“Had we succumbed to the belligerent calls to bring down Hamas, we would still be tangled up in Gaza today. Hamas has been deterred for now.” Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said that in an interview with Al-Monitor, half a year after the controversial conclusion of Operation Protective Edge on Aug. 26. His comments intimated a critique of his security Cabinet colleagues, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett, both of whom advocated at the time an extensive ground operation and the conquest of the Gaza Strip. According to reports, Bennett is now eyeing the position of defense minister after the March 17 elections.
In the interview, Ya’alon discloses that none of the tunnels coming out of Gaza ended beneath an Israeli community, despite the pervasive feeling among the public. He comes out against the claim that there is a link between the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and international terrorism, and contends that if Labor Party Chairman Isaac Herzog, Hatnua Party leader Tzipi Livni and Yesh Atid Party leader Yair Lapid are running the country right now, “We’d have had a 'Hamastan' in the West Bank for a long time.” According to him, all they care about is applause.
Al-Monitor: Half a year has gone by since Operation Protective Edge. How long do you think it will be before the next round of fighting?
Ya’alon: The military operation ended with Hamas accepting our terms for a cease-fire, i.e., with no seaport and no airport. Had we succumbed to the belligerent calls to bring down Hamas, the fighting would have continued until now. We would have become entangled. The ground operation against the tunnels was enough. I hope the quiet lasts for a long time. What currently exists between Hamas and us is a balance of deterrence. If it was up to Hamas, they’d be firing at us every day. I can’t say how long it will be until the next round. It depends on how strong they become. Right now, they are having a hard time smuggling weapons into Gaza, and I can say that deterrent against Hamas exists, but it should be evaluated over the long term.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
