Is the Middle East Exploding?

by Muqtedar Khan

Israel has responded in a very aggressive fashion to the provocation of kidnapping of an Israeli soldier. It has in return kidnapped over 30 Palestinian parliamentarians [the American press is describing this action as “arrested”] in addition to bombing bridges, shooting cars, power plants and sending tanks across the Israel-Gaza border.

Three things are triggering this:

[1] The new Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert is seen as a novice when it comes to security, he is over reacting in order to prove to Israelis and perhaps to Palestinians that he has not only emulated Sharon on the matter of unilateral separation, but is also capable of a Sharonic military action. The jets crossing into Syria are supposed to signal his willingness to go the distance and also expose the military impotence of the Arab allies of Hamas.

[2] Israel is genuinely susceptible to kidnappings. In the past they have released hundreds of Palestinians in return for a handful of Israelis. This strong response is to discourage Palestinians from making kidnapping a regular means of resistance to the occupation. Kidnapping and targetting of Israeli soldiers may prove to be a more lethal weapon than even suicide bombings, since kidnapping soldiers is military action and not exactly terrorism; it will hurt Israelis without bringing moral condemnation of Palestinian actions as suicide bombings justly do.

[3] This action is another message to the Palestinians that electing Hamas maynot serve their interest, but will bring more mysery.

As fas as Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas is concerned, this is not a good development for them.

[1] This Israeli action will expose the limits of the Palestinian government when it comes to providing security to its own people.

[2] This episode sends the message that even when in power, Hamas is either still a resistance movement and therefore not ready to be a partner for peace, or it is a government incapable of controlling militant action from within its borders. It also faces the risk of Palestinains ultimately blaming Hamas for Israel’s brutality. Already Hamas is looking as ineffectual as PA use to.

[3] For a while now the public opinion in the West, particularly in Europe was shifting in Israel’s favor, possibly Israel’s overreaction may once again remind that Europeans that even though the Palestinians have voted for Hamas, they still are victims and live under a brutal occupation.

Visit Muqtedar Khan’s site at http://www.ijtihad.org/