This is a common theme in the discussion regarding "the conflict." It is, in my opinion, patently absurd. When two sides are fighting a war, of course there is a military solution.
The statement is tantamount to saying to a Peace Now activist or State Department hack that, "There is just no diplomatic solution." There is also and always, of course, a diplomatic solution. In this case, a "diplomatic solution" would almost certainly be disastrous for Israel.
This talks to the real point: these terms are themselves political. They badly approximate the divisions of government. A "diplomatic solution" is one that is spearheaded by State Dept (or ministry). A "military" one belongs to DOD.
As any fool can see, these two different groups are not just labor dividing agencies. They are political themselves in the sense that they compete amongst each other to implement their own policies which are formed on the basis of their own values.
The problem is when there is no overarching value system coming from the top, which permeates the entire of American society. This is even more true in Israel, and so the crises that take place between Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry are more intense, more fractious and more destructive.
Here is a perfect example: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1186557462672&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Min. of Transport and Min. of Finance just can't seem to get along. What is the solution? Cancel bus protection service since there hasn't been a bus bombing in a few months. Whew, everyone in Israel can rest easy. They're in the clear, since one of the ministries thinks, given the cost-benefit of running the bus security service, that all will be well. Never mind that there hasn't been a bus bombing. A slackening of security invites threat. It's a simple equation that any criminologist is aware of: make a hole in the fence and someone climbs through; stumble through the streets late at night and watch the muggers mob.
Perhaps a minor decision, the bus thing, perhaps not. The problem-- the shocking horror-- is that this kind of decision-making is systemic. It pervades. It includes the (non-)distribution of gas masks; the (non-)retrieval of kidnapped soldiers; the (non-)defense of the country; and, tragically, the (lack of) knowledge (not belief, knowledge) of the country's right to exist as a sovereign nation not just as a UN territory or Next Arab State.
So, don't take the bus, don't breathe the air during war, don't be a soldier-- hell, don't be in Israel at all-- and you should be just fine. And, of course, don't forget to cast your vote for Meretz. |