8/6/14, "Making the Gaza Cease-Fire Last," NY Times Editorial Board
"In the first good news in a long time, a 72-hour cease-fire appeared to be holding on Wednesday as Israelis and Palestinians tallied what was lost, and gained, during the latest war over the desperate Gaza Strip.
It was easiest to count the losses. More than 1,800 Palestinians, a majority of them noncombatants, and 67 Israelis have been killed. United Nations officials said 408 Palestinian children were killed and 2,502 injured. The physical damage in Gaza is estimated at $6 billion.
There
are important but less tangible costs: the way ordinary Israelis have
had to live in fear of rocket attacks; increasingly bitter strains on
Israel’s relations with the United States; international criticism of
Israel — and the outrage of anti-Semitic protests and violence in
Europe. There seems to be little room left in Israeli politics for those
who would end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and create an
independent Palestinian state.
Both
sides are tallying the blame. In too many cases, Israel launched
weapons that hit schools and shelters and failed to adequately protect
Palestinian citizens. But Hamas knowingly targeted Israeli civilian
centers in violation of any civilized standard and launched weapons from
populated areas in what looks like a deliberate effort to draw Israeli
fire on innocents.
Both sides are claiming victory, Israel for wiping out 32 underground tunnels
that Hamas intended for attacks on Israel, and Hamas for still being
alive. In a mockery of its claim to have a political arm independent of
its armed wing, political officials of Hamas were crowing about its
determination to regroup and attack again.
The
bottom line is that neither side has achieved its main goal of
destroying the other. Israel is not going away. But neither are the
Palestinians, and the extremists among them will always find a place and
an audience if there is no hope and no responsible moderate leaders to
point the way to a better future.
The
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is no longer a narrowly defined problem that can be endured, contained or even managed. To an unusual degree,
the Middle East is unsettled — from refugee flows, the spread of Sunni
militants between Syria and Iraq, the Sunni-Shiite rivalry and even
intra-Sunni divisions. Sunni forces in Iraq are attacking Kurdish and
Christian populations. There is extremism and instability everywhere in
the region.
That
is why it so important that indirect talks between Israelis and
Palestinians in Cairo this week, mediated by Egypt, lay the ground for
something bigger and more durable than one cease-fire. Certain
conditions are clear. Rocket attacks into Israel by Hamas and other
extremist groups must stop, along with other terrorist attacks. So does
the smuggling of weapons into Gaza and the production of a new supply of
rockets. There will need to be an international donors’ conference to
rebuild Gaza, but with assurances that Hamas will not divert money for
civilian projects into rockets and tunnels. Otherwise, there is little
chance that Israel would end the blockade that has kept Gazans confined
to the strip, and deprived them of imports, exports and jobs.
Hamas
wants Israel to release prisoners. The Palestinian Authority, which
recognizes Israel, wants a role in controlling the border crossings
between Israel and Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel,
has signaled an eagerness to have the authority extend its reach to
Gaza. But it cannot just be a policeman. If any agreements come out of
Cairo, they must be designed to strengthen the authority and its
president, Mahmoud Abbas, by managing whatever funds are donated to
Gaza. It may be necessary to have Hamas in Cairo, but the group offers
Palestinians nothing except nihilism and endless suffering.
We
always wish a tragedy like this will finally create a real push for a
permanent peace, but, right now, keeping this fragile peace is a big
enough goal."
"A version of this editorial appears in print on August 7, 2014, on page A26 of the New York edition." ...
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