What Hamas Wants,

What Israel Needs

Neither side can gain from this war of
attrition. But is Benjamin Netanyahu
willing to risk a ground invasion to
stop it?
BY NATAN SACHS- JULY 11, 2014
The war of attrition that's ebbe an !owe between "srae#
an Ha$as sin%e the "s#a$i% rai%a# &ro'( for%ef'##) too* o+er the ,a-a
Stri( in 200. has ret'rne with ro'n three/ 0(eration 1efensi+e 2&e3
The a$a&e is a#rea) &r'eso$e, an bo'n to &et worse3 4i##ions of
(eo(#e are fa%in& %onstant fear of atta%*s fro$ the air/ a broa swathe of
"srae#is are seein& Ha$as ro%*ets tar&ete at the$ 5an "ron 1o$e
efensi+e $issi#es bein& #a'n%he to %o'nter6, whi#e $assi+e air(ower o+er
the s$a## an %rowe ,a-a Stri( is *i##in& s%ores of inno%ents, as we## as
the %o$batants at whi%h it is ai$e3
7itho't in an) wa) i$inishin& the se+erit) of s'8erin&, re(orts on the
%on!i%t %an &i+e the i$(ression that it's to be (er+erse#) %e#ebrate3 So%ia#
$eia in (arti%'#ar see$ to be sa)in& one thin&, in two +oi%es/ 4) ene$) is
e+i#3 "srae#is re(eate#) (oint to the $ora# as)$$etr) between those who
tr) to *i## %i+i#ians an those who tr) to a+oi hittin& the$3 9a#estinians
re(eate#) (oint to the n'$bers of their %i+i#ian %as'a#ties, rea) to a%%'se
"srae# of an)thin&, e+en, (re(ostero's#), :&eno%ie: -- in the wors of
9a#estinian 9resient 4ah$o' Abbas3
B't if we are intereste in (re+entin& the s'8erin& rather than 'sin& it for
(o#iti%a# ('r(oses, the rea# ;'estion is not whether "srae# is stron&er than
Ha$as 5it is, an fee#s no nee to a(o#o&i-e for that fa%t6, nor whether
Ha$as s(ens its ener&) sto*in& terror 5it oes, an oes not e+en %#ai$
otherwise6 rather than on &o+ernin& an e+e#o(in& ,a-a3 <a%e with the
terrib#e %onse;'en%es of war, the rea# ;'estions we fa%e now are/ How %an
this ro'n of +io#en%e en= An what are the sies rea##) after=
The s(e%ia# tra&e) of this ro'n of >&htin& is that neither sie ha %#ear or
attainab#e ob?e%ti+es &oin& in3 "srae#, fro$ the start, in't want this
es%a#ation in ,a-a@ it ho(e to iso#ate the e+ents in the 7est Ban* an
Jer'sa#e$ fro$ the ,a-a front an atte$(te 2&)(tian $eiation before
the oA%ia# o(eration be&an3 "n rare o+ert'res to Ha$as, "srae# %on+e)e its
esire for e-es%a#ation3 "srae#i 9ri$e 4inister Ben?a$in Netan)ah',
es(ite %riti%is$ fro$ his ri&ht !an*, has $ae %#ear that his (ri$ar) &oa# is
to en the >&htin&3 An )et it re#ent#ess#) %ontin'es, with in%reasin&
n'$bers of %i+i#ian %as'a#ties3
The $oest "srae#i &oa# of restorin& %a#$ $a) now e+o#+e into so$ethin&
wier an $ore ea#)3 7ith no en in si&ht to the >&htin&, "srae# is now
%onte$(#atin& enterin& ,a-a with &ro'n for%es3 "srae# wo'# #i*e#) ai$ to
se+er the Stri( in two or three (arts, #i$itin& Ha$as's freeo$ of a%tion
whi#e e&rain& wea(on sto%*(i#es3 "srae# has -- an wi## %ontin'e to -- tr) to
stri*e at the Ha$as t'nne# infrastr'%t're3 7hi#e the 2&)(tian $i#itar) has
ea#t a hea+) b#ow to the t'nne#s between the ,a-a Stri( an northern
Sinai, there are %ontin'e atte$(ts b) Ha$as to i& beneath the "srae#
borer3 50ne s'%h t'nne# was tar&ete ear#) in the >&htin&, when "srae#,
whi%h ha inte##i&en%e on the its %onstr'%tion, feare the (assa&ewa)
wo'# be 'se to in>#trate an atta%* "srae#i troo(s or %i+i#ians36
An "srae#i &ro'n in%'rsion ris*s far &reater %as'a#ties, howe+er, es(e%ia##)
on the 9a#estinian sie3 "n 0(eration Cast Lea 5200B-200C6, "srae#, then #e
b) 9ri$e 4inister 2h' 0#$ert, entere ,a-a in what be%a$e, (rei%tab#),
a &r'eso$e an internationa##) %one$ne o(eration3 "n 2012, 'rin&
0(eration 9i##ar of 1efense, #e b) Netan)ah', "srae# %a##e '( +er) #ar&e
n'$bers of reser+ists, si&na#in& its reainess to enter ,a-a, )et refraine
fro$ oin& so3 1es(ite %riti%is$ fro$ the ri&ht an fr'stration b) tho'sans
of reser+ists for bein& 'se in the b#'8, Netan)ah' %hose %a'tion3 As $an)
ha+e note, Netan)ah', "srae#'s se%on #on&est-ser+in& (ri$e $inister
5after the fo'ner of the state, 1a+i Ben-,'rion6, has on#) en&a&e in two
re#ati+e#) s$a## $i#itar) o(erations/ the air o(eration in 2012 an the
%'rrent one3 1es(ite his haw*ish rhetori%, Netan)ah' is a%t'a##) a %a'tio's,
%onser+ati+e #eaer -- in war as we## as in (ea%e3 This o(eration $a) t'rn
o't to be his >rst $a?or 'se of &ro'n for%es a%ross "srae#'s borers3
7h) then i Ha$as ref'se the "srae#i o+ert'res for e-es%a#ation= 0r, as
4ah$o' Abbas sai to Ha$as/ :7hat are )o' tr)in& to a%hie+e b) senin&
ro%*ets=:
The (o#iti%a# #eaershi( of Ha$as see$s to ha+e been ra&&e into this
%on!i%t b) the e+ents that (re%ee it an b) its own $i#itants, not a#wa)s
'ner the %ontro# of the (o#iti%a# win&3 As Dha#e 4asha#, the hea of the
Ha$as (o#iti%a# b'rea', %#ai$e/ :Yes, we want %a#$3 7e on't #i*e
es%a#ation, an we in't $a*e an es%a#ation3 Netan)ah' i$(ose this
a&&ression '(on 's3: Ha$as now e$ans the o(enin& of the Eafah borer
%rossin& with 2&)(t 5ostensib#) not e+en a e$an fro$ "srae#, ire%t#)6 an
the re#ease of (risoners re%ent#) swe(t '( in "srae#i (o#i%e a%tions3
Ha$as >ns itse#f in a +er) iA%'#t sit'ation, an has for a %o'(#e )ears
now3 Sin%e 2012, when 2&)(t was &o+erne b) a (resient fro$ the 4's#i$
Brotherhoo 5Ha$as's (arent or&ani-ation6, Ha$as's fort'nes ha+e
e%#ine (re%i(ito's#)3 The %'rrent re&i$e in Cairo es(ises the Brotherhoo
an has on#) s#i&ht#) $ore to#eran%e for its 9a#estinian o8shoot3 Aro'n the
re&ion, the a((arent as%enan%) of a%tors frien#) to the 4's#i$
Brotherhoo, in%#'in& Fatar an T'r*e), now a((ears re+erse3 Sa'i
Arabia an the ,'#f %o'ntries 5sa+e Fatar6 ha+e ta*en a harsh stan%e
a&ainst the Brotherhoo, in s'((ort of the new re&i$e in Cairo3
The 2&)(tian $i#itar) has &one to #en&ths to estro) the +ast networ* of
t'nne#s that %onne%te ,a-a to Sinai, thro'&h whi%h both %i+i#ian &oos an
wea(ons were transferre3 Ha$as re&'#ates an taGes these t'nne#s,
(ro+iin& it with an i$(ortant re+en'e so'r%e3
Cornere b) "srae#'s na+a# b#o%*ae of ,a-a an the new 2&)(tian re&i$e,
Ha$as is stra((e for %ash3 2+en the re%ent for$ation of the 'nit)
&o+ern$ent with Abbas's <atah (art) hasn't he#(e/ The ea# (ro+ie
f'nin& to the oA%ia# 9a#estinian A'thorit) 59A6 e$(#o)ees in ,a-a b't not
to Ha$as e$(#o)ees, to whi%h ban*s wo'# not transfer for fear of "srae#i
san%tions3
Ha$as o(erati+es insie ,a-a 54asha# resies in Fatar6 $a) ha+e been
sear%hin& for a wa) o't, fee#in& the) ha #itt#e to #ose3 4ore #i*e#), the) #ost
%ontro# of their own %ares3
Unintene war is har#) new3 This ro'n of +io#en%e %a$e on the ba%*ro(
of a br'ta# fo'r wee*s in whi%h three "srae#i teena&ers were *ina((e b)
Ha$as o(erati+es 5to be fair, Ha$as %#ai$s its #eaershi( i not orer the
*ina((in& -- b't went on to (raise the o(eration6@ an "srae#i o(eration to
re%o+er the$ that #eft se+era# 9a#estinians ea an s%ores of Ha$as
s)$(athi-ers in ?ai#@ hate %ri$es a&ainst Arabs b) "srae#is that %'#$inate
in the horri>% $'rer of a 9a#estinian teena&er@ an wies(rea #ow-#e+e#
+io#en%e a$on& 9a#estinians an "srae#i Arabs in Jer'sa#e$ an the 7est
Ban*3 So$e ha+e e+en s(o*en of the start of a Thir "ntifaa3
The horrib#e e+ents on&oin& ha+e been a rea%ti+e $ess3 Neither "srae# nor
Ha$as has $'%h to &ain fro$ it, whi%h on#) as to the tra&e)3 There $a)
be so$e roo$ for a ea# in+o#+in& the Eafah %rossin&, b't "srae# an 2&)(t
wi## #i*e#) insist that the 9A $an that borer (oint -- as was the %ase before
the Ha$as ta*eo+er in 200. -- to a+oi renewe s$'&&#in& or rewarin&
Ha$as for its +io#en%e3 "n an) %ase, ne&otiatin& s'%h a ea# a((ears far o8
at (resent3
"n the $eanti$e, ea%h sie is stri+in& to (ro+e its reso#+e an restore
eterren%e a&ainst f't're infra%tions an inter+entions3 2+en if "srae# were
to enter ,a-a with &ro'n for%es, it's 'n#i*e#) to tr) an to((#e the Ha$as
re&i$e, for fear of the i$$ense %ost of s'%h an o(eration to the #o%a#
(o('#ation an to "srae#i troo(s3 "nstea, "srae# (refers a wea*ene,
eterre, b't e8e%ti+e Ha$as3 7ith the t'nne#s fro$ Sinai now %#ose, a hit
to the Ha$as sto%*(i#e stans so$e %han%e of #astin& #on&er than (re+io's
atte$(ts, sin%e it wo'# be harer for "s#a$ists to re(#a%e the #ost
wea(onr)3
B't e+en if its wea(onr) were e&rae, Ha$as's $oti+ation to (ro+e
:resistan%e: to "srae# wi## re$ain3 4ost a%'te#), this ro'n of +io#en%e has
the (otentia# to reinfor%e the 'nrest -- whi%h ha s'bsie -- in the 7est
Ban* an in Jer'sa#e$3 A f'## b#own "ntifaa, (ossib#) %o'(#e with atta%*s
fro$ Lebanon or e#sewhere, %o'# $a*e this ro'n of +io#en%e see$ ta$e
b) %o$(arison3
An )et, the #a%* of tr'e ob?e%ti+es for either sie in this %onfrontation a#so
o8ers so$e ho(e3 7ith #itt#e to &ain, a %ease>re, if rea%he, $i&ht ho#3 "f
Ha$as %o'# be bro'&ht to sto( >rin& its ro%*ets, "srae# wo'# #i*e#)
re%i(ro%ate3 The for$iab#e %ha##en&e, howe+er, is to >n %hanne#s thro'&h
whi%h to %reib#) $eiate with a s(#intere Ha$as, as the Unite States is
now re(orte#) tr)in& to o3
B't witho't a f'na$enta# %han&e to the re&i$e in ,a-a -- one whi%h "srae#
wo'# #i*e to a+oi %arr)in& o't itse#f -- the is$a# %)%#e of this war of
attrition wi## #i*e#) %ontin'e3 Toa), &enerations of "srae#is an 9a#estinians
&row '( s'8erin& a br'ta# rea#it) for whi%h the) b#a$e on#) the other3
4eanwhi#e, two (o('#ations ha+e be%o$e esensiti-e to h'$an s'8erin&
an are in%reasin&#) (rone to wish +en&ean%e '(on the other3 This, sa#), is
attrition at its $ost (oint#ess an br'ta# nair3