I think they should have done this a long time ago.

They should decide what part of the West Bank they need for security. Then, they should give the rest to the Palestinians (with Gaza, but keeping Jerusalem.)

Then, everytime the Palestinians attack, declare to the U.N. that they are being invaded by Palestine, launch huge bombing raids against Palestine (killing 5,000-50,000 people), and asking the U.N. to broker a truce in this new war. After 3-4 wars in the first 3-12 months, the Palestinians will turn on Hamas and we will finally have peace.

i could have guessed this was going to happen, since the Egyptians allowed the Palis to bring all those weapons across the border as soon as the Israelies had moved out...did anyone think they Palis were going to just sit on all those weapons and save them ???...they meant to use them as soon as they could unload them and get them close enough to the border with Israeli and fire them off....Israeli now should crush the Palis as quick and ruthlessly as possible...the Palis were given there best chance at real peace and what did they do with it???...and any and all liberal/leftists should keep quiet, the Israelies have the right to attack them Palis this time...there is NO question at all on this...the Palis want to play games???..well the Israelies should give them a free lesson...it should also turn out to be the last if the US would stop holding the Israelies back

I agree with your perspective on the new calculus on the ground. In fact, I agreed even before you wrote it, but I don't blog, so I can't prove it. Suffice it to say that great minds think alike.

However, I think you are missing the next interesting question to ask. OK, so Israel will treat Gaza as a foreign country and deal with it as such. That Hamas controls Gaza and will do the stupid stuff that they very predictably do is a given. Now, Israel will react just as they would if any other foreign country did it. So the next question, how will the rest of the Arab countries react? If Israel and Syria were exchanging artillery fire, you can bet that several other nearby countries, such as Egypt and Jordan (peace treaties not withstanding) would at least be mobilizing if not fighting. How will Egypt and Syria react when Israel militarily fights with Hamas in Gaza?

My prediction is that Egypt and Jordan do their best to sit it out. But Syria will try very hard to make hay with it. Assad will try to raise his position within the Arab world to the 'true representative' as a Pan Arab rather than 'just Syrian' leader. He will try to use it to divert his domestic troubles externally. And he may even be partially successful at it. Boy Assad will be the one neighbor 'confronting' Israel, which is worth some street cred on the over rated Arab Street.

That may be in Israel's best interest, but I think it may complicate our interest in shaking the foundations of every Arab country by creating a modern Arab society based on rights rather than dictatorship. Our prime target #1 just got handed a shield and the conspiracy theorist will seem ever so slightly less kooky when they say we are confronting Syria on behalf of the 'JOOOOOOOS!'

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