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Washington's View of Gaza Truce Does Not Align with Israel's Security Interests
(BESA Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Yaakov Lappin - The U.S. has spent months trying to pressure Israel into a long-term ceasefire with Hamas that would serve American interests. But the U.S. view fails to address Israel's need to ensure sustained freedom of operation in Gaza to prevent Hamas from regrouping; to counter Hizbullah's massive military-terrorist infrastructure and stop its 11-month-long assault on northern Israel; and to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions, which are intended to provide a protective cover to the entire jihadist Iranian axis. While the U.S. has played a vital role in coordinating and taking part in defensive operations that have greatly benefited Israel, particularly during the April 14 Iranian missile and UAV attack on Israel, and has played an essential role in supplying Israel with war munitions, it has no desire to be drawn into sustained offensive operations against Iran. American efforts are therefore far from fully aligned with Israel's interests, as they apply a "band-aid" approach that would leave festering threats in place. American officials have released statements at almost every step of the war in Gaza designed to cast doubt on Israel's ability to deal with Hamas, as well as Israel's ability to militarily take on Hizbullah. Yet there appears to be no purpose to the release of these statements to the public by American officials other than the overall goal of pressuring Israel into a Gaza ceasefire. There is little reason to continue to pretend that American and Israeli security interests in the Middle East are identical. The U.S. long ago decided to seek de-escalation as its primary goal. Israelis should think twice before automatically accepting the claim that Washington's regional agenda and public statements always promote Israel's own critical security needs. The writer, a military affairs correspondent, is a research associate at the Miryam Institute and the Alma Center.