Friday, February 29, 2008
With city of 120,000 under rocket fire, Israel warns of Gaza invasion
ASHKELON, Israel: Israeli defense officials warned on Friday of an approaching invasion of the Gaza Strip after Israel was forced to activate an air raid system to protect a major city from Palestinian rocket barrages.
A Palestinian rocket hit a house in the rocket-scarred Israeli town of Sderot, slightly wounding one person, Israeli rescue officials said. Another rocket that fell short landed on a house in northern Gaza, moderately wounding four civilians.
A spike in violence that began Wednesday with Israel's killing of two rocket masterminds [Note the arbitrary choice of when to mark the beginning of the latest "cycle of violence". -S] has killed 32 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, among them eight children. The youngest was a 6-month-old boy. An Israeli man was killed in a rocket attack on Sderot on Wednesday.
Israel blamed the high Palestinian civilian death toll on rocket squads operating within civilian areas of Gaza, ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas. AP photos showed rockets being launched from densely populated areas.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians took to the streets Friday to bury their dead and protest the Israeli attacks. Some children at the protests wore white clothes stained with red paint to signify blood [So be sure to photograph us from our good sides...]...
...Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai was more explicit, saying Israel had "no other choice" but to invade Gaza, which Israeli troops and settlers evacuated more than two years ago.
"As the rocket fire grows, and the range increases -- and they haven't yet said the last word on this -- they are bringing upon themselves a greater 'shoah' because we will use all our strength in every way we deem appropriate, whether in airstrikes or on the ground," Vilnai told Army Radio. "We're getting close to using our full strength."
The Hebrew word "shoah" is most often associated with the Holocaust but Israelis use it to describe all sorts of disasters. A spokesman for Vilnai, Eitan Ginzburg, said the deputy defense minister never intended it as a reference to the Holocaust but used the word "shoah" in its original sense [This is a remarkable bit of fairness from the AP. This sloppy "shoah" translation (and, let's face it, the ill-advised use of the word in the first place) is something we're going to be seeing a lot of in the future. See Melanie Phillips: The mother of all mistranslations - h/t: Adam]...
...Sderot and nearby communities have taken the overwhelming brunt of the rocket attacks from Gaza, but militants firing longer-range Iranian rockets struck hit the town of Ashkelon several times on Thursday. One sliced through the roof of an apartment building and three floors below, and another landed near a school, wounding a 17-year-old girl...
This is how rogue states like Iran destabilize regions and cannot simply be ignored or appeased. By giving arms, equipment, training and longer-range weapons to terror groups like Hamas, they perpetuate the conflict and force an Israeli response. Hamas wants to eliminate its neighbor, and Iran helps and encourages. There is nothing Israel can do to appease Hamas but disappear. Hamas will use whatever means they have at their disposal to do damage and harass, and no country in the world, particularly a democracy accountable to its people, could be expected to just sit there and take it. What should they do? Simply evacuate their cities? No one would do that.
Israel must strike back. There is no passive option. There is no one to make peace with. Ordinarily, a military as strong as Israel's would pose a deterrent per se -- but that doesn't work with a terrorist group with a suicidal ideology and a willingness to fight to the last child. It's further exacerbated by an international press corps and a European political establishment that almost seems custom tailored for manipulation. When EU politicians tell Israelis (falsely) that their every move is in danger of violating some newly discovered tenet of International Law, lest it inconvenience a hostile population, it blunts Israel's deterrent and further encourages the terror groups to hide amongst civilians and put children at risk (which actually is a violation of international law). The behavior of the press and the politicians make terror, child abuse and morphing an entire civilian population into hostages into an effective set of tactics. It works, so you get more of it -- thanks to the meddling of crusaders willing to tell other people what risks they have to live with.
Israel is an accountable democracy without expansionist aspirations and a military that operates under accepted norms. If it weren't for terror and an unwillingness to compromise encouraged by countries like Iran and Syria and aforesaid meddlers who reward such obstinacy, there would be a Palestinian Arab state by now. Arms to Israel, a state facing down other state and non-state actors who have the stated goal of destroying it, are by nature stabilizing once the Israelis re-establish their deterrent.
And that's what they're going to have to do, over the dangers of Hamas guns and bombs and Iranian supplied missiles, and in spite of press and politicians geared up to serve as a multiplier to Hamas propaganda and an encourager to their war crimes.
Stability will emerge and peace will reign when Hamas, Iran and others are disarmed, destroyed or deterred from aggression, and when press and self-appointed international lawyers stop encouraging tactics that allow it to continue.
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Hamas's Iranian Rockets and Their Enablers.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.solomonia.com/cgi-bin/mt4/mt-renamedtb.cgi/14270
I thought it worth pulling out the issue of whether or not an Israeli minister threatened a "Holocaust" on the Gaza Arabs that I referred to below. He did not, actually, but that's not going to prevent a firestorm, aided... Read More
“The more Qassam fire intensifies, and the rockets reach a longer range, they will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves.” - Israeli Deputy Defence Minister, Matan Vilnai See Also: Th... Read More
Is "victory" over Hamas more important than human lives? Solomon apparently believes so. Most Israelis seem to disagree:
Poll: Most Israelis back direct talks with Hamas
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/958473.html
Sixty-four percent of Israelis say the government must hold direct talks with the Hamas government in Gaza toward a cease-fire and the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Less than one-third (28 percent) still opposes such talks.
The figures were obtained in a Haaretz-Dialog poll conducted Tuesday under the supervision of Professor Camil Fuchs of Tel Aviv University.
According to the findings, Israelis are fed up with seven years of Qassam rockets falling on Sderot and the communities near Gaza, as well as the fact that Shalit has been held captive for more than a year and a half.
An increasing number of public figures, including senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces' reserves, have expressed similar positions on talks with Hamas...
There are a number of legitimate options open to Israelis. Their government isn't run by Haaretz opinion polls, however, nor does such an article provide any perspective on the thinking of the subjects of the polls, the methods of the polling, the possible outcomes or policies likely to emerge from a single line directive ("Talk to Hamas")... so as usual, your contribution is a non-sequitur.
To hamas, is attacking Israel and killing children more important than self government?
Apparently so.
Why is hamasstan firing missles into Israel?
Why is hamasstan using their own children as human shields?
- Crocodile tears?
- Photo Ops?
- Propaganda points?
Why does hizbullah perform outstretched arm salutes, as their nazi pregenators did and do?
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/images/arab_salute.jpg
Why doesn't the "MSM" show the images of Islamofascist salutes by hamas, hezbullah, et-allah?
Is the "MSM" afraid of a "mohammed cartoon" style jihad if they display the uncomfortable truth of Islamofascism?
Jeff Klein, any comments on the hamas, hezbullah nazi salutes?
Do those nazi salutes make you uncomfortable?
Those are photos, not cartoons, puppets.
http://www.geocities.com/arabracismandislamicjihad/hezbollah_hamas_nazi_salute.jpg
Who are these people trying to emulate?
Hey Eddie,
I hate to rain on your parade, but the link you posted shows only Hizbulah (top)and no Hamas. (I have seen a different photo that apparently shows a similar salute by Hamas fighters) But what it means in the context of Islamist organizations I am not sure -- maybe fascist origin, maybe not.
However the MIDDLE photos in your link are Christian Falangists -- ALLIES OF ISRAEL -- whose Nazi heritage is in no doubt whatsoever. The photo on the right in your link is taken from a Falangist site http://www.falangist.com/lebfor21.jpg
(and one of the flags shown in the back has a cross.)
You might want to check out the symbols of these "friends of Israel" too:
http://www.falangist.com/redik2.gif
http://www.falangist.com/greysprey.GIF
Look familiar?
Their Motto:
“We support Christianity, America and Israel!”
These were the folks armed by Israel and sent into the Sabra and Shatilla camps to massacre women and children in 1982. Many of the criminals later found refuge in Israel (or the US) when Lebanon got "too hot" for them.
Oh, and Solomon:
What part of
"Sixty-four percent of Israelis say the government must hold direct talks with the Hamas government in Gaza toward a cease-fire and the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit."
do you find ambiguous?
That isn't even relevant to anything I wrote in my post, even if meaningful with any sort of finality in and of itself without explanation, which poll results never are. My post is aimed at explaining a situation as I see it to a non-Israeli audience who's had a situation obfuscated by a media and political establishment -- not at advocating to Israelis, otherwise I'd blog in Hebrew (or something). Polls, but particularly articles *about* polls, as in this case, can be anything from interesting to as useful as a top ten list -- good for stirring up a discussion and little else. I'd put your link in the latter class, and obviously I'm not going to waste time on that discussion with you. I didn't start my own web site to have my time wasted going around in circles with someone so far out in left field the grass isn't even green anymore. I may as well go back to usenet if that were the case.
In any case, polls are not policy, policy is policy, and I think we're about to see a policy enacted in the near future that will express Israeli public opinion and preference for action where the rubber hits the road better than any Haaretz tally of phone calls.
Yeah, Solomon, it's your playground and you own the ball here. So I will resist the impulse to trespass in the future and complicate your closed little world. Just stick with the folks who agree with you and admire what a tough guy you are. I'll try to reserve my interventions for the public arena -- maybe we'll meet sometime -- and with people with open minds who might actually want to uphold truth, justice and peace. I know many of them in Israel and in the Occupied Territories.
One last comment. You call me an "eliminationist Antisemite" but it's you who seem so eager for Israel to sacrifice Jewish lives as well as innocent Palestinian ones -- just to make a point about who carries the biggest gun.
Hamas has made the offer -- possibly sincere, possibly not -- to declare a cease fire. Rather than pursue that option you and your cohorts on the Israeli Right would rather engage in an on-going military contest in which people on both sides will continue to die -- even if many more Gazans than Israelis.
Yeah, "let the rubber meet the road"! Let the Gaza invasion begin! Seems pretty brave of you from the comfort of your suburban US home.
If I believed as you do and were as emotionally attached to Israel as you seem to be I would be living there for sure -- and if I were of military age I'd be volunteering for the IDF. You and your pals, on the other hand, are quite the keyboard warriors. . . U-rah!
...Jesus, what a moronic tool klein is. Don't bother, Sol. As if the point is "to make a point." I believe the point is to defend people from indiscriminate murder. But what the fuck do I know. I'm just another right-wing socialist from Berkeley, here. Klein, you are a despicable putz.
Jeff Klein, you must be very proud of your appeasing, collaborationist, “progressively mentally ill”, socialist, nazitional socialist, Islamo-Imperialist jihadi buddies.
Pallies on parade with nazi salutes.
http://www.oldwardogs.us/files/PaliNaziSalute.jpg
So-called palestinian Islamofascists showing their allegiance to “abu ali”, the honorific name Islamofascists have given to their role model, Shitler. Shitler who was feted by the late unlamented yassir Arafats uncle, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, Mufti of Jerusalem.
http://christianactionforisrael.org/antiholo/hitler_abu.html
Here’s Shitler ally husseini, mufti of Jerusalem, with his outstretched arm, reviewing muslim nazi troops during WW2.
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/library/facts/muf-han.jpg
http://jimball.com.au/Features/Mufti-Nazi.jpg
Fez wearing Islamofascist nazis during WW2. Notice the deaths head skull on the fez and the swastika on the collar? Nice touch.
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/library/facts/han-arm.jpg
Oh lookie! Pallies doing the Hail Shitler with little scarves with the al aksa mosque on it. How cute!
http://soccerdad.baltiblogs.com/archives/jrl10904261436.mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl109.jpg
Another one with hamas doing it. Right arm. Left arm. It doesn’t matter to “abu ali”.
http://www.willisms.com/archives/hamas1.jpg
Here’s a lovely foursome. iranian Islamofascists, hezbullah, hezbullah, and “abu ali”.
http://www.targetofopportunity.com/hezbolla_and_hamas.jpg
Hamas Youth, brainwashed to die for Islamofascism. Their youth is expendable to further the goals of Islamofascism.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/11/23/daypix/hamas-children.jpg
Here’s the cover of the Arabic language edition of Shitlers “mein Koran”, err “mein kampf” – a Best Seller in the Islamofascist world.
http://www.jewishmag.com/116mag/chuckmorse/469ce36b.jpg
Here’s another one you’ll like – david duke in Baathist Syria.
http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/video/MEMRI-91406.jpg
Incase you don’t know who david duke is, below is a link. Hint, david reads the English language edition of “mein kampf”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke
david in full nazi regalia.
http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/images/David-Duke-pix-2.jpg
Thanks for bringing up the Sabra and Shatila massacre, committed by Christian Arabs, taking revenge for the massacre of Damour Lebanon, a Christian town, whose inhabitants were murdered by Islamofascists.
http://www.geocities.com/damour1976/index1.html
BTW, if you think that Arabs/Muslims get along with each other and it’s just those pesky Israelis causing all the problems, you need to do a bit of reading on Saddam, the Golden Mosque in Samarra Iraq, the 8 year Iran/Iraq war, the near nuclear war between Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan…
Every airport in the World needs extensive screening of passengers, thanks to Islamofascism, to prevent another PanAm 103, 9/11.
You get the idea.
Back to you.
P.S. There’s lots more.