July 21, 2025

 

Strategic Failure in Gaza

Q. The Israeli mass media are celebrating the IDF’s ability to flatten entire Gazan towns with huge D-9 bulldozers, to move hundreds of thousands of Gazan civilians into an emerging ‘humanitarian city,’ and to replace UNRWA with a mysterious mechanism that seems to kill as many Gazans as it feeds. Are these really solutions to Israel’s Gaza dilemma?

A. These and similar innovations are merely compounding Israel’s dilemma. They appear to reflect an alarming absence of strategic thinking on the part of the IDF regarding the Gaza Strip. 

Q. Is this the same army that just defeated Hezbollah in Lebanon and severely damaged Iran’s strategic missile and nuclear programs? The same IDF that is currently protecting Druze in Syria’s Suwayda from Islamist attack? All those operations seem to reflect serious strategic thinking on Israel’s part.

A. Yes. The contrast in Gaza is striking. The entire Israeli strategic community seems incapable of engineering solutions for a small parcel of land--365 square kms or 141 square miles--holding two million Palestinians. Veteran readers of this Q & A may recall that for the past two decades I have been arguing that “Israel does not have a viable strategy for Gaza.” The Gaza strategy failure is endemic.

Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer.

Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions.

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters & Reports
3. Hearings & Briefings
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

—————————-

1. Bills & Resolutions

(ACTUAL GENOCIDE? MEH. BUT WE DRAW THE LINE AT A SLOGAN WHICH WE DEFINE TO MEAN SOMETHING THE PEOPLE WHO USE IT SAY IT DOESN’T MEAN) H. Res. 588[resolution text]: Introduced 7/17/25 by Yakym (R-IN) and 13 cosponsors [11 Republicans plus Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Suozzi (D-NY)],  “Condemning the slogan ‘Globalize the Intifada’ as a call to violence against Israeli and Jewish people across the world and urging United States national, State, and local leaders to condemn it as such.“ Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also see: 

  • Among other things, the resolution states: “Whereas the Anti-Defamation League characterizes the slogan ‘Globalize the Intifada’ as ‘generally understood as a call for indiscriminate violence against Israel, and potentially against Jews and Jewish institutions worldwide” and “Whereas the American Jewish Committee characterizes the slogan ‘Globalize the Intifada’ as ‘often understood by those saying and hearing it as encouraging violence against Israelis, Jews, and institutions supporting Israel‘”
  • The resolutions resolves that: “(1) the slogan, ‘Globalize the Intifada’, is a call for violence against Israeli and Jewish people across the world; (2) the slogan undermines the safety and security of Israeli and Jewish people in their communities; (3) those truly committed to Middle East peace should refrain from affirming, chanting, or displaying the slogan; (4) organizers of demonstrations truly committed to Middle East peace should denounce participants that affirm, chant, or display the slogan; and (5) the slogan must be strongly and unequivocally condemned by national, State, and local leaders.“
  • press release – Yakym, Gottheimer Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Condemning “Globalize the Intifada”; Gottheimer, Yakym Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Condemning “Globalize the Intifada” — Phrase Is Hate Speech That Calls for Violence Against Jews

(CONCERN FOR CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED BY MUSLIMS – NEVER MIND ISRAEL KILLING/INURING/DISPLACING CHRISTIAN PALESTINIANS, OR EVEN BOMBING A CHURCH IN GAZA THIS WEEK) H. Res. 594 [resolution text]: Introduced 7/17/25 by Moore (R-WV) and 7 Republican cosponsors, “Condemning the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries.”  Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also see: press release – Congressman Moore, Senator Hawley Introduce Resolution Condemning International Persecution of Christians

Lara Friedman is the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP). With more than 25 years working in the Middle East foreign policy arena, Lara is a leading authority on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, with particular expertise on the Israeli-Arab conflict, Israeli settlements, Jerusalem, and the role of the U.S. Congress.

Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions.

 
 
 
 
 

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