Israel's warning: rocket fire from Gaza will result in a Palestinian 'holocaust'
An Israeli government minister has threatened that the Palestinians are facing a "Shoah" in the Gaza strip - the Hebrew word which is normally reserved to describe the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews.
Leaving aside the controversial use of the word Shoah, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Israelis are considering launching a full scale invasion of Gaza. In the two days since a rocket from Gaza killed a mature Israeli student the Israelis have killed 33 Palestinians, five of them children.The declaration by the Deputy Defence Minister, Matan Vilnai, came amid fresh calls from some Israeli politicians for a ground invasion of Gaza provoked by the launch of eight Soviet-designed Grad rockets into the southern city of Ashkelon during the lethal violence of the past three days.
Mr Vilnai declared: "As the rocket fire grows, and the range increases – and they haven't yet said the last word on this – they are bringing upon themselves a greater Shoah because we will use all our strength in every way we deem appropriate, whether in air strikes or on the ground."
The former Labour minister and general in the IDF military told Army Radio: "We're getting close to using our full strength."
The Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, is thought to be very wary of authorising a major ground offensive in Gaza. But Tzachi Hanegbi, chairman of the Knesset foreign affairs and defence committee and a hawkish member of Mr Olmert's ruling Kadima party, said yesterday: "The State of Israel must make a strategic decision to order the IDF to prepare quickly to topple the Hamas terror regime and take over all the areas from which rockets are fired on Israel." He said the IDF should prepare to remain in those areas for years if necessary.
Yossi Beilin, the former minister and ex-leader of the left of centre Meretz Party, said that a diplomatic rather than military solution was needed.
He said that Hamas had at least twice made requests "via a third party" to agree a truce. He added: "My solution is to reach a ceasefire with Hamas."
The Israeli public are keen, not just on a ceasefire, but on the Israeli government negotiating with Hamas. 64% of Israelis say that their government should be in negotiation with Hamas.
So when we hear talk of an imminent Shoah in the Gaza strip, we should remember not only that Hamas have twice offered a ceasefire, but that the majority of the Israeli public want a negotiated settlement to this.
Olmert may well decide to invade and recapture Gaza, with the aim I suppose of removing Hamas from power, but he would be much better advised to do what he should have done all those months ago when Hamas were democratically elected to power. He should enter into negotiations with them.
That's what most Israelis want him to do. And it's a much more realistic thing to do than to threaten Shoah. Of course, I hold no great hopes that Olmert will follow such a sensible path, the invasion of Lebanon has already shown us how rash this man is when put under pressure.
But one can only hope that, in a democracy, the wishes of the people counts for something. The ordinary men and women of Israel do not want a Shoah, indeed they do not want any form of confrontation with the Palestinians, they want a negotiated settlement to this madness.
Olmert has been avoiding talking to Hamas ever since they were elected. Sadly, I don't realistically see him changing this policy whilst Bozo remains in the White House.
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