Inconclusive Reflections
Written by Movement for Reform Judaism Wednesday, 07 January 2009
Rabbi Dow Marmur was born in Poland and spent the years of World War II in the Soviet Union before returning to Poland in 1946. He emigrated to Sweden and later moved London to study for the rabbinate at Leo Baeck College. Before moving to Canada he served as rabbi at two synagogues; Alyth in North West London and SWESRS in Essex. He now lives in Israel.
It’s easier to start a war than to end one. Hamas may indeed be responsible for starting the war in Gaza, yet Israel is expected to end it - and end it soon. As Palestinian casualties mount, the calls on Israel to stop the fighting become louder and louder. Not unexpectedly, there are fewer calls for Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel.
Even if Israel’s government would want to comply, it may prove very difficult to end the war in the present situation, less than six weeks before the elections. So far the war has considerably increased the chances of Ehud Barak and his Labor party to do better at the ballot box than hitherto expected, as well as those of Tzipi Livni and her Kadima party. A premature end would prevent them from claiming victory thus undoing their achievements and allowing the leader of the opposition, Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud, to regain the upper hand as the perceived strong and determined leader.
It seems that Israel has another few days before foreign politicians and diplomats return from their end-of-the-year vacation and put even more pressure on Israel. In the meantime Israel would like to bring Hamas to its knees, though that isn’t likely to happen, because Palestinian leaders have a long record of turning defeat into victory, especially now when the media and the public abroad are receptive to their claims.
There’re also calls within Israel to cease fighting. For example, in today’s Ha’aretz the distinguished Israeli writer David Grossman urges Israel to stop the attacks immediately for at least 48 hours, even if the other side continues to send missiles. He has a tragic personal reason for reminding readers that had Israel ended the second Lebanon war earlier than it did, its achievements would have been greater and its losses smaller. Grossman’s son was killed on the last day of that war.
Not that seasoned politicians are necessarily insensitive to Grossman’s call, yet they aren’t likely to act on it, however heart-breaking it is to ignore them. Probably the parents of Gilad Shalit were told something similar. For although Shalit alive has been Hamas’ bargaining chip since his capture, it’s not sure that, in its anger and frustration, it won’t now harm him further. There are already rumors that he has been injured, allegedly by an Israeli air strike. It may be a first installment of more bad news to come.
But even if neither internal politics nor the plight of innocents will determine decisions, there’s much to suggest that a speedy end of the war, albeit without total victory, is in Israel’s interest. For example: (1) More and more Israeli politicians take international public opinion seriously. (2) Israel doesn’t want Egypt and Jordan to have to yield to internal pressures and be forced to come out strongly against Israel. (3) Even those who suspect that the peace process with the Palestinian Authority isn’t going anywhere would like to keep it going, for it helps Abu Mazen and his crew to stay in power. (4) Though the contacts with Syria are still feeble, Israel seems to want them to continue. A prolonged war would thwart these and many other long-term objectives.
Common sense, therefore, points in the direction of a cessation of bombing rather than, as is now on the cards, sending ground forces to cause further devastation. But the prospect of military gains may compel Israel to forge ahead.
Optimism doesn’t come easily in these circumstances. Arm-chair diplomacy and vain speculation don’t do much good either. I apologize for sharing my confusion.
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