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Tough Love for Gaza: The Reconstruction of Hamastan Makes No Strategic Sense

[Jerusalem Post] Efraim Inbar - Since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in June 2007, most of the international community has argued that the best way to prop up the more moderate Palestinians was to ensure economic support for the West Bank. This would make it clear that Hamas is unable to bring prosperity, while the PA has continued to draw unprecedented economic support from the world. Theoretically, the recent Israeli military offensive against Hamas would seem to complement the international community's efforts to make the lives of the Palestinians under Abbas in the West Bank better than those of the Gazans. Yet, Western leaders seem to have decided that Gaza should speedily be rebuilt. This, of course, sends the wrong signal. It tells Palestinians that their leadership can make grave, deadly mistakes, and nevertheless Westerners will bail them out. It also signals to Hamas that it can continue shooting. There is no way to reconstruct Gaza without strengthening Hamas, and the reconstruction of Hamastan - an Iranian base that threatens Israel and many moderate Arab regimes - makes no strategic sense. Furthermore, all polls show staggering support among Gazans for violence against Israelis. Why should the international community and Israel help people that support Hamas - an organization intent on destroying the Jewish state? The writer is director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.
2009-02-06 06:00:00
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