Egypt Is Not Going to Stop the Smuggling into Gaza

Egypt does not mind if Hamas bleeds Israel a little; it gains domestically by indirectly aiding Hamas; gains internationally by playing a mediating role (in a conflict which it helps maintain on a "low flame"); and is incapable of stopping the Sinai Bedouins who smuggle weapons into Gaza.

מבצע עופרת יצוקה בראי אתרי החמאס

מבצע "עופרת יצוקה" מאפשר לבחון את יחסו של החמאס לישראל ולזירות השונות ומעניק לחמאס הזדמנות תעמולתית להציג עצמו בעמדת המיעוט המתגונן לא רק למול ישראל, אלא גם מול הזירה הפלסטינית והערבית, ובמקביל לפעול למען ערעור הלגיטימיות השלטונית של הרשות הפלסטינית ושל העומד בראשה על-ידי הצגתם כמשתפי פעולה עם ישראל, וכבעלי אינטרס בקיומו של המבצע על מנת שיוכלו לרשת את שלטון החמאס לכשייפול. מנגד משתמש החמאס באירוע להדגשת היותו חלופה אותנטית לשלטון הרשות שהזניח את הפלסטינים, תוך קריאה לתושבי הגדה לפתוח באינתיפאדה שלישית כנקמה על מבצע צה"ל ברצועה.

The Need for a Decisive Israeli Victory Over Hamas

A decisive, concretely visible Israeli victory over Hamas – which means pursuing the enemy into its hideouts in Gaza urban areas and refugee camps and bringing about its surrender – is critical to rolling back the march of Islamic fundamentalist political power in the Middle East.

Why Israel Must Have Victory in Gaza

Israel cannot achieve total military victory against Hamas, but there are many kinds of victories it can achieve before the Palestinians change enough to make peace possible.

Hamas: A Case of Strategic Suicide

Hamas miscalculated its strength and support; erred in ending the six-month ceasefire with Israel; unwisely offended and threatened Egypt; and misread Israeli politics.

Israel’s Operation Against Hamas in Gaza: The Need for Realistic Goals

Israel’s Operation Cast Lead goals should be modest: minimizing the damage that Hamas rockets can inflict on Israel. While a Hamastan in Gaza is not the ideal neighbor for Israel, there are several advantages to continuous Hamas rule, including the fact that it makes the "two-state solution" paradigm irrelevant.

Gaza: Risks and Opportunities

The breach by Hamas of the Egyptian-Gaza border has strengthened Hamas' standing in Gaza and increased the current security challenges to Israel, as terrorists and arms cross the porous border and rockets continue to fall on Israeli cities near Gaza. Egypt is forced to play a role in the new situation, which could be the catalyst for Arab states to take responsibility over the Palestinian issue.

The Iran-Hamas Alliance: Threat and Folly

Since the US invasion of Iraq, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Iran has taken on the behavior of a regional hegemon. Indeed, Ahmadinejad speaks and acts as if he is the new leader of the Third World. Iran is setting itself up as the leader of a Mideast "axis of evil" with radical proxies and allies. An important aspect of the new Iranian reach is Tehran's growing alliance with Hamas, which dates back to January 2006. Under Ahmadinejad, Iran has become an active revisionist state guided by radical religious conviction, while Hamas has captured almost complete control of the PA.

The Palestinians and the Second Lebanese War

Many have suggested that Israel's questionable military performance in the Second Lebanon War have impacted negatively on Israel's ability to deal with the Palestinians. However, in reality the recent war revealed that the tendency to see the conflict in broader terms, such as a clash of civilizations, is very much exaggerated.

The Hamas Takeover Serves Israel’s Interests

The decisive victory by Hamas in this week's Palestinian elections, paradoxically, serves Israel's interests. Hamas' win provides Israel and the international community with an opportunity to fashion a tough line against Palestinian Islamic terrorism and to bring the aid-dependent PA into line. Moreover, Hamas is bound to fail in running the PA, leaving open the possibility in the long term for the emergence of a more mature Palestinian leadership.