Friday
Jan232009
Regime Change in Gaza: The Israeli Strategy Continues
Friday, January 23, 2009 at 8:46
Update: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, two days after he talked to President Barack Obama. Clinton assured Abbas of her commitment to the peace process and "affirmed the Obama administration will seek to enhance relations based on the support of the Palestinian presidency and the Palestinian National Authority".
A stunning article in The Jerusalem Post, which exposes the attempt (and failure) to install the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, both to topple Hamas and to score a major victory over Iran.
The immediate focus of the article is the concern of "diplomatic officials" that "the international community has to decide within a short time how to funnel reconstruction aid into the Gaza Strip without benefiting Hamas, before Iran moves in and does the job itself as it did in south Lebanon in 2006".
This, however, is linked to the wider Israeli strategy for regime change. Officials in the Israeli Defense Ministry told The Post, "This is a way for [Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud] Abbas to get back in control of the Gaza Strip. If he is in charge of the money, Hamas will have to work with him and he will be involved in what happens in Gaza."
So Tel Aviv presses on, ever after the failure of their military campaign to overthrow Hamas. The approach now is an enhanced blockade, limiting aid in addition to choking off the Gazan economy. But I still can't fathom the approach: how can you hold a people hostage to starvation, lack of shelter, and inadequate medical care and then expect them to accept your choice of their leaders?
A stunning article in The Jerusalem Post, which exposes the attempt (and failure) to install the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, both to topple Hamas and to score a major victory over Iran.
The immediate focus of the article is the concern of "diplomatic officials" that "the international community has to decide within a short time how to funnel reconstruction aid into the Gaza Strip without benefiting Hamas, before Iran moves in and does the job itself as it did in south Lebanon in 2006".
This, however, is linked to the wider Israeli strategy for regime change. Officials in the Israeli Defense Ministry told The Post, "This is a way for [Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud] Abbas to get back in control of the Gaza Strip. If he is in charge of the money, Hamas will have to work with him and he will be involved in what happens in Gaza."
So Tel Aviv presses on, ever after the failure of their military campaign to overthrow Hamas. The approach now is an enhanced blockade, limiting aid in addition to choking off the Gazan economy. But I still can't fathom the approach: how can you hold a people hostage to starvation, lack of shelter, and inadequate medical care and then expect them to accept your choice of their leaders?
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