Nadav Tamir is consul general of Israel to New England. An expert in Israeli-U.S. relations, Tamir joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993. He has since held a variety of positions within the Israeli government, including policy assistant to the foreign minister and political officer at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. In 2001, Tamir was appointed to his current position as advisor to the director general the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. JustFeatures spoke with Tamir over the telephone about the recent struggle between Israel and Hamas.

JustFeatures: What is your perspective on the recent clash between Israel and Hamas?

Nadav Tamir: It is too early to evaluate, and it depends on what will happen from here on. If we can secure our goals-that is, a durable and sustainable cease-fire-then I think it can be a good starting point for the efforts President Obama is now trying to promote toward negotiations for a two-state solution. This has to mean ensuring that Hamas won't fire rockets on the southern cities of Israel but also that there will be a mechanism to stop the smuggling of weapons from Iran through Egypt to Gaza. Also, we need to be able to open passages to Gaza without Hamas manipulating them. If we fail, this is a message that the extremist Iran and its proxies-Hamas and Hezbollah-are winning, which is a devastating message for all.



JF: Are you happy with the outcome?

NT: I do not think anyone can be happy when so many lives have been lost. We are deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life on both sides. Hopefully, there is now a greater sense of urgency from the international community to make sure that weapons are no longer smuggled into Gaza, which will help us achieve a more favorable outcome.



JF: Do you think the tactics employed by each side were appropriate?

NT: No. Hamas' tactics of trying to achieve their goals by killing civilians are counterproductive. The Palestinians will never achieve their deserved right to self-determination by acts of terrorism. We knew responding would be very ugly because Hamas was holding the Palestinian civilians hostage and using them as human shields. Unfortunately, Israel was put into an unbearable situation in which it had to choose between two equally horrifying options. Any government would agree that to protect its citizens from harm has to be its first priority. We had to choose between not responding, which would make life in Israel unbearable for its citizens, or responding. We hoped that by responding, we would be able to stop the rockets from being fired into Israel and create a sustainable cease-fire to improve the lives of both the Israelis and the Palestinian civilians in Gaza.



JF: How do you think the recent events bode for the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

NT: We need to look at the big picture of the Middle East. It is not an Israeli-Palestinian conflict; it is a conflict between moderates who want peace and those who would go to any lengths to prevent peace from happening. A two-state solution is the only solution. There are those who want to deal with us in a civil way, and there are others who want to promote bloodshed and chaos orchestrated by Iran through Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran's radical ideology is dangerous for everyone-Israel as well as the moderates in the Middle East. If the extremists come out the winners of these recent events, it will be destructive to the efforts of all those seeking peace. Along with all the moderates in the Middle East, we are committed to pushing the peace negotiations forward and stopping the extremists and their destructive agenda.



JF: How does the fighting impact Israelis, the Arab community and the American Jewish community?

NT: It is a tragedy for all of us. Most Palestinians and definitely most Israelis and the Jewish community here prefer peace over any conflict. Unfortunately, in our neighborhood, there are those who think that peace doesn't help promote their interest. I just hope that the results will be a better situation in the south of Israel and Gaza. Sometimes in the Middle East, the situation has to get worse before it becomes better.



JF: Do you believe that Israel's massive military reaction will be the new policy for future dealings with Hamas or, for that matter, any enemy of Israel?

NT: We will have to evaluate the situation and each case needs to be studied individually. I don't think we can have a silver bullet for all situations. However, it is important for us to signal to Hamas that going back to the status quo is not an option. For eight years, Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians, and Israel refrained from using military action. Unfortunately, it took this tragedy to achieve a sense of urgency in the international community regarding Israel's situation in the face of rocket fire. We hope that the international community will now play a role in making sure that Hamas stops the rocket fire into Israel and weapon smuggling, so that Israel is not forced to react militarily in the future. We really hope that these recent events were not a step back but a step forward toward what will ultimately stabilize the region, a two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians coexisting in peace and security.

Edited and condensed by Shana D. Lebowitz