(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - Is it possible for the IDF to fulfill the mission of eliminating Hamas? Hamas, a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, is a significant religious political movement in Palestinian society with broad popular support. In 2006, it won the Palestinian Legislative Council elections. Hamas' popularity on the Palestinian street has dramatically increased after positioning itself as the "defender of the Al-Aqsa Mosque." Israel will have difficulty uprooting Hamas, which is deeply rooted in Palestinian society. Still, the IDF can eliminate its military leadership in Gaza, together with its military infrastructure, such as the tunnel system, rocket depots, production workshops, drone systems, and more. There are a series of additional steps Israel could take to weaken the power of Hamas. An international campaign should be launched to demand that Qatar expel the Hamas leadership from its capital, Doha. The Israeli Mossad should pursue the leaders of Hamas worldwide as it pursued the "Black September" organization that massacred Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Israel should arrest all Hamas leaders in Judea and Samaria. Israel must demand from Turkey the closure of the offices of Hamas in Istanbul that direct the terrorism in Judea and Samaria.
2023-10-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive