Sic Semper Tyrannis

The Israelis and Hamas

 "The long war with Hamas has changed Israel, and for the worse. It has in many ways robbed the country of the ability to make decisions courageously and independently. From suicide bombings to rocket attacks to its demands for Gilad Shalit - Hamas has made many Israelis grow callous to the plight of Palestinians, as a whole, and to lose faith both in the efficacy of their own government and in the very possibility of peace.

Hamas remembers and exploits what we have forgotten: the underlying dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas understands that the basic motivating force of post-Holocaust Jews is fear, and that the basic motivating force of post-Nakba Palestinians is humiliation. Hamas understands that Israel's attempts to address its fears often cause Palestinians additional humiliation. And Hamas knows even better that Palestinians' attempts to redress their humiliation often deepen Israelis' fears."  Haaretz

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A wise Jewish friend told me that to understand the Jews one must understand the pervasive nature of their fear. That truth gave me insight into the depths of the difficulty that Israel has in making peace with the Palestinians.  The Israelis trust no one.  That lack of trust is a barrier to any sort of relationship with non-Jews.

"We have our pride."  That is the bottom line in countless conversations with Palestinians, Lebanese, Saudis, etc.  This attitude is as large a barrier to peacemaking as the fear that is everywhere in Israel.

Unfortunately, many Israelis now seem to enjoy humiliating Palestinians.  The two communities appear to be farther apart than ever before.

COIN is the fad of the decade.  The Israelis do not do COIN.  They do  "wog bashing." I hope everyone comprehends that.  COIN = Counterguerrilla operations + political action + economic development.

I was taught that personally by Bernard Fall.  I don't care whatever kind of wordy crap is in the field manual.

The Israelis do not do the last two. Hamas has won several elections.  That would indicate in the COIN environment that Hamas must be included in a deal.  Instead of doing that, the Israelis seek to bully the Gazans into abandoning their support of Hamas.  Economic development?  What a joke!  The Israelis seem to relish the thought of Palestinians in rags, starving and literally driven from their homes.

The author of this Haaretz piece says that Israel "inadvertently" created Hamas during the first intifada. No. No.  Senior Israeli officers told me at that time that the growth of Hamas had been quite thoroughly sponsored by the Israelis in order to create an effective rival for the PLO.  It did not occur to them then that a party based on religious zealotry as well as nationalism would appeal to so many Palestinians.

Yes.  The Israelis think they understand the Arabs.  This is yet another joke.  pl 

http://www.haaretz.com/magazine/week-s-end/how-to-win-with-hamas-1.299653

"No policy change" in Afghanistan

 Sending David Petraeus to Afghanistan was a brilliant political move by President Obama.  He had to relieve McChrystal.  The Republicans were going to try to "sell" that as evidence of abandonment of the great COIN crusade.  Petraeus' appointment made that impossible.  At the same time the assignment removes DP from the list of possible Republican candidates in 2012.  Clever.

On the other hand...  There is the pesky little problem of the war itself.  Obama's clear statement that there would be no policy change locks the US into an open ended commitment to nation building in a place that has never been a nation in more than name.  

I like the rugs of Afghanistan.  I like the food.  I like the grand wildness of the land, but Afghanistan is a bottomless pit into which we are pouring money and people in a futile attempt to make something out of nothing.

Mineral deposits?  Wonderful.  Someone will make a lot of money from those deposits.  None of it will benefit the citizens of the United States.

The July, 2011 date for the beginning of a withdrawal is now a joke.  There will be some token movement of troops out of the country next year, but "the word" will be passed that this should not be taken seriously.  

No.  We are going to there for a long, long time.  Petraeus should do something serious about revising the ROE.  He should also authorize more Burger King establishments.  The troops are going to need whatever comforts that can be provided them.  pl

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/world/asia/29prexy.html