The outcome Israel seeks – the elimination of Hamas – is unlikely to come about through a ground invasion. If this outcome isn’t possible then the rationale for a ground invasion weakens. Without the only feasible alternative – the two-nation solution – Israelis and Palestinians are condemned to continue the violence, which as history shows will only beget more violence
Washington cannot afford to bog down its overburdened militaryforces in naive nation-building efforts that are inherently risky,expensive, and doubtful.