The government is losing its reason

[Englander]

The government is losing its reason
By Haaretz Editorial

Bombing bridges that can be circumvented both by car and on foot; seizing an airport that has been in ruins for years; destroying a power station, plunging large parts of the Gaza Strip into darkness; distributing flyers suggesting that people be concerned about their fate; a menacing flight over Bashar Assad's palace; and arresting elected Hamas officials: The government wishes to convince us that all these actions are intended only to release the soldier Gilad Shalit.

But the greater the government's creativity in inventing tactics, the more it seems to reflect a loss of direction rather than an overall conception based on reason and common sense. On the face of it, Israel wishes to exert increasing pressure both on Hamas' political leadership and on the Palestinian public, in order to induce it to pressure its leadership to release the soldier. At the same time, the government claims that Syria - or at least Khaled Meshal, who is living in Syria - holds the key. If so, what is the point of pressuring the local Palestinian leadership, which did not know of the planned attack and which, when it found out, demanded that the kidnappers take good care of their victim and return him?

>snip

The prime minister is a graduate of a movement whose leaders were once exiled, only to return with their heads held high and in a stronger position than when they were deported. But he believes that with the Palestinians, things work differently.

As one who knows that all the Hamas activists deported by Yitzhak Rabin returned to leadership and command positions in the organization, Olmert should know that arresting leaders only strengthens them and their supporters. But this is not merely faulty reasoning; arresting people to use as bargaining chips is the act of a gang, not of a state.

The government was caught up too quickly in a whirlwind of prestige mixed with fatigue. It must return to its senses at once, be satisfied with the threats it has made, free the detained Hamas politicians and open negotiations. The issue is a soldier who must be brought home, not changing the face of the Middle East.

Link;
Haaretz

[DELUSIONAL]

1. Voices of reason from within Israel -- a debate if you will

-- this is a positive sign -- there is hope that reason may win after all.

Negotiations are the only way . . . violence and force won't win the release of the soldier.

Thanks for posting this.

[bemildred]

3. There are plenty of voices of reason in Israel.

They just are not allowed anywhere near the levers of power.

[Poll_Blind]

4. Beautifully succinct and so damned true, based on my experience. n/t

PB

[bemildred]

2. Desperate stupidity, it is.

Threaten and attack all and sundry (at least those one dares to, like Syria) in the hope of not looking impotent where it matters. Olmert looks more and more like a tool and a fool as time goes on.