Wednesday, February 13, 2008

DSII

Given the overwhelming might of the IDF compared to the rag-tag army of Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza, it is amazing that the Government of Israel has not responded with force to the constant firing of Kassam rockets and mortars into Israel.
Two changes in the situation might trigger the anticipated Defensive Shield II campaign in Gaza similar to the one that the IDF carried out on the West Bank in 2005 that effectively ended the so-called intifada. These are the direct hit of a rocket on two brothers last week that caused the 8 year old to lose a leg and maybe his other leg also. This resulted in demonstrations by people from Sderot and supporters in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv that stopped traffic on major arteries. Many Israelis feel great sympathy for the inhabitants of Sderot and agree with them that the Govt. has been negligent in not acting to protect them.
The other factor is that the leaders of the Hamas Govt. in Gaza have gone underground, they have not been seen for days and this presages a possible IDF ground invasion of Gaza in which they would be vulnerable to killing or capture. Now that the Egyptians have sealed their Gaza border it may be that the IDF wants to destroy the longer range rockets and anti-tank rockets that they have smuggled into Gaza, before they can become operational in the terrorist army that Hamas is building there. There are only two states in the world that are controlled by extremist Islamic organizations, Iran and Gaza. Israel must finally unleash the IDF to stop the rocket barrage that has been going on especially intensely since Israel withdrew all forces and settlers from Gaza in 2006 and to destroy the growing threat of terrorism.
I have always maintained that there would have to be a war between Israel and the Palestinians since all the previous wars have been between Israel and the surrounding Arab States, Egypt and Jordan sued for peace and only Syria still considers itself at war. But, in effect, although the Arab States fought on behalf of the Palestinians (although actually in their own interests), the Palestinians themselves never directly fought Israel apart from the terrorist war of the PLO and subsequent organizations. Now that the Palestinians have their own terrorist state in Gaza a direct war between Israel and Hamas should finally result in a complete destruction of the Palestinian pretense to be able to destroy Israel. It is unlikely that they will sue for peace, but if they are utterly defeated even they cannot continue to believe in their hollow bravado. Also, it would add some reality to the so-called Annapolis peace process with Pres. Abbas of the PA.

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