THE Palestinians need to learn a lesson, right?
The indispensable Tom Segev, on teaching miltary lessons as a way to establish deterrence.
And here are some past examples of lessons taught and learned: Qibya, 1953, Samu’a, 1966, “Security borders,” 1967-73, Aerial bombing of Lebanon, 1974-5, Litani Operation, 1978, Lebanon War, 1982, “Iron Fist” suppression of Intifada, 1988, Operations Grapes of Wrath, 1995, Defensive Shield, 2002, Second Lebanon War, 2005.
ALL OF THESE operations have in common serious provocations from Palestinian and, after the extension of occupation to South Lebanon, Islamist insurgents; provocations including the loss of Israeli lives. The response of Israeli military professionals, in all cases, was that Israel’s response would have to be disproportionate; that the attack was coming because Israel was perceived as weak and needed to improve its deterrent power.
But in no cases did the Israeli attack deter further attack and in many cases it unleashed unanticipated violence, prompting new alliances against Israel which then led to new, more complex attacks, along with increasing diplomatic isolation.
The point is that to fight is to show your will not be the loser…
