Uri Avnery: IDF Chief of Staff realises policy has failed: "Hit the Arabs on the head and they will give in. If that isn't enough, hit them harder. Make the life of every single Palestinian unbearable, prevent him from leaving his village or town, destroy the livelihood of his family, take his land away.

"This was an almost mathematical formula: when one blow follows the other, the lives of the Palestinians will reach breaking point. They will not be able to resist. They will raise their hands, lower their heads and accept everything the government of Israel is good enough to offer them. They will turn over their fighters ('terrorists' in the parlance of the occupation, 'national heroes' in the parlance of the occupied.) They will live in the enclaves Israel allows them, or look for a better life in another country.

"Now, suddenly, the C-o-S distances himself from this strategy. He tells the public that the government's policy--whose staunchest supporter he has been--is 'destructive'. Instead of liquidating terrorism, he says, it produces terrorism. The lives of the Palestinians must be eased, they must be given hope. So what has happened?"

Uri Avnery: IDF Chief of Staff realises policy has failed: "Hit the Arabs on the head and they will give in. If that isn't enough, hit them harder. Make the life of every single Palestinian unbearable, prevent him from leaving his village or town, destroy the livelihood of his family, take his land away.

"This was an almost mathematical formula: when one blow follows the other, the lives of the Palestinians will reach breaking point. They will not be able to resist. They will raise their hands, lower their heads and accept everything the government of Israel is good enough to offer them. They will turn over their fighters ('terrorists' in the parlance of the occupation, 'national heroes' in the parlance of the occupied.) They will live in the enclaves Israel allows them, or look for a better life in another country.

"Now, suddenly, the C-o-S distances himself from this strategy. He tells the public that the government's policy--whose staunchest supporter he has been--is 'destructive'. Instead of liquidating terrorism, he says, it produces terrorism. The lives of the Palestinians must be eased, they must be given hope. So what has happened?"