Israel living on borrowed time?

[Insights into the Israeli mindset by Gilad Atzmon, an Israeli activist, born in Tel Aviv, whose service in the Israeli military convinced him that Israel had become a militarized state controlled by religious extremists.]

“Palestinian right of return” sounds to [to the average Israeli] like an amusing idea. This doesn’t leave the Palestinians with many options but to liberate themselves against all odds.

It occurred to me that the barrages of Qassam rockets that have been landing sporadically were actually nothing but a message from the imprisoned Palestinians. First it was a message to the stolen land, homes fields and orchards: "Our beloved soil, we didn’t forget, we are still here fighting for you, sooner rather than later, we will come back.”

But it was also a clear message to the Israelis. “You out there, whether you realize it or not, you are actually living on our stolen land. You better start to pack because your time is running out, you have exhausted our patience. We, the Palestinian people, have nothing to lose anymore”.

Two years ago it was Hezbollah rockets that pounded northern Israel. [Now] Hamas proved beyond doubt that it is capable of serving the South of Israel with some cocktail of ballistic vengeance. Both in the case of the Hezbollah and in the case of the Hamas, Israel was left with no military answer.

Every Middle East expert knows that Hamas can seize control of the West Bank within hours. In fact, PA and Fatah control in the West Bank is maintained by the IDF. Once Hamas takes the West Bank, the biggest Israeli population centre will be left to the mercy of Hamas.

The IDF generals know it, the Israeli leaders know it. This is why they stepped up the war against the Palestinian into extermination.