1) The BBC quotes Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon as saying that the goal of the Gaza war is “to topple Hamas.” Ramon should either be fired or reprimanded immediately: setting a goal that high almost guarantees a propaganda loss, because Hamas could use mere survival as a excuse to claim victory. Israel didn’t come anywhere close to destroying Hizbullah in 2006, but when Ehud Olmert set Hizbullah’s destruction as its war goal, it made tactical victories virtually impossible. Maybe the only thing harder than solving the conflict is getting Israeli politicians to shut their mouths for the sake of their country.
2) For all those who claim that deep American involvement in Middle East negotiations is crucial: where were the US representatives in the secret Oslo negotiations?
