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Opposition leader emphasises national consensus over Gaza operation
Israel’s opposition leader and Labour head Isaac Herzog yesterday underscored support from across a wide political spectrum for Operation Defensive Edge.
Although relatively small anti-war protests have taken place in some Israeli cities, a Channel Ten poll this week indicated overwhelming public support for the military operation in Gaza, concluding that 87 per cent of Jewish Israelis want the military campaign to continue. A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute indicated that 95 per cent of Jewish Israelis think that the Gaza operation is just.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Herzog explained the public backing, saying, “There is a national consensus in Israel as to the justification of this operation for a few reasons,” explaining that, “We tried to contain [the conflict]. And Hamas, for its own strategic reasons, decided to flare it up.” He added that Israel had also accepted numerous humanitarian ceasefires and Israelis therefore conclude, “If they keep on shooting then I have to defend my people.” Another important factor said Herzog is the discovery of Hamas’s complex network of tunnels, posing a terrorist threat to the heart of Israeli communities. Consequently, Israelis understand “that it’s a battle for our home.”
However, Herzog also emphasised that Israelis feel “deep sorrow for the terrible loss of human lives we have seen in Gaza.” He also explained that, “Had I been prime minister I would have given a big blow to Hamas, and I would drive to Ramallah, knock on the door of… Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] and start negotiating peace with him.”
Also yesterday, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, considered a leading proponent of the peace process was quoted by AP saying, “This is the time for us to unite around the understanding that terror must be fought. This is a tough war, but a necessary one.” Meanwhile, leader of the left-wing Meretz Party, Zahava Galon commented that a ceasefire in Gaza “must answer Israel’s security concerns as well as the Palestinians’ wish to lead normal lives.”