Hamas's decision to fire rockets in the
direction of Ben Gurion Airport may well have ended any real prospect of a
two-state solution. Whether the regulators and airlines that have stopped
flights to and from Israel are right or wrong, this stoppage cannot possibly be
tolerated by a democratic country that relies so heavily on tourism and
international travel.
It is of course a war crime to target an international civilian airport, as Hamas has clearly done. Israel has every right to keep that airport open, employing all reasonable military means at its disposal. Since Hamas fires its rockets from densely populated civilian areas, there will be more Palestinian civilian deaths.
It is of course a war crime to target an international civilian airport, as Hamas has clearly done. Israel has every right to keep that airport open, employing all reasonable military means at its disposal. Since Hamas fires its rockets from densely populated civilian areas, there will be more Palestinian civilian deaths.
This of course is part of Hamas' grand
strategy: by targeting Israeli civilians and international air travel from its
own civilian areas, Hamas leaves Israel no choice but to take military actions
that risk the lives of innocent Palestinians. There will be even more innocent
Palestinian deaths now, as Hamas has raised the stakes considerably for Israel.
Every country in the world would do everything in its power to keep open the
airports, which are the lifelines to its economic viability. Hamas knows this
and welcomes Israeli military action that produces more dead Palestinian
civilians and hence more international criticism of Israel.
Even more importantly, Hamas' actions in
essentially closing down international air traffic into Israel, considerably
reduces the prospect of any two-state solution. Israel will now be more
reluctant than ever to give up military control over the West Bank, which is
even closer to Ben Gurion Airport than is Gaza.
Were Israel to end its military
occupation of the West Bank—as distinguished from its civilian settlements deep
in the West Bank—it would risk the possibility of a Hamas takeover. That is
precisely what happened when Israel removed both its civilian
settlements and its military presence in Gaza. Hamas took control, fired
thousands of rockets at Israeli civilian targets and have now succeeded in
stopping international air traffic into and out of Israel.
Israel could not accept the risk of a
Hamas takeover of the West Bank and the resulting Hamas rocket attacks at the
nearby Ben Gurion Airport. ... Israel will have to retain military control over its security
borders, which extend to the Jordan River. It will also have to maintain a
sufficient military presence to assure that what happened in Gaza does not
happen in the West Bank....
The new reality caused by Hamas' shutting
down of international air travel to and from Israel would plainly justify an
Israeli demand that it maintain military control over the West Bank...
It was precisely one of the goals of the
Hamas rocket and tunnel assaults to scuttle any two-state agreement between the
Palestinian Authority and Israel. The Hamas Charter categorically rejects the
two-state solution, as does the military wing of Hamas. In this tragic respect,
Hamas has already succeeded. By aiming its rockets in the direction of Ben
Gurion Airport, Hamas may well have scuttled any realistic prospects for a
two-state solution. It cannot be allowed to succeed.
The international community, which has a
significant stake in protecting international air traffic from terrorist rocket
attacks, must support Israel's efforts to stop these attacks—permanently. If
Hamas is allowed to shut down Israel's major airport, every terrorist group in
the world will begin to target airports throughout the world. The shooting down
of the Malaysian airliner over the Ukraine will be but one of many such
tragedies, if Hamas is allowed to succeed.
An attack on the safety on Israel's airport is an attack on the safety of all international aviation. Israel is the canary in the mine. What Hamas has done to Israeli aviation is a warning to the world. In its efforts to prevent Hamas from firing rockets at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel is fighting for the entire civilized world against those who would shoot down civilian airliners. The world should support Israel in this noble fight.
An attack on the safety on Israel's airport is an attack on the safety of all international aviation. Israel is the canary in the mine. What Hamas has done to Israeli aviation is a warning to the world. In its efforts to prevent Hamas from firing rockets at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel is fighting for the entire civilized world against those who would shoot down civilian airliners. The world should support Israel in this noble fight.
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