A historic act by the chief of staff

[bemildred]

Mr. Mitzna speaks his mind. Be glad.

...

For three years, an attempt was made to silence
the criticism by means of the old slogan,
"Quiet, we're shooting," and the contention
that the critics were adversely affecting the
security of the state. The concept, which
Sharon and Shaul Mofaz - first as chief of
staff, then as defense minister - formulated
with considerable talent was that all the
Palestinian organizations, and in effect the
entire Palestinian population, support
terrorism and desire Israel's destruction; that
the Palestinian Authority is no less an enemy
than the leaderships of Hamas and Islamic
Jihad, and therefore we must not talk with it,
still less believe it; and that terrorism can
be defeated by the use of military force.

The failure of the concept was apparent from the
initial stages of the fighting. The dry figures
showed immediately that the more we pounded the
Palestinians, the more terrorist attacks there
were. The more we beefed up our presence in the
territories, the more casualties we sustained.
And the more we lashed out at Arafat, the
stronger he became. It was obvious to any
sensible person that IDF policy in the
territories was undermining the security of
Israel's citizens and was contrary to the
state's interests. Far from defeating
terrorism, the prevailing policy - closures,
checkpoints, liquidations - is creating
terrorism. It is heightening the hatred of
Israel, isolating the country internationally
and placing us in existential danger.

However, both the government and the IDF
continued to labor under the mistaken concept
that maintains terrorism can be defeated only
by means of military force. As though in a
stupor, the government ministers followed the
Sharon-Mofaz concept and missed no opportunity
to torpedo every attempt to extricate Israel
from the quagmire into which Sharon has plunged
it, after extricating itself, battered and
bloodied, from the Lebanese quagmire into which
Sharon plunged it 20 years earlier.

...

The State of Israel can defeat Palestinian
terrorism, but only if the fighting is
paralleled by a political process. Separation
from the Palestinians by agreement, which will
make possible Israel's reestablishment as a
Jewish, democratic state within permanent
borders that are recognized by the entire
international community, will be a true victory
not only over the threats of terrorism but also
over the demographic threat. The military path
has failed, and the time has come to return to
the path of negotiations. The Geneva
understandings prove this is possible. History
will not forgive those who choose to send the
nation's children into a needless war.

Haaretz

[Darranar]

1. Mitzna hits it perfectly...

too bad his party has only 19 seats.

[bemildred]

2. FWIW

"The State of Israel can defeat Palestinian
terrorism, but only if the fighting is
paralleled by a political process."

This is classic Maoist doctrine for waging "People's War",
the political dimension is always primary, must be primary,
and it requires a high degree of military incompetence to
not understand it. It has proven out in practice many times now.

It is one of the reasons that I call Sharon a moron, because
he has made it a policy to attack the Palestinian political
entities that were most desirous and willing to negotiate a
settlement. Now they will have to be reconstructed.

One may easily draw parallels with Iraq at present, as well,
where a similar degree of stupidity about the importance of
political structure was shown by Mr. Bush's minions.