By Eric Cantor, Special to CNN
November 23, 2012
We all hope the apparent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas will hold.
However,
we must recognize that Hamas and its terrorist partners bear
responsibility for instigating the latest round of this conflict and
need to refrain from further rocket and terrorist attacks. Israel
exercised its inherent right to self-defense only after weeks of
unprovoked attacks against civilian targets. Having picked a fight like a
playground bully, Hamas cannot now credibly claim to be a victim.
Israel,
like the United States, places a premium on avoiding collateral damage
and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on sophisticated weaponry
to minimize to the greatest extent possible civilian casualties.
Hamas
intentionally launches unguided rockets into densely populated areas to
cause wanton destruction and kill as many innocents as possible. Hamas
exploits their own citizens as human shields, locating rocket stockpiles
in population centers, hopeful that images of dead Palestinians will
rally the world to their extremist cause.
It
is important to understand how this conflict started and how
responsibly Israel has behaved, but also how future conflicts with Hamas
can be prevented.
Israel
has made tremendous progress in reducing Hamas' capacity to threaten
Israel and in restoring its deterrence. Israel's military operations in
Gaza have been informed by impressively accurate intelligence and have
been conducted with great precision and success. Significant stocks of
long-range rockets have been destroyed, although remaining weapons
stockpiles -- located in densely populated areas -- may require risky
ground operations to secure should Hamas resume firing at Israel.
For
any enduring cease-fire, the onus must be on Hamas to control its
fighters, cease rocket attacks, abandon terrorism and accept Israel's
right to exist -- conditions it has long refused to accept despite
Israel's commitment to a two-state solution and persistent willingness
to negotiate with its Palestinian neighbors.
Israel's
Arab neighbors have an important role to play. Egypt deserves credit
for its efforts to craft a cease-fire, but initial inflammatory public
statements and actions of its leaders unfortunately served mainly to
legitimize Hamas.
If
Egypt is serious about playing a positive role in the region, it will
redouble its efforts to combat terrorist activities in the Sinai, police
its border with Gaza, and prevent Iran and others from resupplying
Hamas with rockets and other weapons. If Hamas rearms, it will be only a
matter of time before the cease-fire breaks down.
Despite
President Obama's friendship with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan,
his recent behavior has been incredibly disappointing. Erdogan, not for
the first time, this week referred to Israel as a 'terrorist state' and
has solely blamed Israel for the conflict, despite Hamas' preceding
campaign of terror.
Erdogan's
anti-Israel positions are well known, but his inability to see in
Hamas' behavior any wrongdoing whatsoever is deeply disturbing. Turkey
and Israel for many years had a positive relationship. Their shared
interests and democratic values should overcome the obstacles of
Erdogan's personal views and provocative statements.
Israelis
look fondly upon Turkey and its people, and they desire a better
relationship with this important NATO country. Turkey can play an
important role in the region, as it has done in Syria, but its ability
to be a responsible partner is badly hindered by Erdogan's staunch
defense of a terrorist group.
The
behavior of Qatar is similarly disappointing. Qatar's emir recently
visited Gaza and promised $400 million in aid to the terrorist
rump-state, and it's no coincidence that Hamas' escalation took place in
the wake of the emir's visit and his promise of cold hard cash. Such
efforts from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey not only legitimize Hamas' violent
strategy and embolden its militant leaders, but also marginalize the
official Palestinian Authority government of President Mahmoud Abbas and
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
Hamas'
influence and ability to threaten Israel militarily is greatly enhanced
by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Long a patron of Hamas, Iran provides
significant resources and weapons to Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza.
Indeed, the longer-range rockets fired at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are
gifts of Tehran, provided for use against the Jewish state.
Any
enduring solution must consider the pressing need to cut Iran's
military supply lines to terrorists in Gaza. The conflict in Gaza -- as
well as the one in Syria -- demonstrates that the threat posed by Iran
goes well beyond its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Indeed, the most
pressing challenge for Obama in his second term may be the dual task of
thwarting Iran's push for nuclear weapons and combating its support for
terrorism.
The
international community and especially the neighboring Arab and Muslim
states, if they truly care for the Palestinians, should make clear that
terrorism will never earn the Palestinians statehood and encourage all
Palestinian parties to return to the negotiating table to seek a
peaceful solution to this decades-long conflict.
Eric
Cantor is the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. A
Republican, he represents Virginia's 7th Congressional District.
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