This question was put to Halifa Sallah and he gave the following answer:
Never in the history of Israel has her people become so vulnerable and isolated as today, even though the country is said to have nuclear weapons and has a military machine that has all the sophisticated weapons that the US could produce and supply. Israel has bombed Gaza and has razed the city to the ground yet it cannot quantify the number of Hamas fighters it has killed. Hamas is just lying low waiting for the final life and death struggle for martyrdom. How that will turn out and how many Israelis will die could only be imagined.
The outcome of wars in history has not always been determined by the superiority of weaponry but also by the ingenuity and resolution of poorly equipped combatants. Hamas hit Israel with kid gloves and got isolated from the whole world by its atrocities against Israelis and some foreigners. The Israeli authorities had the opportunity to isolate Hamas and persuade the Palestinians to disown Hamas and vote for another leadership for their rights to independence and self-determination.
A mature Israeli adhering to the principle of good neighbourliness would be willing to negotiate with leaders who are ready for a Palestinian and Israeli state to co-exist. Such a political decision can unite the whole international community to work for peace in the mid-east.
Unfortunately, the current Israeli leadership is not ready for this. Consequently, they make the mistake to transform Hamas’ suicidal attack on Israeli into a genocidal campaign to eradicate any concept of a Palestinian people and hence nullify any concept of Palestinian state. This is a war aimed at that can never be achieved. Unless the Israeli leadership gives up its unrealistic war claim it will continue from one point to another and will isolate Israel. Those who love Israel should tell the Israeli leadership the truth. The battle should stop now, and all should go to the negotiating table to maintain peace.
