Analysis: If Israel fails to act on the threats it made against Hamas, it will pay a heavy price, especially in the face of Hezbollah’s 100,000 missiles in southern Lebanon.
It was expected. Two weeks into the ceasefire, a “state official” informed us on Sunday that Hamas is already busy digging new terror tunnels, which will reach the Gaza vicinity communities.
And that’s not all. The rocket industry is working overtime, and the organization is still smuggling missile parts and launching equipment from Sinai into the Strip.
It was also expected that the defense establishment would express its amazement, to the point of denial, over the information disclosed by the “state official.” After all, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has linked his fate with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s future in the Likud party and in the public opinion, and the result is the cooperation in the response of the system under his authority. In simpler words, the response says: “Missiles? What missiles? Where?”
On Sunday we also saw the foreign minister openly facing the prime minister. Right before our eyes, he shoved facts in his face, aimed at embarrassing him, challenging him and forcing him to respond in one way or another.
Avigdor Lieberman basically told Netanyahu: Hamas disregards you. One can only imagine what the foreign minister will say about the prime minister in the next election campaign.
Netanyahu fired Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon for less than what Lieberman did. But if he dares to touch the foreign minister, the prime minister will be cutting down the tree he has been sitting on for nearly six years now. Sitting and making sure to avoid any diplomatic initiative.
What does Netanyahu actually want to achieve? With what kind of achievement is he planning to take from the war that occurred here? If we wish to try to understand his stance, we should mention that in the past as well, in similar situations – after the pullout from Lebanon, after the disengagement from Gaza, after the operations in the Strip – prime ministers had promised that they would not tolerate rockets fired at Israeli communities. So what if they promised?
Netanyahu as opposition chairman mocked the prime ministers and promised to act differently. So what if he promised? Whoever wants to take comfort in the loss of a diplomatic-security way can say that it also took the US president some time to come to his senses and formulate a policy against ISIS.
Lieberman these days is basically filling the role which was filled in the past by Ariel Sharon, who drove the different prime ministers mad.
Sharon would always warn that whoever fails to finish a war will pay a terrible price in the future. He was usually right, but the prime ministers preferred to play for time rather than listen to him.
Similarly, Lieberman is saying that if we fail to act on the threats the Israeli leadership made against Hamas, we will pay dearly against the Strip. And unfortunately, not just against the Strip, but mainly in the face of more than 100,000 missiles Hezbollah has stocked up on in southern Lebanon.
@ Bill Badger:
Another take on similar theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZZuy3NejvY
Sorry for off topic Ted, but I had to pass this one on.
A CNN Reporter, BBC Reporter, and an Israeli commando were captured by terrorists in Iraq. The leader of the terrorists told them that he would grant them each one last request before they were beheaded.
The CNN Reporter said, ‘Well, I’m an American, so I’d like one last hamburger with French fries.” The leader nodded to an underling who left and returned with the burger & fries. The reporter ate it and said “Now, I can die.”
The BBC Reporter said, ‘I’m a reporter to the end. I want to take out my tape recorder and describe the scene here and what’s about to happen. Maybe someday someone will hear it and know that I was on the job till the end.” The terror leader directed an aide to hand over the tape recorder and dictated some comments. The reporter then said, ‘Now I can die knowing I stayed true until the end.”
The leader turned and said, “And now, Mr. Israeli tough guy, what is your final wish?”
“Kick me in the ass,” said the soldier.
“What?’ asked the leader, “Will you mock us in your last hour?”
“No, I’m not kidding. I want you to kick me in the ass,” insisted the Israeli. So the leader shoved him into the open and kicked him in the ass.
The soldier went sprawling, but rolled to his knees, pulled a 9 mm pistol from under his flak jacket, and shot the leader dead. In the resulting confusion, he jumped to his knapsack, pulled out his carbine and sprayed the terrorists with gunfire. In a flash, all terrorists were either dead or fleeing for their lives.
As the soldier was untying the reporters, they asked him, “Why didn’t you just shoot them in the beginning? Why did you ask them to kick you in the ass first?”
“What?” replied the Israeli, “and have you report that I was the aggressor?”
Israel is not a problem, Netanyahu and his ilk are. A huge problem. Netanyahu will not do a thing. He is one of worst liars, betrayers ever.
Ya’alon is a tad less disgusting but still well into the untrustworthy range.
I will not repeat what must be done.