Gaza is calm and the post-mortems are coming out. Its not good for the amen chorus of anti-Israeli interests that do so much whining when Israel throws a punch.

"This hasn't solved the problem," retired Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security adviser, told me. "But it has introduced a completely different cost calculation for Hamas." The launching of Hamas rockets against civilians now has a predictable price -- the essence of deterrence. The smuggling of weapons to Gaza through Egypt remains a challenge. But Hamas leaders are currently occupied, Eiland argues, "not just rebuilding buildings, but rebuilding their political standing and legitimacy." And this makes Hamas more likely to keep a cease-fire.

The quote actually minimizes the challenges Hamas faces. The Europeans have already expressed deep reluctance to keep funding the rebuilding of the same infrastructure over and over again.

"All we do is pay. You know very well that from time to time we pay several times for the same infrastructure that is regularly demolished."

They're paying again, by only sixty million Euros--a token.

Hamas leadership in Gaza face anger from Palestinians, depleted weapons stocks, depleted ranks of gunmen and a serious lack of credibility with their sponsors in Syria and Iran. With so many alligators, its going to be hard to remember that they are supposed to be draining the swamp. Its a virtual certainty that some of the current leadership will be assassinated and replaced. Others will have to make new accommodations, and at the end of the day there is going to be a lot less freedom of action and much more concern for basic survival.

I think Gerson is being too cautious. My bet would be that we've seen the end of the rocket strategy in Gaza. They try something new next time around.

If violence really didn't solve anything, why are policemen armed?