By Ted Belman
Shaul Mofaz, who is second only to Livni in the Kadima party and a potential Minister of Defense should Kadima form the next government has been an advocate of an interim agreement with the Palestinians which would create a provisional state. Now he has suggested a Second Defensive Shield to clean out Hamas from Gaza, just as the first cleanned out the terrorists in Judea and Samaria after Intifadah II,
- [..] The continuation of this terror offensive must prompt us to undertake strategic action to end Hamas’ rule in Gaza. This is not about directing meaningful fire at open spaces, and we must not only focus on the rocket launching cells.
We must carry out methodical, ceaseless operations against anyone affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Terror group members cannot be divided into operatives and a “back office.” The lives of anyone associated with Hamas and terrorism must become an inseparable part of the equation involving attacks on Israeli communities.
Should the State of Israel fail to root out terror hotbeds in the Gaza Strip, terrorism will only grow. We must not allow Hamas to drag us into a war of attrition. We shall not be hostages in the hands of terror and we shall not let those who fire missiles determine our daily routine.
Israel has the means to curb this terror. This is what we did at the height of the suicide bombing wave in 2002. Under the lead of then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, we struck the terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria. The results of Operation Defensive Shield are apparent to this day. We have now reached the moment of decision in the Gaza Strip as well.
So far so good. Then he goes on to attack Netanyahu for running a “sit and do nothing government” and not making a decision on borders.
He wants to integreat our war on terror with a new diplomatic offensive.
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The time has come to show responsibility and say in a clear voice that only a combination of an uncompromising war on terror alongside the start of a genuine diplomatic process will ensure our existence as a Jewish democratic state. On one hand, we must strike the terror groups that wish to exterminate us and fight them mercilessly, without hypocrisy or doublespeak.
By referring to a “genuine diplomatic process” he is of course recommending that Israel accept the ’67 lines as the starting point of negotiations. Nothing else will suffice. He says
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[Israel must] embark on a diplomatic process with the Palestinian Authority and with the Syrians, and secure Israel’s final-status borders once and for all. The need to take such action is growing in the face of the current Mideastern earthquake.
And there you have the divide in Israeli politics. Kadima and the left are prepared to restart negotiations by accepting ’67 as the starting point. Likud and the right is not.
Israel must insist on negotiations without preconditions. If the UN votes in September to recognize Palestine thereby breaching the Oslo Accords by taking a unilateral step on the status of Judea and Samaria, then Israel will react by annexing J&S or just “B” and “C” leaving the Arab population centers out.
One of the major weapons in this propaganda war against Israel is the “Remember these Children” website which compares the numbers of Arab children who have been killed in the conflicts to the number of Jewish children murdered by terrorists. The Arab list totals 1,437 since 2000 and the Jewish list totals 130. Not withstanding that such reporting is unsubstantiated, After visiting the site, I noticed that according to this report, most of the Israeli children were murdered in drive by shootings and human bombs exploding themselves in restaurants, buses and markets. In other words, the Arab terrorists targeted those children and murdered them in cold blood. For all of the Arab children, on the other hand, the site identifies the causes of death as gun shot wounds or explosions during the firefights with Arab Hamas fighters. What were their children doing in the middle of a war zone? That is clear and convincing evidence that the Hamas thugs where using the local children as human shields. Soldiers are trained to return fire when fired upon. The bushwhacking urban guerrillas who fire at enemy troops from a neighborhood full of children are the ones causing the deaths of those children. More at http:moshesharon.worpress.com
Yamit’s assessment of Mofaz is probably accurate, though I don’t consider him laughable. Any self-seeking, opportunistic Herod is a danger to Israel, if the New Rome is willing to support him.
All of the idiots who contributed to ruining Israel peace by piece over the last 30 years are still around in positions of governance. Herein lies Israel’s biggest problem.
Mofaz was DM who ran from Lebanon and screwed our allies (SLA -South Lebanese Army) abandoned millions of dollars of IDF equipment including tanks and apc’s to Hezbollah. Sensitive computers and data bases etc. He was in Charge and supported our abandoning Gaza to Hamas. He justified our retreat from Gaza and the Lebanon with populist declarations that if a single missile is fired at Israel from Gaza: Israel would respond with all our military might. He did nothing to live up to his threats either in the north or in Gaza which eventually led to Cast Led. Cast led which did not eliminate Hamas then when Israel had every opportunity to do so.
His record for being a moron is already established. His record for implementing policies that have proved injurious to Israel is established.
His political acumen by never reaching a top position in the most politically opportunistic political party ever in Israels history; to play second fiddle to Livni is telling.
In short he is an idiot,opportunist political wannabe who uses deleterious populist solutions for problems he himself helped to create.
His advice here is politically motivated and is designed to attack BB and livni from the left. He joined Likd after he retired from IDF as COS, and was then right of BB. Followed Sharon out of Likud with promise of DM.
Anything that fool said, should be viewed with laughter and disdain.