U.S. leaned on Israel not to invade Gaza during economic crisis
Monday, December 1, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
TEL AVIV — Israel came under what officials described as U.S. pressure to maintain restraint in face of Hamas missile strikes from the Gaza Strip.
Officials said the administration of President George Bush sent several messages to Israel over the past two weeks that warned against a military invasion of the Gaza Strip. They said Bush relayed such a message to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during the latter's visit to Washington in late November.
"The White House does not want to spend its last days fighting fires in the Middle East, especially our part of the region," an official said. "The administration has told us that it wants to focus on saving the U.S. economy."
Officials said U.S. pressure on Israel was the primary reason that the military has been prevented from a major ground operation in the Gaza Strip. They said Olmert and his ministers were concerned that any major Israeli operation would anger Bush and harm relations with the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama.
On Nov. 29, the Hamas regime escalated missile and mortar attacks on Israel. In one salvo, eight Israeli soldiers were injured in a mortar strike on a military base along the Gaza Strip.
"There's no doubt we're getting closer to a wide-scale operation in the Gaza Strip, but it will be different from what took place in the past," Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said. "But we must find the right time for an operation."
In 2008, the military evacuated a military base north of the Gaza Strip that had come under Hamas missile strike. Vilnai said the military base at Nahal Oz would not be abandoned.
"We won't vacate every place," Vilnai said.
Officials said the government would be unable to maintain restraint amid increasing Hamas strikes. They said the key would be whether Israeli soldiers and civilians would be injured or killed by the missile and mortar attacks.
"Both Olmert and [Israeli Defense Minister Ehud] Barak are concerned that any Israeli military operation would spark a conflict that would quickly spin out of control," the official said.