Washington losing confidence in Israel as inexperienced leadership paralyzed by crisis

From Gertz, sub req, excepted:

Israel's new defense minister, Amir Peretz, has no experience in either the military or in government. But he has been thrown into a crisis that could lead to war in the Middle East.

Peretz, a longtime peace activist, has been struggling to contain a growing Palestinian threat that includes daily missile salvos against the Jewish state from the Gaza Strip and the abduction of Israeli civilians and soldiers. A career union activist, Peretz is caught in a vise of military commanders, warning that the nation's deterrence is being eroded, and the United States and the international community, seeking Israeli restraint.

"We have no intention to recapture the Gaza Strip or control the Palestinian population," Peretz said. "We do not want our soldiers running through the alleys of refugee camps between Gaza City and Rafah."

A key question is whether Peretz will agree to a massive ground assault on the Gaza Strip to destroy missile production facilities, insurgency strongholds and the Hamas government. Or, will the military wait for international efforts to free an Israeli soldier abducted by Hamas.

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