What are the larger implications of the current ceasefire between Gaza and Israel and why do you think it happened right now?
The timing of the cease-fire agreement has two reasons. One, a cease-fire was necessary for Israel because there was a fear that what could be seen as a successful operation could, in one single incident, change into a political defeat. Like what happened in the past with the Qana massacre, or Sabra and Shatilla. One lesson the Israeli rulers have drawn from past experiences is to know when to stop, and not let the military dynamics override the risk of being branded as an "operation that didn’t end on time."
Two, it was also important to stop before Obama entered the White House, in order avoid starting the new US-Israel relations with pressures to stop the aggression. Read more