Way back in December I was prophesying that Israel's attack on Gaza would be counterproductive. Well, I hate to say "I told you so", but did Israel accomplish any of its goals?
Stop the rocket fire into Israel? No, Hamas is still firing rockets: bigger ones
Reduce Israeli casualties? No. Israelis killed during entire ceasefire period = 1. Number killed during Operation Cast Lead = 14.
Destroy, or even weaken Hamas? No, they're not only still there, they're claiming victory.
Gain advantage in the upcoming elections? No, polls show the numbers have not changed.
Stop smuggling? No. They need the Americans and Egyptians to help.
Gain face after their humiliation by Hezbollah? No. They've turned world opinion against them, even damaged international relations.
Reduced Hamas's ability to attack them? No. They still have box cutters, that Al Queda used to attack the US sucessfully.
Weakened the Palestinians will to resist? Of course not.
Consider: The US casualty rate on 9/11 was one thousandth of one percent. The Palestinians would have suffered that loss rate if the IDF killed 15 people. Instead, they killed over a thousand; a casualty rate seventy times higher. If Al Queda had been as successful as the IDF and 210,000 Americans had died, would the survivors have surrendered?
Al Queda destroyed a couple of office buildings; the IDF Destroyed over 4000 homes and other buildings, leaving over 50,000 people homeless.
Remember, when the Warsaw Ghetto was reduced to a field of rubble and all inhabitants killed, snipers still came out of the sewers to kill Nazi troops for weeks afterward.
Israel and George Bush share the tough guy fantasy of the school bully. When faced with a problem, fight, and the more you hurt the bad guy, the more you win. It didn't work for Bush and it won't work for Israel. It's immature, childish and stupid. I think it's safe to say that when you make your enemy stronger and kill more of your own people than the enemy, you've failed.
So, my prophecy came true: Do I get streams and fruit?
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