DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis November 20, 2012, 10:28 PM (GMT+02:00)
Jerusalem, Cairo and Gaza were all waiting for US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to arrive Tuesday night, Nov. 20, for tying up the ends of a Gaza ceasefire accord. Until then, Israel held back from its approval and the Palestinians were hurling as many deadly missiles as they could.
DEBKAfile’s analysts say that by giving in to international pressure for a ceasefire, Israel’s leaders Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman would show they have failed to learn from their predecessors’ mistakes in ending the last two wars against terrorists inconclusively and prematurely.
After those wars, Israeli civilians were again thrust into the front line against missiles. In 2006, it was the population of northern Israel; in 2012, a million people living in southern Israel are in this intolerable predicament. And after Hamas’s rockets reached Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for this first time in this round of Palestinian missile aggression, the next round will no doubt spill over into the central Israeli heartland as well.
Tens of thousands of soldiers and reservists were meanwhile held on the Gaza border in suspense for a ground incursion. They stood there and watched as the missiles flew over their heads to explode in their towns and villages and in Cairo, the politicians wrangled over an early ceasefire.
Operation Pillar of Cloud was kicked off Nov. 14 with the targeted assassination of one of Israel’s most implacable enemies, Ahmed Jabari, commander of the Hama military wing, amid high hopes that this time it would be different. They were heartened by the IDF’s recovery of its legendary speed, precision and inventiveness and trusted the troops to finish the job left undone by Cast Lead in 2008.
Israel’s political and military leaders fervently vowed not to stop until lost deterrence was regained, Palestinian missile and terror capabilities were degraded and the people of the south could at last lead normal lives.
Hamas and Jihad Islami were caught off-balance by the loss of the Hamas commander in chief and the highly successful air operation which followed.
But instead of seizing this moment for rapid in-and-out, lightning ground incursions against well-defined targets, the three Israeli ministers paused.
The chance then passed into the hands of the terrorists who used it to send their Iran-made missiles against Greater Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. At that instant, they multiplied their million targets to five.
Israel responded by calling up 75,000 IDF reserves and pouring 68,000 troops onto jumping-off stations along the Gaza border ready for an incursion.. One lesson was drawn from the 2006 conflict against the Lebanese Hizballah: Missiles cannot be stopped by air strikes.
The IDF spokesman Brig. Yoav Mordecai then started releasing upbeat televised communiqués announcing that the air offensive had so far deqraded 30, 40, 50 percent of the Palestinian missile capacity. However, as he spoke, Hamas somehow managed to expand the radius and intensity of its missile blitz until, finally Tuesday, on Day 7 of the Israeli operation, they landed two massive salvoes of 16 Grad missiles each on Beersheba’s quarter of a million inhabitants.
By then, the military had sensed that the three ministers running the operation were dithering between embarking on a ground operation to finish what they started and giving in to the mounting international pressure to accept a profitless ceasefire.
With US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton due to land in Israel Tuesday night, it was clear they had missed the boat for independent decision-making.
The Israeli public was informed by the media that the negotiations for a truce with Hamas and Jihad Islami led by Egypt were heavy going but approaching an announcement.
DEBKAfile traces the progress of the negotiating process in Cairo, stage by stage:
1. From Friday, Nov. 16, two days into the Gaza operation, the three Israeli ministers at the helm bowed to President Barack Obama’s repeated requests every few hours for yet another 24 hours’ grace for Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar Emir al-Thani to conclude their bid for a ceasefire.
2. Saturday, Nov. 17, the IDF units mustered on the Gaza border received orders to go in. Some notified their families by text messages. Less than an hour later, the order was cancelled and they were pulled back after another phone call was received in Jerusalem from President Obama.
3. By then, it was too late for Israel’s leaders to correct their worst strategic mistake. They had gone along with Obama’s devolution of the ceasefire brokerage effort on three avowed foes of the Jewish state: Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood; Erdogan who keeps on slamming Israel as “a terrorist state;” and the Qatari ruler, who is bankrolling Hamas’s purchases of sophisticated weapons smuggled out of Libya.
The “truce brokers” prevented Israel from taking its place at the table. The Israeli delegation sent to Cairo was confined to exchanges though Egyptian intelligence officers, while at the same time forced to accept Hamas and Jihad Islami as negotiating partners.
4. When they saw tens of thousands of IDF reservists standing idle on the Gaza border, Hamas and Jihad Islami strategists concluded that, while they may have lost the opening round of the war, they had gained enough momentum to make up for it in the days that followed.
5. Building up their stake for the endgame, the two terrorist organizations intensified their missile blitz on Israel and raised their terms for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, international pressure from Western leaders on Jerusalem to step back from a ground operation was crushing.
By Tuesday, Netanyahu was willing to assure visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle: “I would prefer this to end with a diplomatic solution. I hope we can achieve one, but if not, we are fully entitled to defend ourselves by other means and we shall use them.”
The Prime minister had also come around to accepting Egypt’s role in monitoring and managing the proposed ceasefire and providing guarantees for its implementation.
Netanyahu, Barak and Lieberman gave there consent to this arrangement in the face of strong objections from top military commanders and intelligence pros. The latter argued that, even with the best will in the world, the Muslim Brotherhood rulers of Egypt were not up to the task.
6. The clincher was the news that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had left the Obama party touring the Far East and was on her way to Jerusalem and Cairo Tuesday night to tie up the last ends of an accord to stop the fighting in Gaza.
The issue had acquired ramifications which transcend the embattled Palestinian enclave: For Washington, Morsi’s acceptance of a key role in the execution of the truce would signify that Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood had after all chosen to join the US-Israel orbit in preference to the radical Middle East camp – albeit without fanfare for fear of embarrassment at home and in the inter-Arab arena.
The Obama administration expects Israel to go along with this perception.
DEBKAfile’s sources report that this is a dangerous illusion because, in the first place, it does not truly represent the intentions or orientation of the Egyptian president or the Muslim Brotherhood. In the second, it flies in the face of ten years of experience.
Even when Hosni Mubarak, a far more pro-Western figure, ruled Egypt, Cairo never upheld a single security accord negotiated with Israel for the Gaza Strip or Sinai and sponsored by Washington. Why would the Muslim Brothers behave any differently?
But even if Cairo does take charge of the ceasefire deal, it would put Israel in the invidious position of having to run to the Egyptians to complain about every Hamas violation, helpless to do anything about the smuggling into the Gaza Strip of fresh and better munitions with more powerful multiple warheads, or stop the groundwork being laid for the next Palestinian blitz.
The boast by government sources that the first missile fired from Gaza in violation of the truce would be met with an extra-powerful response unfortunately recalls the pledge of a former prime minister Ariel Sharon. After he disengaged Israel from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and pulled out every last civilian and soldier, Sharon declared that the first bullet fired from the Gaza Strip would be met with a powerful response.
Since then, the bullet has evolved into a missile… and is still growing.
@ yamit82:
At this point in time the road to Jewish salvation leads from Tel Aviv to some place in Germany (Berlin,Hamburg) or Los Angeles or better still the true promised land given to us by covenant from Hashem himself- MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA USA.
moderation again
yamit82 Said:
This is a serious threat if true, and even it it did not transpire it points the way to a future problem: more such threats. If this is true BB’s stalling will only make it worse, like the rest of his stalling. Israel needs a ruthless right wing leader, ruthless in Israels interest. If this is true Morsi will see BB as an empty blowhard who can be easily bullied.
@ Shy Guy:
Sorry but the idea was interesting,maybe even a remote possibility but what is missing is the right leader.
Sorry but it ain’t Feiglin and therefore anyone who follows Feiglin into the Likud wastes his vote at the expense of parties to the right of Likud.
In all the years of trying neither Feiglin nor his loyal followers have come to the understanding that the problem is Feiglin and none else. Instead of under the circumstances strengthen even possibly lead a truly right wing party he and his followers in the Likud are actually the ones strengthening BB.
Idiots at the helm
yamit82 Said:
Which will actually wind up being to the benefit of Netanyahu because he’ll stay in place while the right splinters off.
I just wrote on another blog on this subject and I paraphrased Abba Eban:
“The Jewish nationalist community never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”
I hope we’ll all be happy with ourselves after the election. Stupid Jews.
@ yamit82:
What a difference a day makes in Israeli politics Poll taken a few days before the cease fire
@ Shy Guy:
@ Canadian Otter:
After Ceasefire New Poll Shows Significant Drop in Support for Netanyahu, Rising Right Wing
A new Israeli poll released this morning, and conducted following the cease-fire with Hamas, announced yesterday after 8 days of fighting, shows a significant drop in public support for Israeli Prime Minister Netanayhu.
The poll which was commissioned by Israel’s Knesset website and conducted by the Panels Institute shows Netanyahu’s joint list with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, named Likud-Beiteinu dropping significantly from a current 42 seats combined to 33 seats.
Israel’s Labor party gained two seats from a previous poll rising to 22 seats, and the Yesh Atid party of former Journalist Yair Lapid dropped from 13 seats to 11.
Strong gains on Israel’s right were marked by the Jewish Home party headed by former Netanyahu Chief of Staff Naftali Bennett which rose from 11 to 13 seats, and the Power to Israel party of Michael Ben-Ari and Aryeh Eldad, now projected to win 4 seats. The Orthodox Shas party remained static in the poll with 10 mandates, while Meretz and United Torah Judaism both came in with 6 seats.
The new figures may be a result of the unpopularity in Israel of the ceasefire agreement, which a Channel 2 poll taken before the ceasefire was announced concluded that 70% of Israelis opposed.
According to Israeli website Walla, a Likud mister who did not wish to be named said that the, “public response is very, very difficult. We do not remember such a magnitude of an enraged response. People call and say: this time we will not vote Likud.”
Another minister is quoted as saying that a reserve soldier said: “A week ago all of my battalion were Likudniks. Now, if you think anyone would vote Likud You’re kidding yourself.”
Another minister coming to the defense of Netanyahu said that the situation was more complicated, citing the famous Israeli saying: “what you see from here is not visible from there.”
Israeli political commentator and Algemeiner blogger, Arik Alman, said that he is not sure if these results will hold in the longer term. “Obviously the first reaction to the agreement is deep disappointment,” he said, ”and that is before all Israeli concessions to Hamas on the issues of movement and border crossings have been realized.”
“Likud Beitenu voters many of whom live in the South feel that Netanyahu and Lieberman bowed to Ehud Barak,” he continued. However he said, “it is hard to tell whether this opinion climate will endure – there are two months to elections, and if the calm will hold, perhaps Netanyahu will yet persuade right-wing voters to support him and not the untested alternative in the person of Naftali Bennett.”
“On the other hand,” he added, “Labor is benefiting from the renewed public image of Amir Peretz, who is considered a “father” of the Iron Dome and savior of lives.”
“The accounts of the negotiations published so far reveal that the Israeli government bowed to the American request not to push Egypt too far and accepted conditions that it first considered unsatisfying,” he concluded.
@ yamit82:
Color me surprised.
Ch 2 journalist repoted that Isral Mossad head who was our negotiator in Egypt reported the Morsi threatened to end the peace agreement with Israel if Israel entered Gaza with ground force. During the 8 days of conflict Morsi refused to speak with BB but only through Obama.
@ yamit82:
I just posted that. Me 2 slo. 🙁 🙂
@ Canadian Otter:
For starters “It’s the coming elections” They could hardly not react. I said in the first day it would be a pyrotechnic show and not much more than a proverbial dog and pony show. How much of Israel’s capitulation was predetermined I don’t know.
Hamas did not begin the shooting it was their opposition to the right the Salafists. Hamas ceased being a terrorist org when they took over Gaza. They are now a quasi state with a gorilla armed force. Thanks to gutless BB are the new darlings of the West and the hope of Obama for running the Palis state Obama with the EU will stuff down our throats. Abbu Mazzen is now with the PLO a historical fossil and all hopes of the West now rest with Hamas with Egyptian patronage.
I have no doubt that BB will be chosen to head the Likud list but from the Israeli street they are mocking him with all kinds of alternative media satire and taunts like BB loser and 3 monkeys Leiberman, Barak and BB. I predict that many Likud supporters may not vote for an opposition party but will stay home on election day. All the moderate likud MK’s will be tossed out as well.
I guarantee that anyone who attacks BB from the right on his performance just just on the security issues and his performance during the last 8 days will profit at the polls. Because of the multiplicity of parties BB may still come out ahead but no matter what he will be diminished.
BB is a Loser
Soldiers spell out critique of Netanyahu as a ‘loser’ for not using ground forces in Gaza
In Facebook pic that goes viral, 16 men arrange their bodies to show frustration at not going into battle
The IDF Spokesman’s Office said Thursday it was looking into a photograph circulating widely on Facebook in which 16 IDF soldiers arranged their uniformed bodies on the sand, to spell out the Hebrew words “Bibi loser” — in a deft physical critique of Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu’s failure to send ground troops into Gaza during the just-ended Operation Pillar of Defense.
Netanyahu warned throughout the operation that a wider military assault on Hamas might be about to unfold. The IDF called up tens of thousands of reservists and deployed large troop contingents close to the Gaza border, and some troops were reportedly ordered more than once to gear up for an incursion, only to be ordered to stand down at the last moment.
“We were twice ordered to gear up and told that we are going in, and then we were called back to Israel,” one soldier said Thursday; others said they had even opened border gates before being told to return.
The photograph’s source was not clear at time of writing. It had been posted and reposted on numerous Facebook pages, receiving more than 3,000 “Likes” and 400 “shares” in one Facebook group alone within three hours of appearing.
Many commenters on the photo said that the soldiers should be court-martialed; many others empathized with the soldiers’ evident sense of frustration at having been wound up for battle and then wound down, calling Netanyahu a coward and criticizing the prime minister for preventing the IDF from “getting the job done” and “giving it to Hamas.”
The IDF’s Spokesman’s Office said it frowned upon soldiers expressing political opinions while in uniform.
The soldiers did not wear identifying insignia; their red boots indicated that they were from infantry units.
@ yamit82:
The situation as encapsulated in your comment might lead conspiracy-minded folks to characterize it as an ideally plotted scheme to further empower Muslim Brotherhood while disempowering Israel. Those same conspiracy-minded folks might ask themselves why did the Israeli govt submit to it so easily. Almost as easily as officially supporting Two States four years ago.
@ Austin Texas:
THE COST OF WAR – Thank you for those figures. And Pillar of Defense is only one more chapter in the long saga of defending Israel from Gaza terror. The total amount all these years must be staggering. ~~~ Still, the government has been cruel and stingy in their treatment of Gush Katif victims, who have been living in sub-standard housing, many of them unable to find decent jobs, and suffering from the psychological trauma of having had their lives destroyed by their own government. The still ongoing mistreatment of them by the govt is adding insult to injury, as if the govt wanted to punish them indefinitely for their sin of settling Jewish land. The human cost of Disengagement, with rocket victims added to it and soldiers killed is incalculable.
I wonder whether someone has seriously questioned what the cost of protecting Israel would be if there is even a small Arab Nazi state or statelet in Judea and Samaria. It’s high time someone challenged this government to come up with an estimate next time they mention Two States or Disengagement. Even if it could be militarily done (which is impossible with an enemy shooting while hiding behind women and children), it would drive the country bankrupt.
@ Canadian Otter:
The IDF reported tonight that the estimate cost for “Pillar of Defense” is 3 billion IS. Here’s the quote from Arutz Sheva (www.israelnationalnews.com)
“The total cost of Operation Piillar of Defense is estimated at about 3 billion Israeli shekels, according to financial and economic experts.
According to the estimate, publicized this morning, the cost of the fighting itself was 900 million IS, the cost of the reserve callup and waiting period 235 million IS, Iron Dome cost 750 million IS and the cost to civilians is about 1.25 million IS. Local authorities incurred costs of hundreds of millions of shekels.”
The best way to deal with Hamas–is to kill all of them–all of them!
@ Eric R.:
Never mind him whatever, whoever he is it’s just trolling with personal attacks.
Sam Goldblatt Said:
They had similar comments about Cassandra in Greek mythology, as I recall.
You don’t think there will be pogroms against Jews in Europe?
Ask the Jews of Malmo, Sweden. Or any of a dozen cities in France.
@ yamit82:
Yamit,
how badly will this fiasco hurt BB in the elections??
is there a chance of a mutiny within the party and the replacement of BB as a leader?
will this strengthen the real right-wingers, like Bayt Yehudi, Eldad, etc?
I have come to agree with you fully that BB has to go. Better a left winger with a strong opposition than a coward right-winger who acts like a left-winger unimpeded by anyone!
what a depressing disaster!
your comments please
Halad Mashal of Hamas is celebrating tonight thanks Morsi, Turkey and Iran for their support and added “We will continue to arm ourselves with Iranian Missiles and Rockets”
***As I have suggested Israel has de-facto recognized Hamas because now they will have to deal directly with each other to establish and implement on the ground understanding reached between the leaders.
@ yamit82:
Yep. 🙁
@ dove:
BB’s address to the nation tonight was a political campaign speech. He has lost much and I hope most of his support. He knows he betrayed the Israeli people and now has to spin his claimed success. He is worried!!!
@ Sam Goldblatt:
Is that all you got?
Reported by TV journalist that Obma asked Abu Mazzen to cool his UN bid till after the coming Israeli elections in Jan. He promised that he will renew his efforts to bring a 2 state solution to fruition and will put the Pali issue at the top of his foreign policy agenda.
BB is the perfect Israeli Pawn for Obama’s future efforts. He will bend and cave to the slightest threat. He must never be reelected.
@ NormanF:
Israel capitulated totally.
Hamas is strengthened.
Hamas still has most of her missile arsenal.
Hamas still calls the shots whether to raise the flame or lower it. The power of timing and level of aggression against Israel still remains with Hamas and Islamic Jihad . Hamas linking to their father MB Morsi. Islamic Jihad under the tutelage of Iran is now the strongest force in Gaza. They might challenge Hamas if pressed too hard.
Hamas has demonstrated backbone Israel lacks. Hamas has demonstrated that it poses an existential threat to Israel by firing on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Big picture is nothing has changed except Hamas will become stronger.
Israel has agreed to all of Hamas’s demands: Open borders without Israeli interference or inspections. For six years Israel fought the whole world over restricted imports to Gaza. Now Israel has agreed to end inspections and restrictions? We look stupid and are.
Israel has agreed to cease targeting assassinations. Israel has agreed that Morsi with be adjudicator, arbiter, referee, umpire whenever one side accuses the other of violations of the understanding or agreements. Israel formally will need to submit to Egypt any complaints for judgement before acting. Ridiculous? But that’s what was reported by all media that BB agreed to. Not sure whether Obama has a final say.
Tying Egypt as responsible authority for Hamas could mean either Israel will again back down in the future rather than confront Egypt.
Obama and BB have raised and praised Morsi enhancing his status and stature regionally and Internationally.
Iran will attempt now to overload Hamas and Islamic Jihad massively with fajar 5’s and others but lets not forget that the M35 rocket used by Hamas is home made. It’s a variation of smaller rockets but smaller payload in exchange for longer range.
Nobody but the brain dead believe any cease fire will last for long. Then What? With long range missile they have and will increase like Hezbollah deterrence against Israel not the other way around. Every Fajar 5 has 90 pounds explosive warhead.
BB the MIT Grad is not only a coward but stupid as well. I would even go so far as to characterize him as criminally treasonous.
I would prefer to see Meretz running the country rather than a Likud under BB.
I hope the people of Israel punish the Likud for their cowardice, condemning thousands of potential Israelis to death in the future and possibly the not to distant future.
@ Eric R.:
Eric, try mixing a little cilantro with the crack you’re smoking.
@ Eric R.:
Eric, when the men in the white suits come for you later this afternoon – be nice.
yamit82 Said:
As predicted, Netanyahu and Barak signed on to the US-Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood-Hamas diktat. Israel has been forced to throw in the towel. Not that this Israeli government was ever serious about retaking Gaza or destroying Hamas.
@ yamit82:
Jews around the world with no chance or choice to come to Israel are another matter. Our obligation is to them not those who can at any time board a plane and in a few hrs be in Israel – glad you recognize that Yamit…..
@ Canadian Otter:
listening to it right now. It was a good thing that Ignatieff did not get in and got flattened. That should send a clear message.
Truce is agreed, Israel loses again. Hamas is triumphant.
Picture here of a slimy handshake between Bibi and Hilary (Obama’s instrument of Jew Death),
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/9694241/Gaza-conflict-ceasefire-agreed-between-Israel-and-Hamas.html
I think put both of them in rocket launchers and fire them at Gaza city.
The bus bombing barely made it to the news, I had to hunt for that news. Still can’t get any info on casualties.
The Western MSM is just not interested.
Here is the message from the Israeli street
@ Canadian Otter:
Nice,
Yeah, everyone knows about the NDP – anti-Israeli sellouts to Islamic Fascism. They are in alliance with the activist anti-semitic United Church.
Canadian MPs discuss Canada’s role in the Israeli-Arab conflict.
The following short video taped yesterday may be of particular interest to Canadians, with an exchange between Conservative MP Mark Adler and two members of the opposition. Adler makes a strong defense of Israel.
http://www.cpac.ca/eng/videos/80251
PS: During Cast Lead former Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff accused Israel of “war crimes”. The NDP is further to the left.
THE COST OF GAZA NOW. Supporters of the Gaza withdrawal used to say that it was a good idea because it would save all that money wasted protecting settlers. I wonder what they say these days as every rocket interception by Iron Dome costs around $90,000. Add to that the cost in lives, of terror in southern cities, and the ongoing public relations disaster resulting from blockade and IDF retaliation. These costs will mount as years go by. ~~~ Expenditures from protecting Gush Katif settlers would have been peanuts compared to all of the above. And the benefits were already tangible.
That’s something to think about for all those still inclined to withdraw from Judea and Samaria. There is no upside to surrendering Jewish land. ~~~ Israeli Jews should assume the worst about their leaders’ motivations – whoever they may be. They will have to take the initiative in protecting Judea and Samaria, no matter what their leaders tell them. And trust no one.
@ yamit82:
Could it be that Spam Filter has placed me for extra scrutiny on its secret Black List of talkbackers with subversive and dangerous ideas? 🙂
Anyone already on that list who mentions my name is even more suspect, and doubles his chances of being censored! The always alert Spam Filter senses conspiracy! 🙂
@ yamit82:
Ok, so when the pogroms start and thousands of Jews are massacred across Europe by raging Muslim and Marxist savages, is your answer still going to be “They should have come home!”?
Or, is Israel going to send troops to Brussels, Vienna, Oslo and defend these people, maybe even seize and overthrow the goverments of these Nazi nations? Will she attack shipping in the Mediterranean? Will she blow up gas and oil pipe lines? Will she instigate a civil war across Europe that will ultimately consume the continent and kill millions of these scum?
Israel has a more powerful military than any EU nation, by far. Only the British and French nukes make Europe relevant at all.
Comment to otter in moderation
Otter what gives? I mention your name and it’s almost an automatic moderation? 🙁
@ Canadian Otter:
Hmmmm:
One Palestinian killed, two wounded in West Bank clashes with IDF
Another Palestinian died from wounds he received when he was allegedly shot by Israel Defense Forces soldiers on Saturday.
There have been demonstrations and rioting all over the West Bank. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are coming out hugely enhanced from this and the PA is looking increasingly irrelevant. Abbas is hanging on to his UN bid in order to regain some credibility and Israel and the US blocking even observer status on this is undermining him. He needs it to save his scrawny treacherous neck
If, as is looking likely, Israel is hesitating about a ground invasion, then Hamas will have called their bluff, stood firm, demonstrated their ability to attack deep into Israel and to survive. Hamas will be able to present this as a symbolic victory something that will hugely raise their status as the legitimate voice of Palestinian resistance, not only in Gaza but in the West Bank and the Arab world too.
Israel ministry paper proposes ‘toppling’ Abbas over UN bid
For G-d’s sake already – TURN OFF THE WATER AND POWER!!!!!
@ Eric R.:
As Shy said, our doors are open. Jews who chose the exile are are ON there own. It’s their choice and their own consequences. No Israeli should have to endanger himself for those Jews who rejected our open door in-favor of the protection and life in their countries of current residence.
Jews around the world with no chance or choice to come to Israel are another matter. Our obligation is to them not those who can at any time board a plane and in a few hrs be in Israel.
The Bus Bombing – Muslims regard violence as their own true measurement of honor and commitment to their cause – whichever that cause may be (just look at Syria). The concept of a peaceful true Muslim in the ME is an oxymoron. ~~~~ When it comes to the Jews, there is no compromise. If PA and Israeli Arabs are not brutal enough, they lose respect from their peers in Gaza.
As the media kept repeating how Fatah had been rendered irrelevant in this particular conflict, it was only a matter of time till the PA or their Israeli Arab allies made a ‘symbolic gesture’ to demonstrate that they are still relevant and faithful to the cause. The Israeli idea of coexisting with Arabs (Israeli citizens or not) in relative peace through all sorts of appeasement measures, including affirmative action, territorial gifts, trade cooperation, etc., has been fully discredited – many times.
Set your own time BB which is overdue.Like a warning shot. Give a clear message. Hamas must stop firing rockets by ….give an immediate time. If one more rocket is fired…..THEN GO IN AND GET THE JOB DONE. You have suppport of your people…that’s all you need.
@ Shy Guy:
They can’t all come to Israel in the next few weeks; in fact, even if they wanted to leave, the EU would bar their leaving to use them as hostages to get Israel to surrender and die.
Israel will have to take the fight to the EU. The problem is dealing with France, which has a nuclear arsenal, 8 million Muzzies and a Marxist-Islamist President.
Eric R. Said:
Ridiculous!
Israel’s doors are open to the Jews of the world to come home, the sooner the better.
Eric R. Said:
Ridiculous!
Dresdenize Gaza. Then go in.
With the bus bombing, Israel must invade and crush Gaza. With 75,000 troops, this should not take that long. There are probably 150,000-200,000 buildings at most in Gaza, as most people live in multiple story buildings. Squads would have to probably handle 10-12 buildings each to do a total sweep, plus the tunnels.
I have no doubt we are looking at 500+ Israelis killed. As for Gazans, they are Nazi savages, and the more killed, the better.
However, Israel will also have to expand this war to Europe, onto European soil, to defend Jews there, as it will be open season on Jews in Europe, and you cannot expect the Nazi states of the EU to defend Jews and fire on their Muslim allies. I expect the flash point will be the Antwerp ghetto, where IDF forces off duty already act as “security” personnel. When the city’s Islmonazis come rioting, and these security personnel open fire and are forced to kill scores of them, the rioting that erupts across Europe will simply overwhelm the continent, plunging it into a continent wide civil war that will devour what is left of that pathetic little sewer.
First notification of Tel Aviv Bus explosion many casualties.
Don’t believe it was perp by Gazans but local cells or from West Bank.
It would not be the first time Israel’s government ignored its people’s plight to curry favor with the Jew-hating world.
If this deal is what Israel is being forced to accept, you can be sure the voters will punish this government and throw it out of office.
A government that fails to fulfill its most basic obligation of protecting the country and its citizens, does not deserve the support of its people.
Handing Hamas a huge victory is not what the people of Israel want. They want the government to finish the job.
I guess my doppleganger wrote this. He’s very erudite. 🙂
Come on! Did they really say that again?
I guess that disproves the old adage. I guess after all you CAN lie to all of the people all of the time!
The cheque is in the mail!