Haaretz – Adapted
Israel only has an internal foreign policy, according to Henry Kissinger. Operation “Shield and Arrow” made the words that were spoken come true. Netanyahu used all of his skills of manipulation the day after three Islamic Jihad Movement leaders were assassinated to make a heroic television appearance. He also shared riveting tales of bravery.
In celebration, Netanyahu proclaimed, “We have created a new equation,” and claimed, “We have dealt the Islamic Jihad Movement the hardest blow in its history,” but the Jihad remained unaffected and continued to fire 1,500 rockets and missiles. In actuality, neither a new equation nor anything else exists. We shall find ourselves in another round in a few months. Furthermore, it is absurd to boast of a “military victory” since we have a sizable budget, cutting-edge combat aircraft, contemporary tanks, powerful artillery, and a fleet under Western bombardment, while they have absolutely nothing.
This does not imply that we did not need to attack the Jihad; on the contrary, it should have been done. But to boast about a military triumph? This is an intellectual insult.
Netanyahu is a blatant risk-averse person. This is why he planned to wrap off the operation as soon as possible, a day after it had started, once he had succeeded in killing three of the Islamic Jihad's top leaders. He is aware that there is no military solution for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, yet he would not discuss a diplomatic solution with the Palestinian Authority. So, the Gaza-based rockets will soon be back.