Once upon a time, it could have been so easy to monitor what was going on in Gaza

by Elyakim Haetzni

Ynet.com - July 12, 2006

What a shame. If only the town of Dugit were there, the IDF wouldn't be fighting to

recapture it, and nobody would be firing missiles at Ashkelon from there. If only Elei Sinai and Nissanit were there, the army would have a permanent presence there, and "international opinion" would not be pressing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to get the army out of there. Because an army that isn't protecting civilians is an occupying army.

It's too bad that at the end of the day, the "fingers plan" turned out to be

right. That plan spoke of the necessity of civilian settlement in Gaza as an

anchor for military presence.  

But it's not only from the north. They are now shooting at Netivot, Kfar Maimon

and Kibbutz Saad from other places, and the army wants to divide up the Strip.

For this, they will need a "fingers plan" in south Gaza that will reach all the

way to the sea, in order to monitor the Gaza port. Call it Netzarim.  

Who's protecting who?  

Today, the army is complaining that it will take an entire brigade to accomplish

this, and that soldiers will be forced to remain on the ground for an extended

period. It's too bad, really. When Netzarim was there, a battalion was enough to

accomplish such a task.  

But the peace camp protested: What?! An entire battalion to protect a few

settlers?! And the hostile media rejected settler statements that it wasn't an

IDF battalion protecting settlers, but rather it was settlers and that IDF

battalion protecting the Negev.  

Strong opposition  

Reports from the battlefront say the IDF has been surprised at the ferocity of

the Palestinian resistance and the quality of their weaponry. This is really too

bad. Before the settlers were expelled from Gush Katif, this stretch of land

enabled the IDF to monitor the Philadelphi Route and the Rafah Crossing.  

Weapons now flow freely across them, and the army is forced to "monitor" these

areas from Dehaniya. And as an "occupier," it's time there is limited.  

If the curse of "realignment" actually comes to pass, we will soon see tunnels

from Jenin, Tul Karm and Qalqilya, and rockets that will be fired from the

outposts like Hersha, Mitzpeh Lachish and Givat Assaf currently slated for

destruction will explode in places like Modiin, Kiryat Gat and Jerusalem.  

Today, the IDF is in every corner of Judea and Samaria. After Elon Moreh,

Itamar, Shilo and Eli are erased, the army will be forced to re-conquer those

ruins, at a heavy cost in blood.  

Today the world does not demand the evacuation of an air force base next to Ofra

and the IDF camp near Beit El. But after those towns are destroyed the army's

presence there will be intolerable to the international community.  

Small country to a Qassam  

How many evicted settlers, stunned and traumatized, bitter and dispirited, would

be prepared to return today to Gush Katif, to absorb thousands of mortars?

Kibbutzim in the area were so happy, and today they are tasting the taste. How

about asking them for forgiveness?  

So protect the settlers who are still there, over the green line. Just look how

small Israel is to a Qassam rocket! How far is it from the Hermesh, Avni Hefetz,

Einav and Shavei Shomron communities slated for destruction to Tulkarem, and

from there to Netanya?  

Protect the young people who live in mobile homes and caves in the South Mount

Hebron area, thus allowing the army to control the flow of terror to the Negev.

And protect outposts such as Skully, Ronen and Yitzhar, that provide a

foundation for the IDF to control Nablus. Protect your brothers who went into

the lion's den to protect you.  

It's too bad, really. You've got nothing better against fanatic Islam.  

Are we really similar to the antibodies, whose function is to protect you from

foreign attack but destroy the immune system from within?