Winnipeg Jewish Review  
Site Search:
Home  |  Archives  |  Contact Us
 
Features Local Israel Next Generation Arts/Op-Eds Editorial/Letters Links Obituary/In Memoriam
Editorial: What an Ceasefire Really Means



 
 
I' like to offer my thoughts about what a  ceasfire now would really mean.
 
A ceasfire would mean that Hamas, ( designated by Canada as a terror group), will remain in power in the Gaza Strip, with its top leaders Yihaya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif alive in tunnels, being able to regroup, fight on and keeping tight control of Gaza, with no future elections in sight.
 
Democracies should not want to create a climate that enables an authoritarian terror group, which is an anathema to democracy, to stay in power makes as this makes no rational sense. It will mean rewarding Hamas for its Oct 7 pogrom, which served as the catalyst for this present war. It will enable Hamas to continue its genocidal plans to carry out more massacres of Israelis, all of whom Hamas considers to be “illegal settlers.” Any UN resolution for a ceasefire  ought to  insist that Hamas leaders who planned the Oct 7 attacks, Sinwar and  Dief,  give themselves up, and leave Gaza, for the sake of  the future of Gazan children. Hamas ought not to be allowed to participate in future governments in the Gaza strip.
 
Calling for a ceasefire now will take the wind out of the sails of Gazans who have begun more openly to criticize Hamas, for not building a better future for Gazans, but instead, for bringing death and destruction on its own people, without caring one iota about them. Gazans who are critical of Hamas are afraid of speaking out more forcefully as Hamas members kill them or their families. They want Hamas to be removed from power. And, by the way, behind the scenes  Egypt, Jordan, The UAE  and Saudi Arabia want Hamas defeated, no matter what they say otherwise.
 
 
Calling for a ceasefire now will mean that Israelis will not feel safe enough to return to live in the South of Israel, and the kibbutzim that were destroyed will not be rebuilt, and the State of Israel, which is already very tiny, will de facto become even smaller.
 
If a ceasefire were to occur now, it will be a victory for an emboldened Iran. Hamas is Iran’s proxy, and Iran will get the message that since Western countries will not stand strong with Israel even in the face of the most heinous terror attacks on her civilians, Iran can arm Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza with impunity.
 
If a ceasefore were to  occur now, Hezbollah, which has been allowed to re-arm and comfortably  sit on Israel’s northern border, contrary to the UN resolution in 2006 which prevents it from doing so, will be emboldened further. Since Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy, will get the message that it can plan to invade Israel from the north and capture Israeli cities in the Galilee, similar to what Hamas did in the South.
 
If a ceasefire were to occur now, Israelis on border communities in the north will get the message that their government can’t protect them , and they will be unwilling to live on the border with Hezbollah right there. 
 
A ceasefire now will be a boost for Hamas in the West Bank which will be seen as being victorious and will ensure that there can be no negotiated peaceful solution in the future. A country such as Canada desires to see a two state solution,but  surely Canada understands that this can never happen with Hamas remaining in power.
 
If a ceasefire were to occur now, Hamas will be able to re-arm through tunnels that go underground from Gaza to Egypt (this is one way Hamas could have gotten all its weaponry since 2007).It will mean that the children of Gaza,(whom Canada is naturally concerned about) will have no future at all as Hamas rule isn’t about building and governing Gaza for the betterment of its people, but is only about murdering Israelis. A ceasefire now will not tackle the problem of the border crossing at Rafah, which arguably needs to have an international force including Israel to prevent the smuggling of arms from Egypt to Gaza. This smuggling has occurred above ground as Hamas has simply bribed Egyptian officials at the border crossing. 

 

 

A ceasefire now will mean that an emboldened Iran will set its sights on backing Hamas in the West Bank and also potentially increasing its presence in Jordan, with the hope of flooding the West Bank with armaments, to attack Israel from the East. (Already Israel has found a Palestinian armed resistence group in the West Bank that has dug tunnels in Jenin)
 
 
A  ceasefire which leaves Hamas in power means that the moderate Arab states will not help fund the bill for the reconstruction of Gaza, as they will rightfully understand that with Hamas in power, there can only be continued ongoing cycles of violence.

A ceasefire now means that more terror groups around the world will be emboldened, and the West will be targeted.
 

A ceasefire enow will embolden the Houthi rebels from Yemen, another Iranian proxy, which has been attacking Israel and Israel bound vessels in the Red Sea.

 

There is a reason that Israeli society, which can often be very divided, is so united in fighting this war.It is because they understand without routing out Hamas, they will not have a  future in the region.

 

By the way, Western democracires, including Canada should take a good look through all the schoolbooks that are being taught in the West Bank and Gaza in schools run by UNRWA, which Canada funds, and demand that these books be changed to bring in a curriculum that ceases to demonize Jews and claim that Jaffa, Haifa, etc should all be part of Palestine, which will replace the State of Israel. 

 

The loss of any innocent life is tragic-very very tragic, but for there to be a future for the children of Gaza, the West must ensure that Hamas rule is toppled.

ceasefire now will not tackle the problem of the border crossing at Rafah, which arguably needs to have an international force including Israel to prevent the smuggling of arms fromEgypt to Gaza. This smuggling has occurred above ground as Hamas has simply bribed Egyptian officials. 

 

 
<<Previous Article       Next Article >>
Subscribe to the Winnipeg Jewish Review
  • RBC
  • Taylor McCaffrey
  • Winter's Collision
  • Equitable Solutions Consulting
  • Obby Khan
  • Orthodox Union
  • Munroe Pharmacy
  • Booke + Partners
  • The Bob Silver Family
  • Leonard and Susan Asper Foundation
  • Taverna Rodos
  • Coughlin Insurance Brokers
  • Safeway Tuxedo
  • Gislason Targownik Peters
  • Jacqueline Simkin
  • Lanny Silver
  • Sobeys Grant Park
  • West Kildonan Auto Service
  • Accurate Lawn & Garden
  • Artista Homes
  • Fetching Style
  • MCW Consultants Ltd.
  • Bridges for Peace
  • Myers LLP
  • Elaine and Ian Goldstine
  • Wolson Roitenberg Robinson Wolson & Minuk
  • Rudy Fidel
  • Pitblado
  • Cavalier Candies
  • Kathleen Cook
  • John Orlikow
  • Ted Falk
  • Danny and Cara Stoller and family
  • James Bezan
  • Evan Duncan
  • Ross Eadie
  • Cindy Lamoureux
  • Roseman Corp
  • Ronald B. Zimmerman
  • Ambassador Mechanical
  • Red River Coop
  • CdnVISA Immigration Consultants
  • Holiday Inn Polo Park
  • Superlite
  • Tradesman Mechanical
  • Chochy's
  • Astroid Management Limited
  • Dr. Marshall Stitz
  • Nick's Inn
  • Shoppers Drug Mart
  • Josef Ryan
  • Fair Service
  • Broadway Law Group
  • kristinas-greek
  • The Center for Near East Policy Research Ltd.
  • Sarel Canada
  • Roofco Winnipeg Roofing
  • Center for Near East Policy Research
  • Nachum Bedein
Rhonda Spivak, Editor

Publisher: Spivak's Jewish Review Ltd.


Opinions expressed in letters to the editor or articles by contributing writers are not necessarily endorsed by Winnipeg Jewish Review.