THE STRONG HORSE RIDES THROUGH JENIN: Seth Gitell dissects the implications of the Israelis' victory in Jenin:
A Hamas official is conceding that a large number of his warriors surrendered their weapons. When these fearsome fighters ran out of ammunition, they stopped fighting. And they were unwilling (or unable) to give their own lives. This would seem to undermine the conventional wisdom about Hamas and other terrorist organizations--namely, that military victory over them is not possible, and that combat only leads to "desperation" and more violence. .
...Israel did not achieve this victory with high-altitude bombing. It put the lives of its own soldiers on the line; literally speaking, it spilled its own blood. In so doing, Israel demonstrated that if its very existence is in jeopardy, as it is now, it is willing to fight man-to-man. In doing so, Israel took direct aim at a key precept of its enemies: that the Israelis are so weak and materialistic that they are unwilling to put soldiers at risk.
In a sense, the message it sends is the exact opposite of Israel's hastened retreat from Southern Lebanon two years ago: Israel is sticking around this time around. And this is crucial, because the conflict between Israel and the Arab world is as much a psychological battle as it is a military one. In recent months, with the onslaught of suicide bombings, Israel's morale has seemed shaky. Sensing this weakness, its enemies have circled like sharks tasting blood. The victory at Jenin changes that psychological dynamic.