Gaza, Again

This is what I had hoped for when the Israelis unilaterally pulled out of Gaza three and a half years ago.

That is, since they had absolved themselves completely of the responsibility for governing and providing for a populace that was inalterably opposed to their (Jews’, that is) very existence, let alone their presence in Gaza, they would thereby reserve for themselves the right to conduct military incursions into the Strip whenever they deemed it necessary.

Unfortunately, they never seemed to believe that incursions were warranted, despite the incessant barrage of unprovoked terrorist rocket attacks from Gazan soil.

Until now.

I’m not entirely certain as to what precipitated this unprecedented response (which, to be certain, is exactly what it is: a purely defensive response. Not even preemptory: purely defensive). I surmise that, more than the electoral implications, it takes advantage of the transition period between the Obama and Bush administrations while at the same time giving a rather grand middle-finger salute to the US State Department, which, for all intents and purposes, has yet to recognize that the 1947 UN partition plan gave the Jews a homeland/state (although they obviously recognize their Arab counterparts’ land rights).

If the Israelis are smart and don’t repeat their mistake of letting up as they did in the 2006 Lebanon War, they will continue to bomb Gaza at least until the day Obama takes office, or until the entire Hamas leadership is dead or replaced with a governing body that will not tolerate the conduction of any terrorist activity from its soil.

Now what happens with the inevitable question of civilians, such as when Secretary Rice called for recognition of "the urgent humanitarian needs of the innocent people of Gaza"?

This time, there are no innocent civilians in Gaza. And it’s Rice’—and this Administration’s—fault, because they insisted upon the imposition of “democratic” elections before a fully functioning society was running in the Strip. This terror-ridden failed-state Hamas-driven entity was chosen by its people, and they bear the responsibility for the actions of their leaders, which they undoubetedly approve of wholeheartedly. The war IS with the Gazan population, and the Israelis have nothing to lose by saying so.

It was said around the time of the 2006 Lebanon War that a new set of “facts on the ground” could result. They did, but not in Israel’s favor. This time, let’s hope the Israelis have the fortitude to follow through.