Bleeding A Proxy Dry

The current chapter of open warfare in Gaza appears to be over for the time being. And on the infamous “Arab Street”, we read that this was a victory for Hamas. This reminds me of the old joke about the boxer who returns to his corner between rounds, his face displaying the whelps and scars of his craft and with both of his eyes swollen almost shut. He collapses onto his chair and his trainer gives him a pat on the back and tells him, “Keep jabbing away. He’s not laying a glove on ya’.” The weary pugilist replies, ”Then watch that referee ‘cause somebody is beating the crap outa me!”

During this current “defeat” the Israeli forces struck over 1,600 targets over a span of eight days, crushed the Hamas command and control capability, killed over 100 Hamas soldiers and commanders, severely crippled the Hamas rocket launching effort and destroyed other pieces of Hamas infrastructure. Israel’s Iron Dome system destroyed 421 rockets in flight. Israeli casualties were extremely light and the precision targeting by the IDF limited civilian casualties on the West Bank. (here)

But Hamas will be praised throughout the Arab world. They are the proxy for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and for Hezbollah in Lebanon. They take the heat off of Assad in Syria and the spotlight off of the nuclear program in Iran. They will have to be praised so that they will “keep jabbing away”.  After all, the trainer has no desire to get into the ring.