The Goldstone Report - It's so bad, it's good

The Israeli government boycotted the Goldstone Mission, established by the United Nations Human Rights Council to report on the operation in Gaza. Israel's reasons were the source of the mission, its official mandate and the prior statements of at least one of the members. Nothing good would come of it, and the government saw no benefit in participating.

Now the report has been issued. It meets expectations by damning Israel's intentions and activities.

On the day after it was made public, Ha'aretz devoted almost half its pages to details and commentary. Radio and television have also given it a great deal of attention with prominent contributors.

Part of the Israeli response has been a loud Oy gevalt - the report is so bad it will cause significant damage. Another response is, we told you so - the report is so biased that no right thinking person can accept it at face value.

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The same old Middle East

Iran is again putting several members of the persecuted Bahai faith on trial, this time on charges of attempting to destabilize the country on behalf of Israel.

In Gaza, 30 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in a battle in and around a mosque between Hamas and Jund Ansar Allah, a group said to be inspired by al-Qaida.
 
Nervous Jews are already fearing that the Obama administration will buy into Hamas's story: that it's really a moderate organization, concerned with keeping the extremists from gaining power in Gaza.
 
The Gaza dust-up is one more indication that the Palestinians are a long way from being a nation. While disputes over doctrine mark some conflicts, others are between factions defined by family and village. They all have a substantial "us against them" component.

When tensions peak, the men (and some of the women) reach for their guns and knives. The latest clash involved machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. One of the leaders killed himself with a vest packed with explosives, also killing a mediator who came in an effort to stop the fighting.
 
Among the dead is an 11 year old girl.
 
Human rights groups have not accused either side of overreaction.

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Containing the rogues

The Economist's description of Gaza three months after Israel's invasion makes for difficult reading. The slogans of "collective punishment" and the "world's largest prison" seem accurate. 

Numerous families are living rough due to their homes being destroyed. Diets are limited due to continued blockades of all but essential foods and medicines. The Israeli press reported recently that pumpkins were not allowed in because they were not on the list of essential foods.

America should learn from Israel

The drama of Barack Obama's personality and his campaign of 'Change' have come under assault on several fronts. Reality is at least as tough as rhetoric. The skills that get a politician to office may not be those that enhance government. On the other hand, they might be. The man is smart, and he has good advisers. The test is ongoing. The jury will not decide for a while.

Americans elected Obama, but he must lead the world. On his plate are not only existing commitments to bad wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the pirates of Somalia as well as the lingering issue of conventional troublemaking and nuclear weapons in Iran. Closer to home, the stock market has shown some promise that it may be coming back from its bottom, but there are other signs that the economic crisis has a way to go.

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Israel knows how to say no

The new administration in Washington is down on the floor wrestling with economic problems that are world class and historic in their severity.

Along with that, the campaign theme of Change, some of the new people in Washington and a host of wannabes have sought to refresh some old slogans about the Middle East. They may assert their support for Israel and concern for its future, but they talk about tough love and pressuring Israel to accommodate what they see as essential facts.

Persuasion, perspective and public relations

Israel has an image problem.
 
It has worsened due to Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, a foreign minister-designate percieved by many as a bigot and a prime minister-designate who speaks out against what is widely held to be the key to peace in the region - the idea of a Palestinian state.
 
EU  foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said Europe would reconsider its relationship with Israel if it did not remain committed to establishing a Palestinian state.
 
Israeli officials are worrying about a leftward tilt in the American administration. Liberal Jewish Democrats are unhappy with what they saw in Gaza, and what they see in the new government.

Considering the aftermath

Gaza did not fix everything. Our part of the world is still upside down.
 
Hamas fighters are strutting on the main streets with their weapons, while their leaders proclaim victory from underground shelters.
 
Like Hassan Nasrallah, their counterpart in Lebanon, they may stay underground for the indefinite future. Perhaps they fear Israel if they peek out to the sunlight, or dare hold a victory rally in the open. Or they may fear the people of Gaza, faced with the rubble of wild promises.

What about the propaganda war?

The IDF has destroyed a considerable part of Hamas facilities, its munitions, and the homes of its leaders. It has killed more than 750 people, and injured more than 2,500.
 
What about the propaganda war?
 
Israeli officials, as well as countless Jews and other friends explain the IDF's actions. They may convince those already committed to Israel. They cannot convince those committed to the Palestinian narrative. The pictures and statistics make it difficult to reach people in the middle, including those who seldom pay attention to Israel, but are revolted by disproportionate death and destruction.
 
Israeli sources note the practice of Hamas to use human shields for their evil work, and to delight in publicity given to pictures of dead women and children. Media friendly to the Palestinians have shown films from years ago as if they were current.

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Under the fog of peace

You have heard about the fog of war. Now we are in the fog of peace.
 
The droplets in this fog are the demands and proposals to stop the fighting. So far the participants include officials from France, Turkey, European Union, United Nations, Egypt, Britain, United States, Russia, China, and a host of lesser actors.
 
Each has a slightly different idea. 'Israel should stop its attacks; should stop for 48 hours in order to give Hamas a chance to consider its options; Israel and Hamas must stop together; Israel must open the borders to Gaza for food and supplies, with or without stopping its attacks.'

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Cast Lead and the media

I have lost count of the wars and lesser operations experienced here in the region over the course of 33 years. For some of them I was in uniform and armed, and sent to a combat zone. I never fired anything stronger than a lecture on public policy to the troops doing the actual fighting. On other occasions there were attack helicopters circling above our neighborhood of the French Hill, waiting for an assignment that would take them to a target 5-10 kilometers to the north or south.
 
This time the action is 60 kilometers southwest of here, but neighbors 200 meters away have been restless. No attack helicopters above us, but there have been police helicopters probing with spotlights. Border police units have been on the road to Isaweea. Thick black smoke probably came from burning tires, and explosions that sounded like stun grenades marked a confrontation with marchers protesting what was happening in Gaza.