Israeli officer says tactics backfiring
In my opinion, as a supporter of Israel who nevertheless acknowledges Israel’s hands aren’t totally clean, this is a good thing.
Perhaps it will energize the Israeli left and moderates who think the settlements are more trouble than they are worth. To me, there is little question that these elements of the Israeli body politic have been silenced by the current idiotic 3-year intifada, thus enpowering Sharon. (Way to go, Yasser. :rolleyes: Do the world - and most importantly your people - a favor and die, already. Preferably of a massive coronary while being serviced by a Jewish male prostitute who’s smothered in bacon grease, so you won’t endure as a martyr.)
Certainly if the officers’ comments indicate the attitudes of the professional IDF, this is worth debating. It seems reasonable to assume that Sharon’s dreams of extending the fence way into the territories would require quite a few members of the IDF to defend, which might represent an unsustainable drain on IDF resources.
Furthermore, it seems obvious that the construction of settlements is purely ideological and makes little strategic sense - it stretches resources, it makes for odious anti-Israeli/anti-Semetic propaganda, and it deligitimizes any sort of Palestinian moderate movement as surely as Arafat marginalizes the Israeli moderates.
I’m convinced that Israel must get on the moral high ground (although I’m satisfied that currently, Israel is acting much more ethically than the Palestinians; obviously, much of the world disagrees). Although it has satisfied me, Israel must prove to the world beyond a doubt, that it is not the primary aggressor in this conflct, but is acting in self-defense in the face of Palestinian/Arab hatred.
Withdraw, build the wall along the green line as much as possible to get on the moral high ground, hope that Arafat dies soon, but threaten to unleash hell on the Palestinians/Arabs if the terrorism continues.
Is it possible that the criticism of Sharon’s tactics by members of the IDF would be the spark that reenergizes the moderate (and justifiably fearful) Israelis?