Credit: AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma

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It didn’t matter when you opened the paper last month; it was always the same story. “Gaza rockets terrorize Israel.” You saw it, right? Well, if you didn’t, you should know that these attacks have been a daily threat to Israeli homes near Gaza. In fact, recent reports claim that these rockets have been able to strike from up to 10 miles away. With tensions on the rise, more Israelis are pushing for a major military operation to neutralize the source of these homemade Qassam rockets.

To be clear, a major military operation in Gaza would result in many dead Palestinians. Unfortunately, this is exactly what Hamas and Islamic Jihad need, to further radicalize the people of Gaza into militancy. In addition, a major confrontation in Gaza would force moderate Palestinians and Arab states alike to abandon any Annapolis Summit goals that would have exceeded a photo op.

The Israeli policy to date for Gaza has been one of special operations backed by attrition. To the Israelis’ despair, this policy has not stopped the rockets, nor has it helped pave the way for any kind of reconciliation in this conflict. On December 19, Israeli air forces took out a car containing high-ranking Islamic Jihad members. This was immediately followed by a statement by Abu Hamza al-Masri, a main media voice for Islamic Jihad, who said, “All methods are open, not only rockets but also martyrdom operations [suicide bombers] in the territory of 1948.” If the majority of Israelis and Palestinians can agree on anything, it’s that this is no solution.

But it is more than “no solution” — it is a catastrophe. It is only the latest “I told you so” that is the fundamental message of militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. For the people of Gaza, it is the loss of face: the timeless desperation that has come to rationalize such acts as rocket fire and suicide bombing. Above all, it’s the bequeathal of rage to the next generation. It’s like a young Israeli crouched in a rocket shelter, or a teen in Gaza watching air strikes in the neighborhood of his youth. Is it not yet clear that the inhumanity of the occupation takes no sides? Let’s at least hope that no one on either side listens to al-Masri — “all methods are open.”

So what should be done? Bankruptcy. I will say it again: utter and complete ideological bankruptcy of the “solutions” that are able to take root in the ghetto-like land of Gaza. It would be in the best interest and long-term security for Israel to adopt policies that are designed to kick the legs out of these so-called militant solutions. This means convincing the people of Gaza that rocket fire and martyrdom only prolong the disastrous stalemate of the occupation. Can you think of a better time to lure the people of Gaza away from extremism? What about the recent 87-country pledge of $4.7 billion to “all Palestinians”? Surely something could come of this. What if the people of Gaza were offered a deal they couldn’t refuse — like a path toward a viable state? But let’s not get carried away; how about something small?

On the economic front, the World Bank has predicted that during the next five years, the GDP in the occupied territories could increase by 2 percent; 5 percent if the Palestinians can do it right. And let me tell you, after spending time in refugee camps in the West Bank, this is quite the statement. But the report cautions, “the Palestinian economy will continue to suffer unless Israel eases its blockage of the Gaza Strip and removes crucial internal checkpoints to allow Palestinians to move freely in the West Bank.” With Israeli safety in mind, a policy that bears fruit of up to 5 percent for the Palestinians could severely damage the all-or-nothing vendetta sold in Gaza.

It seems everyone has felt the political earthquake of the Iraq War. But how many noticed its aftershocks? Between the collapse of the former Iraqi government and the rise of Persian theocracy, secular Arab autocrats are now coming together. It is surprising that Saudi Arabia and Syria came to last November’s Annapolis Summit. Isn’t this the farthest-spanning, non-violent Arab commitment toward a “final status” solution yet? Despite its illusive modesty, the “commitment” made in Annapolis is in fact progress. It’s as Zbigniew Brzezinski wrote in a letter to President Bush before the conference: “Just don’t fail.” Because every time there is political success, people question the tenets of rocket fire and martyrdom.

In the face of mounting pressure for a major Gaza incursion, Israelis must be wary of its inevitable consequences. In addition, they must continue to work with President Mahmoud Abbas and the moderate Palestinian movement to capture projected economic growth in the occupied territories. However, it is imperative to recall the World Bank’s caution that generous international aid will not change life on the ground unless Israel makes the necessary political reforms. Between the prospect of a bolstered Palestinian economy and the recent commitment by Arab states, a plan to undermine the militant ideology in Gaza is coming into realization. But now is not the time to stop. Show the people of Gaza progress, and tomorrow’s paper will read “Militant Gaza Gone Bankrupt.”

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