Adam, on Noah Pollak:

The military campaign as a whole to the extent that it is conducted effectively, will greatly reduce the number of people existing right now who wish to and are capable of harming Israel. On its own terms, that’s all it can accomplish, and that’s enough. Whether it makes a few people angry in Pakistan is an incalculable-unless, for reasons of your own, you wish to give those who can rent a mob, buy colorful anti-Israel banners, and get themselves on CNN veto power over Israeli policies. On the more “long term” level, an aggressive, no-holds barred approach to terrorists sets a very important precedent for how we will deal with the next group-if the new terrorist group knows that utter destruction awaits it upon its first acts of violence, I believe it will think twice. And, again, if I’m wrong, if we do destroy it, who cares?

Fatah has been destroyed? That’s news to me-has there been some report of that since this morning? Last i heard they were ruling the West Bank and helping the Israelis target Hamas. Anyway, once Hamas is utterly destroyed physically, or some version of Hamas offers Israel an unconditional surrender, I am open to all kinds of projects for civil reconstruction in Gaza-and I’m sure that so will the vast majority of Israelis. As long as Hamas is in power, such plans will simply strengthen them. Even on your own terms, though, “the illusion that they are strong” must be part of Hamas’ power, so doesn’t that illusion need to be shattered?