Letters
The Israeli strikes on the Gaza strip
01 February 2009
Dear Sir
There are three lessons to be learnt from Israel’s current actions in Gaza. Firstly, those who call for ‘deals’ with Hamas are deluded. Every truce (hudna) has given the Islamists breathing space to rebuild their terror infrastructure, with lethal consequences for Israeli civilians. It is always fantasy politics to negotiate with a party that seeks your obliteration.
Secondly, Arab-Israeli peace initiatives are futile without tackling Iran. The Islamic Republic is the chief sponsor and financer of the Hamas terror machine, as well as providing support for Hezbullah in Lebanon. As a result, Iran continues to destabilise the Middle East by empowering its terrorist proxies across the region. With the West paralyzed by economic crisis, the likelihood of an Iranian bomb grows daily, creating another serious obstacle to peace.
Thirdly, Israel cannot afford to withdraw unilaterally from disputed territory. In 2000, Israeli troops left Lebanon hastily, creating a vacuum that was exploited by Hezbollah. The 2006 war showed the deadly and predictable consequences. In 2005, Israel evacuated Gaza, creating another territorial vacuum that was later filled, to deadly effect, by Hamas. To offer territorial concessions without guarantees of either political reform or security is short sighted and dangerous.
Yours sincerely
Jeremy Havardi
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