HERZLIYA, Israel — A leading parliamentarian asserted that Israel has enabled Hamas and
other Palestinian insurgency groups to significantly strengthen over the
last five years. He contrasted this with the successful U.S.-led war against
Al Qaida.
Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense
Committee, said Israel's muted approval of the Hamas participation in the
Palestinian Legislative Council would result in significant repercussions.
Steinitz, whose panel receives weekly briefings from Israel's intelligence
community, said the international community would ignore the Jewish state's
warnings of Hamas, Middle East Newsline reported.
"There's no question that this [Hamas participation in the PLC
elections] will hurt Israel's
image as one which battles terror," Steinitz told the Herzliya Conference on
Sunday. "This will include the effort to stop money to Hamas charities."
Steinitz said Israel has maintained an impressive string of tactical
achievements against Hamas. He cited the Israeli military assassination of
most of the Hamas leadership from 2003 and 2004.
In contrast, the United States has failed to eliminate the Al Qaida
leadership, Steinitz said. But
the parliamentarian chairman said that while the United States created an
alliance against Al Qaida that succeeded in foiling numerous plots, Israel
enabled Hamas and other Palestinian insurgency groups to create a formidable
weapons and infrastructure.
Steinitz said the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip has enabled
Hamas to threaten Ashkelon and many surrounding towns. He said Israeli
additional unilateral withdrawals from the West Bank would place Jerusalem,
Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities under missile threat.
"The result is that which takes place in Sderot and Ashkelon will spread
in case of unilateral withdrawal to Jerusalem, the central of the country
and Ben-Gurion Airport," Steinitz said.
Steinitz said Israel has failed to internalize Arab missile threats,
including the need to revise its force structure. He said Israel must
develop a missile and rocket capability that is land- and sea-based, rather
than using air-to-ground munitions.
"We have to see whether to fire weapons from a $100 million airplane or
fire the same rocket from a $50,000 truck or from a ship," Steinitz said.
"If these changes aren't implemented in the next few years, Israel could
find itself in conventional conflict for which it does not have a response."
