Israel has in recent years allowed a situation to emerge in which it has accepted the emergence on its southern border of an Islamist statelet committed to its destruction. Currently, Jerusalem's stance toward the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip amounts, as the author of this paper puts it, to seeking "the longest possible intervals of relative calm between major eruptions of violence." That is, Israel seeks to achieve a kind of live and let live situation vis-à-vis Gaza. This is maintained via a system of inducements – such as the Qatari financial assistance which Israel permits – and occasional punishments. READ MORE
