Gaza war ended in utter failure for Israel

Last update - 04:19 22/01/2009


Gideon Levy / Gaza war ended in utter failure for Israel

By Gideon Levy


On the morrow of the return of the last Israeli soldier from Gaza, we can determine with certainty that they had all gone out there in vain. This war ended in utter failure for Israel.

This goes beyond the profound moral failure, which is a grave matter in itself, but pertains to its inability to reach its stated goals. In other words, the grief is not complemented by failure. We have gained nothing in this war save hundreds of graves, some of them very small, thousands of maimed people, much destruction and the besmirching of Israel's image.

What seemed like a predestined loss to only a handful of people at the onset of the war will gradually emerge as such to many others, once the victorious trumpeting subsides.

The initial objective of the war was to put an end to the firing of Qassam rockets. This did not cease until the war's last day. It was only achieved after a cease-fire had already been arranged. Defense officials estimate that Hamas still has 1,000 rockets.

The fourth objective, which remained undeclared, was not met either. The IDF has not restored its capability. It couldn't have, not in a quasi-war against a miserable and poorly-equipped organization relying on makeshift weapons, whose combatants barely put up a fight.

The heroic descriptions and victory poems written abut the "military triumph" will not serve to change reality. The pilots were flying on training missions and the ground forces were engaged in exercises that involved joining up and firing weapons.

The describing of the operation as a "military achievement" by the various generals and analysts who offered their take on the operation is plain ridiculous.

We have not weakened Hamas. The vast majority of its combatants were not harmed and popular support for the organization has in fact increased. Their war has intensified the ethos of resistance and determined endurance. A country which has nursed an entire generation on the ethos of a few versus should know to appreciate that by now. There was no doubt as to who was David and who was Goliath in this war.

The population in Gaza, which has sustained such a severe blow, will not become more moderate now. On the contrary, the national sentiment will now turn more than before against the party which inflicted that blow - the State of Israel. Just as public opinion leans to the right in Israel after each attack against us, so it will in Gaza following the mega-attack that we carried out against them.

If anyone was weakened because of this war, it was Fatah, whose fleeing from Gaza and its abandonment have now been given special significance. The succession of failures in this war needs to include, of course, the failure of the siege policy. For a while, we have already come to realize that is ineffective. The world boycotted, Israel besieged and Hamas ruled (and is still ruling).

But this war's balance, as far as Israel is concerned, does not end with the absence of any achievement. It has placed a heavy toll on us, which will continue to burden us for some time. When it comes to assessing Israel's international situation, we must not allow ourselves to be fooled by the support parade by Europe's leaders, who came in for a photo-op with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Israel's actions have dealt a serious blow to public support for the state. While this does not always translate itself into an immediate diplomatic situation, the shockwaves will arrive one day. The whole world saw the images. They shocked every human being who saw them, even if they left most Israelis cold.

The conclusion is that Israel is a violent and dangerous country, devoid of all restraints and blatantly ignoring the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, while not giving a hoot about international law. The investigations are on their way.

Graver still is the damage this will visit upon our moral spine. It will come from difficult questions about what the IDF did in Gaza, which will occur despite the blurring effect of recruited media.

So what was achieved, after all? As a war waged to satisfy considerations of internal politics, the operation has succeeded beyond all expectations. Likud Chair Benjamin Netanyahu is getting stronger in the polls. And why? Because we could not get enough of the war.



Haaretz

I love it?

A loud and clear box on the ear to Israeli firsters. Thank you.

Way to go sir, if only 0,002% of the Israeli zionist government official had simple HUMAN moral like yours, many innocent lives would have been spared.

The bulling state of Israel is not worthy of the Star of David on its flag. It should remove it and put a bull-dozer in its place.

death to hasmas and its leader in norway qbone

Event Info Host: Channel 4
Type: Other - Ceremony
Time and Place Start Time: Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 11:00pm
End Time: Friday, January 23, 2009 at 12:15am
Location: Channel 4

Description
In this Dispatches special, Jon Snow examines the difficulties that news organisations around the world have faced in reporting the conflict in Gaza. Who is getting the true picture of events as they happen?
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5 minutes of your time: please send this email to our foreign secretary

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TO: milibandd@parliament.uk
CC: private.office@fco.gov.uk


Respected Foreign Secretary,

I am deeply disappointed with our government's response to Israel's actions in the Gaza strip.

Not only has the Israeli army murdered hundreds of civilians but they are in clear breach of he Arms Export Control Act of 1986 (AECA) as US Rep Dennis Kucinich pointed out recently.

With the United Nations, the Red Cross, Amnesty international, and many others accusing Israel of war crimes with evidence that is very difficult to deny, and in addition to the short term humanitarian aid which makes little long term difference as Israel just comes along and destroys everything anyway, I would like my government to push for the following:

1. Sanctions against Israel by way of accountability

2. An apology from the Israeli ambassador and if not, his expulsion from the UK by way of protest

3. Lead the process to ensure a Palestinian State free of abuse from Israel

As a UK tax payer, and member of the electorate, I would like my government to listen to and take action against this aggressive nation whose respect for human rights is clear to see with the number of children who have been murdered as a result of their actions; and the destruction of large swathes of the Gaza strips infrastructure.

If we do not accept bullies in our schools then surely we should not accept one country bully, abuse, manipulate and destroy another?

I look forward to your reply and confirmation that you will take REAL action against the government of Israel. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

get fucking real

I wouldn't call it a total failure.
Pre-war: Israel wanted a cease-fire but Hamas refused. Post-war: There's a cease-fire in place.

lets hope not there are still some left alive lets finnish the job

Traditionally in that area, women are the builder of the family (the core), men are out for the income, to support the core.

You kill the woman, you kill the entire family.

Whether you are agreed or disagree is irrelevant.

That is what they believe, living and dieing by it (the core) law, please do not compare your western culture with cultures you have no idea's about.

And the core law won't deny women's right for education and advancement, the problem is, in Palestine very few educational centres (you may call it) is available to Palestinians.

If the godforsaken Zionist occupier allows it the whole nation will bloom.

Ok?.

But first we should resolve 60 years old Palestinian RIGHTS then we'll get around with woman's right later.

ALWAYS LATER FOR WOMEN WHY NOT NOW GIVE THE WOMAN A SAY SO IN HER FUTURE