Needless sledgehammering

There were occasions in the past when strife in West Asia threatened to spin out of control.

There were occasions in the past when strife in West Asia threatened to spin out of control. But rarely more so than now, as Israeli forces continue their brutal search for Corporal Gilad Shalit, held captive by Palestinian militants somewhere in Gaza. The Israeli government seems to have over-reacted to the kidnapping, going by the disproportionate use of force in attacking offices of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, and the arbitrary arrests of Parliament members and ministers. The targeting of water pumps and power stations has engendered a humanitarian crisis in the region. Levels of stress and trauma are high and doctors are running short of vital medicines. Even Switzerland — usually known for its political neutrality — has reportedly condemned this ‘collective punishment’ imposed on Palestinians, calling it a breach of the Geneva Conventions.

HT Image

Such retaliations only serve to give Palestinian extremists exactly what they want, a reason to fight back, and hardly have any more moral justification than their terrorism. Without any military experience, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and his Defence Minister could hardly be expected to use military judgment in situations like this. So it’s not surprising that in their eagerness to appear tough, they don’t want to take risks that someone like, say, Mr Sharon would have, to negotiate a deal with the militants.

But what is surprising is Tel Aviv’s failure to realise that even attacks carried out ‘with care’ to avoid harm to civilians are justifiable only if Israel also seriously tries to reach a negotiated solution. Ruling out talks completely and continuing Israeli settlement expansion deep into the West Bank merely suggests that the ‘unilateralism’ initiated by Ariel Sharon was never intended as a means of renewing the peace process, and could be a strategy for avoiding it. A disturbing thought.