[T]he solution is not as simple as simply ending the checks on sea and land traffic by Israel. What’s needed is a new regime that addresses the legitimate needs of Palestinians in Gaza without further empowering Hamas and its patron, Iran. …
But Israel’s policy has not been aimed at weapons smuggling alone. It also has choked off many consumer goods and supplies needed rebuild Gaza’s economy. The worthy but futile purpose has been to pressure Hamas to alter its refusal to recognize Israel—or at least to release an Israeli soldier whom it abducted from Israeli territory in 2006. Though Israeli officials say they allow adequate supplies of food and medicine, UN agencies report that malnutrition is growing. Power, fuel and water are in short supply, and sewage systems are not operating due to lack of repairs. Meanwhile, Hamas is receiving many of the goods its militants want thanks to hundreds of tunnels dug under the Egyptian border. …
Easing controls over Gaza runs the risk of giving Hamas a major boost at the expense of the rival Palestinian Authority. So Israel should simultaneously push forward with plans to relax its control over the West Bank, by taking down more roadblocks, turning over more territory to Palestinian security forces and making trade and foreign investment easier. Access the full article>>
