> Sara Roy will be on my radio show this Thursday.
[from an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post, cited by Roy:]
Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Yuval Diskin told the security cabinet Wednesday that Hamas's ability to govern Gaza has been significantly impaired. And that, it appears, is one of the key tactical goals of the military actions of the last few days.
Operation Cast Lead began Saturday with an attack on training bases and command and control centers, the symbols of the Islamist organization's iron grip on the Strip's 1.4 million people.
It also included an attack on a graduation ceremony for a class of Hamas police cadets.
While the assessment in Jerusalem is that Hamas's military wing has to a large extent survived the initial onslaught, albeit a bit bruised, the police have taken a mighty blow. And that is not insignificant, because it is through the police that Hamas has been able to enforce order in the Gaza Strip.
And order is important if you want to rule.
On the second day, the IDF targeted the smuggling tunnels from Sinai into Gaza, tunnels that not only are used to bring in missiles and explosives, but also goods and cash that the residents of the Gaza Strip have come to rely on.
The third day was marked by attacks on the Islamic University, and on the homes of Hamas leaders and the symbols of power.
The fourth day was marked by a destruction of Hamas government offices.
Israel is going after the trappings of governance, of power, of control, of rule. And the reason is the belief that the force that may eventually sweep Hamas from power is not Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah, but pure anarchy.
If Hamas cannot rule, if it cannot provide the people with what they need, if the leaders are in hiding, if anarchy reigns, then Hamas's legitimacy is delivered a major blow.
And this, to a large degree, explains Israel's targets. Jerusalem wants to hit Hamas's ability to rule, it wants to encourage anarchy that would threaten the organization.
Israel's opening of the Gaza crossings to allow in humanitarian aid contributes somewhat to this sense of anarchy, because it makes Hamas look unable to govern. If the Palestinians must rely on Israel's green light to let food aid in from third countries, then that undercuts Hamas's argument that it is able to serve its public.
<http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230733120252&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull>