Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire after Hamas fired over 480 rockets, provoking Israel to retaliate. But Israel’s Defense Minister is so opposed to the cease-fire that he’s resigning in 48 hours. Which means Netanyahu will take over this duties:
USA TODAY – Avigdor Lieberman announced Wednesday that he is resigning as Israeli Defense Minister over an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire that ended the most serious flare-up in violence in over four years between Israel’s military and Palestinians in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The leader of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party said that the truce in Gaza “cannot be interpreted in any other way than a surrender to terror” and that it will “severely harm” Israel’s security in the long term.
Lieberman—who also objected to Israel’s allowing Qatar to deliver $15 million in aid to Gaza last week—called for new elections and said all members of his party will quit the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party, according to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Lieberman has demanded a far stronger Israeli response to the most intense round of rocket fire against Israel since a 50-day war in 2014. That war killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 72 Israelis, according to the U.N.
Lieberman’s resignation will take effect in 48 hours and Netanyahu — who currently also serves as foreign minister — will take over the defense portfolio on an interim basis.
I do understand the pressure that Israel is under, especially given that much of the world always sides with Hamas when Israel acts to defend itself. But if years of this back and forth have proved anything, it’s that (a) Israel can’t stop Iran and other countries from supplying Hamas with these rockets and (b) Hamas is going to continue to use them to terrorize Israel.
So yeah, I think Lieberman has a point. He may be a hardliner compared to Netanyahu, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. This back and forth will continue until Israel takes decisive action to end it. Until then, how many people will die in the process?
That being said, if Israel actually did what needed to be done (in my opinion) by destroying Hamas and taking back the Gaza Strip, there’s no doubt that the world would react with outrage, especially Palestinians. And it may mean more fighting by Israel against more enemies. So if they ever decide to deal a fatal blow to Hamas, they should be prepared for more war. And hopefully we’d be right by their side.