Gregg Roman
Gregg RomanArutz Sheva

Gregg Roman, Director of the Middle East Forum (MEF) has expressed disappointment in the results of the recent Operation Guardian of the Walls between Israel and Gaza.

Roman, who also heads the Forum's Israel Victory Project, told Arutz Sheva that "there was no victory in the operation. We had four years to prepare since the last round [of fighting] since Protective Edge. Our organization is preparing for this moment. We wanted to give the feeling and spirit of victory, but we weren't explicit regarding what we wanted, since we didn't know where the next battlefront would open up."

According to him, the fighting offered the IDF an opportunity to achieve victory: "Victory means three things: Neutralizing Hamas' ability to fire rockets, eliminating Hamas activists not only in Gaza but everywhere - Judea and Samaria, Qatar. And lastly, bringing our sons home, with no conditions."

When asked if he is in favor of sending troops into Gaza in order to achieve such a victory, Roman said: "Yes. We see what happens after every round. We want to beat them, not to deter them. After every round, they engineer rockets with greater abilities. Hamas' weapons innovations is very high."

Regarding responses to the "The people demand victory" campaign, he said: "This is a public discourse that's difficult to lead. We're thinking about our children, and the citizens of Israel, who will need to suffer from more rockets. But we see year after year the situation of the residents of the south. In a survey conducted last week, 73% were against a ceasefire. The public understands."

With regards to the future, Roman said: "I want to start a public discussion in which all of the sectors which have a part in this - business owners, local authorities, reservists, and professors, will hold a huge discussion and think about what is needed in order to eliminate the rocket fire, once and for all."