THE QUESTION BEING ASKED BY MANY in Israel and in the United States – and perhaps elsewhere – is: If the IDF can eliminate Hamas, why doesn’t it do it?
Good question.
Simple answer: Who has an organization that can rush in and fill the role of government?
UNLIKE IRAN and some other nations with despotic rulers, Gaza lacks a shadow government, a government of people prepared to assume the duties of an overthrown government.
There may be a movement in Gaza able to take over the deposed Hamas role, but apparently it is a deep secret.
Egypt could step in on an interim basis, but so far it has declined to consider the possibility.
Menachem Begin tried to give Gaza to Egypt, but Anwar Sadat was too smart and refused Begin’s “gift.”
Israel ruled Gaza for a number of years. Israeli farmers set up greenhouses and an infrastructure to make the strip self-supporting. When Ariel Sharon forced the Jews out, the indigenous Muslim population quickly destroyed the greenhouses and infrastructure.
Israel, understandably, does not want anything to do with a Gaza government, even on a temporary basis.
When the nazis were defeated (and many escaped to Latin America and the U.S. or were “invited” to the then Soviet Union), the Allies set up governments in their sections.
After the bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese sued for peace, the Americans established an interim government.
Both Germany and Japan today have viable, stable, independent governments.
When the U.S. and its allies overthrew Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi government, neither the U.S. nor its allies had the foresight – or perhaps hindsight – to establish an interim government to rule until the Iraqis could develop a cadre of politicians who would be sufficiently popular to run the country after the U.S. and its allies went home.
Iran was a different model.
When the shah was overthrown, a shadow government headed by the Ayatollah Khomeini filled the vacuum. Khomeini returned from exile in England and took control of the government.
When the nazis were chased out of France, the arrogant Gen. Charles de Gaulle managed to assume political power.
There are no De Gaulles in Gaza.
There are no leaders in Egypt or Israel willing to help Gazans set up an independent government.
The PA in Ramallah can’t govern its own areas, and although Abu Mazen would like to claim he is the president of Gaza as well as the PA, Hamas and the local population chased the PA government’s personnel out of Gaza. Mazen and the Ramallah government would not be welcome in Gaza.
Bottom line: Israel is “stuck” trying – and failing – to protect Israelis near the Gaza border.
If it eliminates Hamas, which it surely could do, what would replace it? The Islamic Brotherhood is the prime candidate, and it is no better – possibly worse for Israel and the Gaza population – than Hamas.
It is suggested that not all Gazans are happy with Hamas, but apparently few Gazans are prepared to make peace with Israel.
For Israel, the bottom line is to suffer Hamas until the Gazans develop a shadow government – even if that government is formed and waiting in exile – Egypt or Jordan, perhaps – ready to return and assume control of the strip with a little help from foreign sponsors – again, Egypt, Jordan, and possibly Israel.
The “fly in the ointment” is Iran, Hamas’ sponsor. Iran will not willingly give up its puppet on Israel’s southern border anymore than it will allow Lebanese to rule their country without its proxy, Hezbollah.
Unlike Gaza, the Lebanese could have a Hezbollah-free government in place in short order; the Lebanese have a great deal of experience in self-rule.
For all the aggravation and danger Hamas presents to Israel, there is nothing to replace it except anarchy.
Until Gazans decide they want a better government, if the choice is Hamas or anarchy, Hamas seems to be the lesser of two evils.
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