(Der Spiegel-Germany) Henryk M. Broder - * The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza last summer has more than anything motivated militant Palestinians to demonstrate to Israel that the conflict is not primarily about territory, the end of the occupation, and the return to the 1967 borders. Rather, it's about all or nothing. It's about the control, not the division, of the region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. * What's the point of military withdrawal when those Palestinians who want a peaceful resolution are unable to assert themselves - and those Palestinians who want to continue fighting merely feel vindicated and encouraged? * Israel has no other choice but to stand tough because every climb down and withdrawal is interpreted as weakness. Furthermore, the word "compromise" is a foreign word in the Arab world. * A "ceasefire" is the most Hamas is prepared to offer Israel, which the Europeans insist on misinterpreting as the first step towards recognition. Rather, it's merely a tactical pause in the war against Israel.
2006-06-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive