Once again, Israel wants to achieve a ceasefire rather than victory
By Ted Belman
In another Haaretz article today IDF recommends major, but brief Gaza ground offensive we learn
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[..] The army recommends that a diplomatic exit plan be prepared while a cease-fire agreement is formulated.
While defense officials tend to favor a clear agreement with Hamas, even if it is not enshrined in a written document, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is considering another idea.
She reportedly believes that it might be better to aim for a situation in which there is no clearly set-out agreement, but Israel would make clear beforehand that it would respond forcefully to any firing from Gaza after hostilities ended.
Olmert, for his part, has conditioned any future truce between Israel and Hamas on the establishment of an international mechanism to monitor the cease-fire. [..]
What a disappointment. Once again the Kadimah government wants to end the war by an agreement, tacit or otherwise, and the placement of an international force. These are fig leafs to avoid fighting to win. An agreement is another Hudna. Another international force is another fiasco.
Olmert and Livni have learnt nothing.
Of course they haven’t. The only reason the war goes on is that Hamas isn’t going to give their expensive campaign commercial the satisfaction of an empty victory. Which is fitting for the Seinfeld folks who run the Jewish State today.
Comment by NormanF — January 1, 2009 @ 3:13 pm