Even Dim Bulbs Can Shine
One wouldn't call the Hamas leadership brilliant by any means. Any group that harbours a grievance conceived to be completely outside the sphere of human interaction to resolve other than by complete capitulation, as though its side only has merit and none exists on the other, cannot be too bright. Hamas is so fixed on its right to exact vengeance on behalf of a perceived wrong that it has proven utterly incapable of human compromise.And as a violent movement whose purpose it is to annihilate, destroy the existence of an established nation, along with its citizenry for the single-minded purpose of "reclaiming" land they insist was taken from its rightful owners, it continues to pursue its goal. Unreasoning, dedicated to the task at hand, willing to bide its time until it feels its moment has come.
For which purpose it has continued to build up its armaments, using the temporary cease-fire with Israel as a handy cover.
As Israel has faced neighbourly hostility since its inception, it has some idea how best it might tackle the problems confronting it; assaults, both verbal and physical from heads of state, from proxy militias. Those terror groups - and they are numerous and in continual growth-mode - pursue internal struggles of their own through internecine quarrels; sectarian, tribal, clan-derived.
But they do watch one another carefully and they do learn from one another.
So it's hardly surprising now that Hamas, having witnessed Hezbollah's triumph in having succeeded in persuading a humane, human-rights-observing, democratic government to free hundreds of prisoners in exchange for the mortal remains of two of its soldiers feels emboldened to do likewise.
Another victory of monumental proportions, awaits Hamas, in a part of the world where justice and peace and accommodation are given little practical human credence.
Thick-headed they may be to the particularities of free societies and the obligations of leaders to act in the best interests of their populations, but the shell-game of recent vintage hasn't been lost on Hamas. Egypt, attempting to broker talks between Israel and Hamas to free its abducted IDF member, has been informed that Hamas will stand down from negotiations.
Unless and until Israel first releases Hamas political leaders, and agrees to open the Rafiah border. No caution now constrains Hamas from demanding what it will in response to the comparatively meagre release of a single Israeli.
After all, Hezbollah realized great success in its gambit; offering two IDF abductees - alive or dead - in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli incarceration. Knowing full well how vitally important it is to Israel to make efforts beyond what appears explicable to its adversaries, to return to its soil, dead or alive, any of its citizens held captive by its various enemies in the region.
Perhaps it will not work this time around. It's possible that Israel will stand firm and demand an equivocal, simultaneous exchange; the life of one Israeli for countless selected Arab prisoners in jail for their part in attempting to displace the State of Israel, and in the process violently assaulting its people.
Labels: Israel, Political Realities, Terrorism
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, August 07, 2008
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