[BeautifulBurnout]

Originally Posted by Deckard

The suggestion that this will make everyday Israelis safer is actually offensive to me. The Israeli government may as well be wilfully killing their own innocent civilians right now, for all the 'recruitment' they're going to be doing. I just cannot believe that intelligent senior decision-makers can think that this serves as an act of self defence. My sense is that this is about vengeance, about being seen by the electorate but also the wider world to be doing something, an act that serves a psychological rather than a practical need. The problem with that is that it puts bravado and pride before lives.

If it's not that, then what the hell is the thinking behind it? Do Israel and the US actually want to prolong conflict in this region or trigger some kind of wider Islamic war? That sounds like a bizarre prospect, but one that appears to make more sense from these actions than the naive reason of self defence.

Or could it all be about energy security?

An unexpected energy windfall on Israel's doorstep promises to resolve Israel's energy security concerns for years to come. Unfortunately for Israek, it is the Palestinian Authority that controls the licensing of these reserves. So, as Operation Summer Rains washes away the administrative and political structures in the occupied territories, has Israel decided to use Hamas as an excuse to dismantle the PA and seize its energy assets?

This article dates from 2006 - I don't know why I had never heard of this before. If it is true that the PA hold all the cards with regard to the licencing of this gas supply, then it is pretty obvious why Israel would want them out of the way. I shall do some more research and see if there is anything else I can come up with on this.

Edit: This from the Jerusalem Post in July 07:

"Both Israel and BG intend that until the PA is able to remove Hamas from power in the Gaza Strip, the money will be held in an international bank account," the source said. "Neither side wants the money to go to fund terror-related activities."
According to the plan, BG will drill for natural gas 36 kilometers off of the Gaza coast, in an area that was designated as PA territory following the Oslo Accords. The gas will then flow four km underwater in a pipeline 850 meters below the surface to an Ashkelon refinery. The field, which BG purchased in 2000 and to which Hamas now claims rightful ownership, contains 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas worth an estimated $4 billion, with Israel set to become the sole consumer of the resources.

And this from the Torygraph:

At first sight, this appears a win-win situation. The Palestinians would have a guaranteed purchaser for their gas, one that would generate £50 million a year for 15 years in tax revenues, and provide the foundation for sustainable economic growth. And the Israelis would have a secure source of affordable gas to underwrite their economy's growth. It would also neatly show how two historic enemies could come to rely on each other for economic prosperity.
A negotiating team, led by Nigel Shaw from British Gas, the company that bought the rights to develop Gaza Marine, duly moved into an office block in a smart Israeli coastal town and prepared to draw up the various legal documents and guarantees that are standard in the international gas and oil industry.
But in spite of public statements from Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, that he supports the project, and even the intervention of Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, who identified the deal as key to the development of the Palestinian economy, negotiations have not budged.

Hmmmmm....