Tuesday May 29, 2007

Column:

Israeli leadership has finally reached a breaking point.

Israeli masses have finally reached a breaking point.

It has taken too long - much, much too long but finally, Israel has realized that the daily bombardment of the citizens of Sderot, aka the Neglected City of the Negev, is not the status quo.

Israel has finally come to realize that it is neither natural nor acceptable for Qassam rockets to fall on the streets of Sderot - first frightening, then injuring and now killing the citizens of this impoverished city. For years, literally years, Qassams fell, citizens ran for shelter, damage was assessed and life went on. But then the bombing intensified, citizens attempted to run not into shelters but out of the city, the damage was no longer limited to property and life could not go on. And that is when it all clicked. That is when the reality of the lives of the citizens of Sderot smacked the rest of Israel in the face.

And then Hamas declared victory over Israel.

Proudly, loudly, Hamas laughed at Israel. Hamas described the ease with which they were able to loft rockets into a significant Israeli city. At will. With impunity.
And Israel realized that Hamas was correct. Until pushed to the edge, Israel empowered Hamas. Until pushed to the edge, Israel ignored, demeaned and derided Sderot.

How could it happen? Not how could Hamas attack an Israeli city. But how and why did greater Israel allow itself to not only accept but also embrace through neglect the fact that one of their cities would be under regular attack by the enemy, by tens of rockets every day. The answer brings shame upon the people of Israel.

In the eyes of most of Israel, the city of Sderot, the hometown even of the Israeli defense minister, was irrelevant.

Another reality brought forth by the bombardment of Sderot is that until now, right now, the masses of Israel saw Sderot and the inhabitants of Sderot as less than second class citizens. They were citizens no one cared much about. They were poor. They were immigrant. They are North Africans or they are from the former Soviet Republics. They do not matter.

The masses of Israel thought of the people of Sderot as expendable. Not even worth the effort or the loss of time.

And certainly not worth the lives of the soldiers who would be sacrificed if Israel entered Gaza in order to change the status quo and make life more bearable in Sderot by stopping the rockets.

And so Israel waited, hoping it would all go away. But rather than go away, the situation intensified. And now, when Israel can do nothing other than enter into Gaza the lives of those soldiers - just like the lives of the residents of Sderot, are at even greater risk.

Yuval Diskin, director of Israel's Shin Bet, the Internal Security Administration, briefed the Israeli Cabinet on the situation awaiting the Israeli army as they now enter Gaza on their quest to put a stop to the Qassams. "They'll be waiting for us with explosive tunnels, snipers, road bombs and anything else they can think of ..." the director said.

But go in they must. According to my own analysis the only way Israel can put an end to this situation is by thinking short term and acting short term.

Short term for the army means in and out. It means target, attack, return home. The only way to stop the bombing is to use an integrated system. Israel must hit Hamas from the air and from the ground. Israel must use Special Ops forces going in and coming out. Israel must be fast. Israel must send in surgical teams to find, hit and capture targets. It is the only way to save the citizens of Sderot. It is the only way to incapacitate Hamas.

Israel must make it clear to Hamas that they are now in charge. That Israel will continue to assault from land and from air until Hamas-lobbed rockets stop falling through the sky and landing inside Israel.

According to Diskin the plan is working. Over the past few days Hamas has begun to be hurt badly by Israeli forces. But Hamas is not an easy enemy to defeat. Hamas is still not on the verge of collapse. The Palestinian people have no faith in Hamas and the Israelis are attacking inside Gaza but Hamas fighters remain highly motivated and well armed. Knocking out Qassam storage, transport and construction facilities will certainly set Hamas back.

Short term for Sderot means looking at the situation week by week. Was this week quieter than last week? How do you measure? Determine if more adults returned home this week than last week. See if more children came home. Check the offices of trauma specialists to determine if they are feeling a dip in volume and intensity.

And then Israel can think about long term solutions. And then Israel and Israelis can put the shame of Sderot to rest.