Policy Reevaluation towards Gaza

Fire of Liberty

Lee Harris has a wonderful piece over at Tech Central Station which furthers the argument that the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was actually a strategic blunder and has increased the chances of more acts of terrorism against being committed against Israel to go up ten-fold. If you notice the most recent reports of the Israeli settlers being forced out of their homes in the Gaza Strip, the PA comes out of the deal smelling like roses because they didn't have to make any concessions in the deal. Instead of asking the PA to curb the activities of the various Palestinian militias or taking on and disrupting the various terrorists like Hamas, Islamic Jihad or al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the PA or the supporters of a more assertive approach towards Israel seem to be enjoying the moment and setting their eyes on even larger goals. Even PA leader Mahmoud Abbas couldn't resist to point out his overall desires when he noted "The Israeli withdrawal...is very important and historical step, but it is an initial step that should take place not only in Gaza, but in the (entire) West Bank and East Jerusalem."

In fact, the purveyors of terror are already marching in the streets in the PA territories noting that their continued use of terrorism was the main reason that Israel left Gaza(Even though Israel left on it's own accord. Perception is the key to everything.). So while Israel might wager that by leaving Gaza to the Palestinians is a safe bet, I can ensure you that the terrorists - who fly their flags of death and want to rid the world of Israel - will only find greater strength in their push towards achieving Abbas's stated goal. Harris pretty much sums everything up with the following paragraphs:

A child who has discovered that by screaming at the top of his lungs he can bring his parents to make concession to him is apt to continue to deploy the same policy whenever his parents attempt to thwart his will. He has learned a trick that infallibly works for him, and why should he abandon the use of this trick so long as it brings him success?

It is absurd to blame human beings, of any age or of any background, for continuing to pursue a policy that has been rewarded with success each time that it has been tried. If you have taught a dog to fetch a stick by giving him a treat each time he brings you back the stick, it seems a bit ridiculous to scold him for making the inference: "If I fetch my master a stick, I will get what I want."

Similarly, it would be nonsensical to explain to those waving the Hamas banner that the blood of their martyrs had nothing to do with the current liberation of Gaza. As the Palestinians watch Israeli soldiers removing Israeli settlers from their homes, is it possible that they cannot fail to see this as an act of national desperation on the part of Israel?

If there is a roadmap to be found in all of this, it is a roadmap that informs the terrorists that what is required in order to defeat the West is just a bit of patience and persistence -- and, of course, the blood of future martyrs. This, of course, is not how the Bush administration sees it, nor is it how the current Israeli government sees it. But it is certainly how the militant Palestinians see it -- and, in the end, it is their interpretation of the Gaza pull out that will matter.

Until the Israeli government demonstrates to the PA and various terrorists that terrorism doesn't pay by refusing to cede land to individuals or groups that continue to practice such horrific acts, they can be guaranteed that terror is lurking around the corner. Let's hope that Israel will keep up the pressure but with the Gaza pull-out I'm very skeptical of the cessation of terrorism.