Israeli society more cruel than ever

Despite the heavy blow dealt to Hamas by the IDF, the improvement of the security situation in the South and the lower-than-expected number of casualties during combat, something very bad happened to Israeli society during the 22-day offensive in Gaza - dubbed Operation Cast Lead.

On the ethical and moral front, the war in Gaza exposed the many weaknesses of Israeli society. 650 innocent Palestinians, including 220 children, were killed and no one spoke up.

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Accept the cease-fire

The recent Knesset decision opposing a major IDF invasion of Gaza was not made in vain. Even if the reasons to go ahead with such plans seem justified and public support is wide, the ministers along with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak know that the chances of a large operation achieving its goals are slim.  

If IDF soldiers were to enter the crowded refugee camps, they would be forced to contend with a society that is hostile and starving under a suffocating siege that has been in place for over a year, a society that thinks that it stands nothing to lose. Beyond the hundreds of casualties that both sides would suffer, an Israeli offensive would unite Palestinian society as a whole behind Hamas and the images of Israeli tanks chasing Palestinian children will once again return to TV screens worldwide.

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Time is not on our side

At a time when the government of Israel is dragging its feet and essentially dissolving all efforts to reach a permanent agreement with the Palestinians, in international public opinion the idea of the division of the land into two states is becoming irrelevant. In its place is the vision of a bi-national state, which in practice would mean the end of Zionism.

This month, for the fourth year, 'Israel Apartheid Week' will take place in campuses across Canada, Europe and for the first time, in the US. This "week" is dedicated completely to portraying Israel as the South Africa of the 21st century. In the 'Hasbara' framework of Hillel Canada - which acts on campuses across the nation in order to promote Israel's stance and the position of the Jewish people in the student battle between Jews and non-Jews - I had the opportunity to attend Apartheid Week. I tried to pass on to the students an image of Israel other than the one associated with the conflict.

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Concept failure in Gaza

The collapse of the border between Gaza and Egypt represents more than anything the collapse of the Israeli concept which holds that Hamas can be made to break through the suffocation and complete blockade of the people living inside the Strip.

After the unilateral disengagement from Gaza and the rise of Hamas, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority stood united to face this new political and military challenge and sought to oust Hamas from power and have it rejoin the PA under Mahmoud Abbas's leadership.

Israel's working assumption was that a complete blockade and making life intolerable inside Gaza would stir up general discontent and bring about Hamas's downfall. Israel's method - the closure of all crossings, the lack of basic necessities including fuel and electricity - sought to cause the Palestinian population living in Gaza to lose faith in the Hamas leadership and to sooner than later overthrow it.

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