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What to Do About the Kassam Rockets?

(Jerusalem Post) Efraim Inbar - No defensive system to intercept Kassams is yet available. The Palestinians count on Israel's reluctance to attack targets in dense population areas and/or to employ land operations inside Gaza. Most observers accept that the buffer zone strategy alone will not defeat the threat. The key operators of the Kassam attacks have to be identified and eliminated. Asking the Egyptians to intervene undermines Israel's deterrence, since such pleas underscore our helplessness. International law definitely permits military response, including artillery shelling, aimed at the sources of fire, even in urban areas. Creating a refugee wave - by the threat of force in urban areas and by precise fire on empty buildings - would exact a high price for Kassam attacks, which might result in some Palestinian restraint. Israel has no obligation whatsoever to be nice to the Palestinians if they are indiscriminately killing, or trying to kill, civilians and damaging, or trying to damage, vital infrastructure installations. Israeli policy should be to clearly signal that life on the Palestinian side of the border will be invariably affected by Palestinian violence intent on deteriorating the quality of life on Israel's side of the border.
2006-01-03 00:00:00
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