ISRAEL SHOULD USE ITS LEVERAGE WITH HAMAS

Leverage in Hamastan - David Horovitz (Jerusalem Post)

• In the words of Maj.-Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, the former national security adviser, here is how Israel should be grappling with Hamastan and its repercussions:
• First, Israel should set out its immediate interests in Gaza, which he lists as: 1) an end to Kassam rocket attacks, 2) a prevention of the further arming of Hamas, mainly via the Philadelphi Corridor, and 3) the return of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
• Next, he recommends, Israel should recognize that it enjoys a certain leverage to try and achieve those interests. To that end, the last thing Israel should do is throw away its leverage by declaring that it recognizes that it must provide humanitarian aid, electricity and water, and must open the border crossings and so on. Rather, on the declarative level, it must say that "Gaza is an enemy political entity, in its activity and its orientation."
• As a consequence, Israel should further say that it must insist on keeping border crossings closed in order to stop arms smuggling, and that it is prepared to attack not only Kassam cells but also Gaza government targets and supply routes in order to improve security for Israel. This would prompt international protests, "but Israel's response would be, 'Well, that's how we have to act because we are up against Hamas.'" However, Israel should also declare that "if our three immediate interests are met, we'll be able to step back."
• The guiding principle, Eiland stresses, is that it is not in Israel's interest to maintain supplies to Gaza, "so why do it for nothing? Why give up on our interests? If we give Gaza all it needs, and Hamas is able to keep firing and keep rearming, we are left with no leverage."