BEGIN-SADAT CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AFFAIRS
by Major General (res.) Yaacov Amidror
August 26, 2014
Executive Summary: Since the launch of Operation Protective Edge, Israel has made a series of wise tactical choices that contribute to the diplomatic and military effort. Had Israel launched the operation against Hamas tunnels sooner, prior to the abduction of the three Israeli teenagers, Israel would have been accused of initiating an unnecessary military operation. Had Jerusalem not accepted the first cease-fire proposal, which would have left the tunnel network intact, Israel would not have enjoyed international legitimacy for the fighting that ensued.
Over the past few weeks, some have argued that Israel should have launched Operation Protective Edge sooner, and that it should have taken the initiative before Hamas’ tunnels became an actual threat. Others have argued that had Hamas agreed to the first cease-fire Israel offered, the enemies’ tunnel system would have remained intact and ready to be used for terror attacks in the future.
The first argument has no merit. Israel cannot launch a complex military operation every time a new threat is detected, and even when a threat is ascertained, the ramifications of a military operation must be carefully thought through, and various aspects – not just military ones – must be considered.
Imagine if we had launched a counter-tunnel operation a year ago. In all likelihood, it would have been very similar to the current military campaign. We may have had fewer casualties had we been the ones to surprise Hamas, but such a surprise attack would have surely resulted in a greater number of civilian Palestinian casualties.
What would we have done had the IDF suffered dozens of casualties without the prelude of the abduction of the three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank? What would the world’s reaction have been to a large Israeli operation had it not been provoked? What would have been the reaction of the Arab world to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza?…..
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