Dave Eberhart, NewsMax Monday, Apr. 22, 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Israeli Defense Forces die facing a fanatic enemy, threatened weapon embargoes by members of the European Economic Union, and the enmity of much of the world, the defense establishment looks longingly at the dim prospect for a multinational force to take over the dangerous dirty duty of patrolling the territories.

Just prior to the arrival of Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region, a special report submitted to the Israeli government evaluated three alternative scenarios for the West Bank: long-term occupation, withdrawal with no quid pro quo from Arafat, or a withdrawal synchronized with the landing of an international force to keep the peace and hopefully motivate the PNA back to the bargaining table.

The report favored the last alternative - the first time the defense establishment approved such an option.

But despite the advice from the military planners, the most likely resolution remains a staged withdrawal after a thorough ripping-up of the militant's infrastructure -- followed by the establishment by Israel of a buffer zone of occupied as well as Israeli territory.

Following instructions from the political level, Major General Giyora Eiland, Israel's representative in the joint Israeli-Palestinian security committees, has consistently parroted opposition to a multinational force in the territories.

"We may have a buffer zone on the western edge of the West Bank," Ephraim Sneh, Israel's transportation minister and a retired brigadier general, said recently in Washington. "It would be on both sides of the line."

'Significant Progress'

In the meantime, the senior Israeli military continues to put on its best face, both in Israel and the U.S. Case in point: IDF Col. Nitsan Alon, a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, concluded in a recent report that the Israeli military made significant progress against the Palestinian insurgency.

"The IDF operations have succeeded in inflicting fairly serious direct damage to terrorist infrastructure," Alon concluded.

In a Rumsfeld-like briefing last week in Israel reported by the BBC, Major General Aharon Zeevi Farkash, Head of IDF intelligence, also gave a glowing summary of Israel's "Operation Defensive Shield," saying:

· The Palestinian terrorist infrastructure was dealt a severe blow and will take considerable time to rebuild;

· Terror stopped when the IDF was present in the various areas;

· Considerable infrastructure, including live weapons, munitions as well as facilities for the manufacture of explosives, were uncovered and destroyed;

· The uncovering of numerous workshops for the manufacture of Kassam rockets;

· Numerous arrests of individuals who served as masterminds behind attacks, with 200 of the arrests of the highest echelons of the terrorist infrastructure, including 15 leaders.

Critics

But the IDF public relations juggernaut faces plenty of competition from the critics.

For instance, Washington, D.C.'s Center for Strategic and International Studies was quick to report the IDF's "strategic failure," highlighting:

· Its broad sweeps and arrests only seem to have had limited success in locating and disarming the younger hardcore elements like the Fatah Hawks and major terrorist groups like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad;

· IDF discipline has often been poor and trigger happy, and contact between the IDF and ordinary Palestinians has been alienating;

· Palestinian knowledge of urban terrain and ability to hide in civilian facilities makes it very difficult for the IDF to exploit its advantages in firepower and technology.

· Israel has lost good internal intelligence sources within the Palestinians. Many informers have bolted from Israeli camp for fear of being executed as collaborators.

· IDF aggressiveness is triggering an escalation of Lebanese, Iranian, and Iraqi support of Palestinian extremists, action across the Israeli border with Lebanon, and the smuggling of advanced arms and technology into the West Bank and Gaza.

· Israel may push the Palestinians, Islamic extremists, and other radical Arab groups to export their attacks to other nations and regions. European Jews may be particularly vulnerable.

Tools of the Trade

As the war of words wears on, the IDF faces troubles on a more pragmatic level. Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy are reportedly weighing a weapons embargo against Israel. Belgium is a key supplier of light weapons for security forces.

The United Kingdom and Germany have reportedly already slowed down the export of weapons and military supplies to Israel, including replacement gear for the IDF's Merkava Mk-4 main battle tank.

But perhaps the worst wear and tear grinds down the soldiers themselves. Lt.-Col Rami Matan, 51, a weary veteran of the Lebanese and Yom Kippur wars, told the Jersualem Post recently, "[The] Yom Kippur War was a fight against tanks, soldiers, and a normal army," Matan said. "Here we fight against terrorists. We have to fight around a pregnant woman and a woman who looks pregnant who is carrying a bomb."

And beating the suicides attacks to a standstill is daunting. Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades said it required only about 700 Israeli shekels ($160) to make explosives for a suicide bombing attack, according to papers Israel reports were seized during raids in the West Bank.

Perhaps the stalemate was best stated to the New York Times by a senior Israeli military official who concluded the Palestinians must be persuaded, "Their legitimacy might be hampered if they continue with this policy -- that this time the world stopped Israel short of just destroying them but next time they are playing with fire."