Gaza in cease-fire: What Palestinians think of Hamas now, and what that means for Israeli policy.

 

"If Israel relaxes its grip on Gaza’s borders and gives the people of Gaza a sense that the war paid off, they’ll be more likely to credit and support Hamas. From the standpoint of deterrence—the principle that has always driven Israel’s thinking—that’s a disaster. So Israel has every reason to concede nothing. Let Gazans absorb the pain. Maybe they’ll turn on Hamas.

The best argument against this response, with respect to Israel’s strategic interests, is that the cost of granting concessions is less than the cost of not granting them. Yes, if Gaza’s borders are opened, its people will celebrate. Yes, they might applaud Hamas, and they might conclude that belligerence works. But if the borders aren’t opened, the people might radicalize and explode. That’s the warning in those prewar surveys about the political effects of the blockade. Hamas and its violent inclinations might gain more support from the blockade than from its relaxation."

read analysis by William Saletan > 

Gaza in cease-fire: What Palestinians think of Hamas now, and what that means for Israeli policy.: