for the security of its own people - we will not subcontract our security to either Hamas's presumed goodwill or to international forces.
It is up to Hamas to determine the circumstances under which Israel will have to exercise its right of self-defense. The choices it makes will have consequences. If Hamas does not resume firing rockets, Israel will not have to respond. If Hamas does not resume importing arms, Israel will not have to respond. If Hamas does not resume its threat to the people of Israel - in word or in deed - Israel will not have to respond. If it chooses those activities, Israel will respond by eliminating more of the Hamas infrastructure and leadership, as is its right.
The Hamas choice to ally with Iran, import weapons and hold 750,000 people in southern Israel hostage to random, but increasingly long-range and lethal attacks, forced Operation Cast Lead. The IDF has done an excellent job of degrading Hamas' capabilities and eliminating the mid- and upper-mid range of Hamas leadership.
But if Israel has no desire to create a permanent occupation force in Gaza, it must, as it did in the West Bank during and after Operation Defensive Shield, retain security control of the area - "cutting the grass," as the IDF says and having enough of a military presence entering and leaving the territory as it deems necessary to create stability. It was this, plus the Security Fence, that produced the calm on the West Bank that allowed for a political process. No less than Israeli security control would make that possible - although still extremely unlikely - in Gaza.
In order for such medium-to-long range security control to succeed, Israel must reject international forces for Gaza. In Lebanon, UNIFIL became the wall behind which Hezbollah restored and increased its military capabilities. In the West Bank, Israel has retained unimpeded access.
If the Palestinians want political and economic development, it has been proven possible on the West Bank under security circumstances that Israel controls. If they prefer terror warfare, Israel has not only the right, but also the sovereign obligation, to respond.
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