There is no discernible reason to doubt the explanation by Israel’s chief army spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, who labeled senior Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza Baha Abu al-Ata a “ticking time bomb.” One can even believe there was no other option but to send the air force in to wipe him out. Unlike the Palestinian Fatah movement, Islamic Jihad is not a partner for a peace dialogue. Unlike Hamas, this organization is not a partner for a cease-fire. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deserve kudos for the highly “surgical” operation, as per Zilberman.
Playing it safe, the IDF representative made clear the military had prepared well ahead for several days of attacks from Gaza and provided aerial defense cover for residents of central Israel, not just for those in the south. In other words, the decision-makers took into account the price that hundreds of thousands of Israelis would have to pay, as they have been paying since the early hours of Nov. 12. Experience accrued over decades of disarming such “time bombs’’ (security threats) shows that an alternative can be found for every bomb. On the other hand, Israelis gain a few months of quiet while a terrorist organization grooms a worthy heir to its assassinated leader.
