Has the Next War Begun?
Many Israeli and western intelligence sources are reporting that this summer may see a renewal of conflict between Israel and the puppets of Iran; Hizbollah, Hamas, Syria, possibly with Iran jumping in if it has the opportunity.
Hizbollah and Hamas have rearmed, contravening all treaties and UN resolutions forbidding it. Reports are that chemical warheads have been brought into Lebanon and Syria. In response to this intelligence, Israel is continuing to prepare for war, (which some say may be up to seven times worse than the previous Lebanon war, in terms of its effect on Israel,) while at the same time, working for peace.
But Iran wants a proxy war with Israel... It will deflect attention from its own ambitions: A nuclear-tipped hegemony in the region. Iran also wants Israel to be vilified by the world so that if (and when) Israel determines that the nuclear threat is too imminent and takes military action to preempt this, Israel will be "blocked" by threats from other world powers... This scenario is unfolding as you read this.
So Iran is looking for a "trigger event" to start this war. Perhaps it has found it in last night's foiled attempt to breach the military blockade of Gaza.
Last night, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) intercepted a "peace" flotilla heading for Gaza. The naval interceptor asked the captains of the flotilla boats their destination. They answered "Gaza Port". The interceptor told then that this was not permitted and they could dock in Ashdod (Israel's southernmost Mediterranean port, where they could unload their supplies and, after inspection, accompany the supplies to the land crossing, to ensure that the supplies arrived safely. Alternatively, they could turn around.
Both options were refused and the flotilla continued to press on toward Gaza. As a result, Israeli "Seals" were lowered to the boats from helicopters. As they boarded the boats, some were met with fighters wielding batons, metal pipes and knives. At one point shots were fired at the commandos and they returned fire. People were killed and injured. The most recent counts are 2 dead and 4 injured.
So.. These are the facts as I know them at this moment. Certainly more information will follow.
But far more important than these facts, is the firestorm of publicity and international attention that has been generated by this incident. This begs the question... What did Israel have to gain? What did Hamas have to gain?
Israel gains nothing by engaging in a firefight with "civilian activists". Even if no one was injured this would have made Israel look bad. Another instance of "Bad Israel" against "Poor Defenseless Palestinians". The commentary is already raging... Read the "reader comments" on the articles describing the events. This is "proof" that Israel cares nothing for the rights and humanitarian interests of Palestinians and their supporters.
However, Israel had to act... It had no choice. Not to act, conceded the right of Gaza to free access to import offensive weapons to be used against Israeli civilians. According to the internationally condoned and recognized Oslo Accords, Israel has full right to control Gaza's coastal waters. When Israel voluntarily withdrew its citizens and army from this disputed territory, it did not give up its authority over these waters. The primary role of the Israeli Navy in these waters is to prevent the smuggling of weapons, including offensive missiles into Gaza.
It is very important to understand that hundreds of tons of food and other necessities are imported daily into Gaza through normal land checkpoints. There is not nor has there been a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Which leads us to the second question... What did Hamas have to gain from this incident?
One first has to understand the primary goal of Hamas, which is to spread its own version of Islam and to end the Jewish "occupation" of Palestine.
Before you start nodding your head in agreement with this goal, be sure you know what it means. Hamas considers every square meter of Israel, whether "pre-1967", "post-1967" or whatever... to be occupied by Jewish infidels. This includes not only Jerusalem, but Haifa, Tel Aviv, Netanya, Hertzaliyah... that's right... EVERY square meter is occupied. (by the way: The "moderate" Palestinian Authority" headed by the Fatah party, has in its charter the very same concept. They may publicly say that they want only the lands taken in the 1967 war, but in private pronouncements in Arabic, they acknowledge that this is just the first step..)
Understanding their overarching mission, one can understand most of Hamas' actions. They are not waging a tactical war... They are waging a strategic war aimed at ultimately destroying Israel. The de-legitimization of Israel and its right to exist is their major strategy at the moment. Hamas cannot win a head-to-head military confrontation with Israel. However they can and do win tactical PR and diplomatic battles with Israel, every time they engage Israel by putting their own civilians (and happy, willing European "activists") in the line of fire and firing over their heads, resulting in the injury and death of these unhappy victims.
This is the tactic that worked beautifully for them in the recent Gaza war.
The end result is that Israel, caught in a "No-Win" situation, must ultimately use force to stop Hamas. Whether this is incessant rocket fire into Israeli civilian towns, kidnapping Israeli soldiers, terrorist attacks, or bringing a flotilla of "peace activists" to Gaza, Israel is brought to a position that it must act. Not to do so is ultimately suicide.
However, when Israel does act, it is condemned... as brutal... as unconcerned for the human rights of the victims of the conflict... Hamas plays the world, its press and the Western governments masterfully.. Read the London press... read the Goldstone report.... listen to the debate in the UN.
What is sad, is that while the world is busy condemning Israel for defending itself against an existential threat, it ignores the horrible plight that Hamas and the corrupt Palestinian leadership of the PA are inflicting on the Palestinians, let alone the horror inflicted on Israeli civilians as a result of these wars.
In every respect, the leadership of the Palestinian people has used them as pawns in their military and psychological war against Israel. Children are taught that Jews are "pigs and dogs". "Martyrs" are glorified: sports teams are named after suicide bombers; Children are taught songs of praise of these "heroes" who blow up civilians on buses and shopping malls. Millions of dollars of international "humanitarian" aid have been siphoned off by corrupt "leaders" into private accounts. Meanwhile, the people suffer... Rather than fix the infrastructure problems that make life miserable, the Israeli scapegoat is nurtured as the cause of all problems....
Israel is in a lose-lose scenario... So are the Palestinian people.... But the world.... especially the West... is only making it worse...
World... you claim to care about the Palestinians? Deal with those who are truly oppressing them!!!
Many Israeli and western intelligence sources are reporting that this summer may see a renewal of conflict between Israel and the puppets of Iran; Hizbollah, Hamas, Syria, possibly with Iran jumping in if it has the opportunity.
Hizbollah and Hamas have rearmed, contravening all treaties and UN resolutions forbidding it. Reports are that chemical warheads have been brought into Lebanon and Syria. In response to this intelligence, Israel is continuing to prepare for war, (which some say may be up to seven times worse than the previous Lebanon war, in terms of its effect on Israel,) while at the same time, working for peace.
But Iran wants a proxy war with Israel... It will deflect attention from its own ambitions: A nuclear-tipped hegemony in the region. Iran also wants Israel to be vilified by the world so that if (and when) Israel determines that the nuclear threat is too imminent and takes military action to preempt this, Israel will be "blocked" by threats from other world powers... This scenario is unfolding as you read this.
So Iran is looking for a "trigger event" to start this war. Perhaps it has found it in last night's foiled attempt to breach the military blockade of Gaza.
Last night, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) intercepted a "peace" flotilla heading for Gaza. The naval interceptor asked the captains of the flotilla boats their destination. They answered "Gaza Port". The interceptor told then that this was not permitted and they could dock in Ashdod (Israel's southernmost Mediterranean port, where they could unload their supplies and, after inspection, accompany the supplies to the land crossing, to ensure that the supplies arrived safely. Alternatively, they could turn around.
Both options were refused and the flotilla continued to press on toward Gaza. As a result, Israeli "Seals" were lowered to the boats from helicopters. As they boarded the boats, some were met with fighters wielding batons, metal pipes and knives. At one point shots were fired at the commandos and they returned fire. People were killed and injured. The most recent counts are 2 dead and 4 injured.
So.. These are the facts as I know them at this moment. Certainly more information will follow.
But far more important than these facts, is the firestorm of publicity and international attention that has been generated by this incident. This begs the question... What did Israel have to gain? What did Hamas have to gain?
Israel gains nothing by engaging in a firefight with "civilian activists". Even if no one was injured this would have made Israel look bad. Another instance of "Bad Israel" against "Poor Defenseless Palestinians". The commentary is already raging... Read the "reader comments" on the articles describing the events. This is "proof" that Israel cares nothing for the rights and humanitarian interests of Palestinians and their supporters.
However, Israel had to act... It had no choice. Not to act, conceded the right of Gaza to free access to import offensive weapons to be used against Israeli civilians. According to the internationally condoned and recognized Oslo Accords, Israel has full right to control Gaza's coastal waters. When Israel voluntarily withdrew its citizens and army from this disputed territory, it did not give up its authority over these waters. The primary role of the Israeli Navy in these waters is to prevent the smuggling of weapons, including offensive missiles into Gaza.
It is very important to understand that hundreds of tons of food and other necessities are imported daily into Gaza through normal land checkpoints. There is not nor has there been a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Which leads us to the second question... What did Hamas have to gain from this incident?
One first has to understand the primary goal of Hamas, which is to spread its own version of Islam and to end the Jewish "occupation" of Palestine.
Before you start nodding your head in agreement with this goal, be sure you know what it means. Hamas considers every square meter of Israel, whether "pre-1967", "post-1967" or whatever... to be occupied by Jewish infidels. This includes not only Jerusalem, but Haifa, Tel Aviv, Netanya, Hertzaliyah... that's right... EVERY square meter is occupied. (by the way: The "moderate" Palestinian Authority" headed by the Fatah party, has in its charter the very same concept. They may publicly say that they want only the lands taken in the 1967 war, but in private pronouncements in Arabic, they acknowledge that this is just the first step..)
Understanding their overarching mission, one can understand most of Hamas' actions. They are not waging a tactical war... They are waging a strategic war aimed at ultimately destroying Israel. The de-legitimization of Israel and its right to exist is their major strategy at the moment. Hamas cannot win a head-to-head military confrontation with Israel. However they can and do win tactical PR and diplomatic battles with Israel, every time they engage Israel by putting their own civilians (and happy, willing European "activists") in the line of fire and firing over their heads, resulting in the injury and death of these unhappy victims.
This is the tactic that worked beautifully for them in the recent Gaza war.
The end result is that Israel, caught in a "No-Win" situation, must ultimately use force to stop Hamas. Whether this is incessant rocket fire into Israeli civilian towns, kidnapping Israeli soldiers, terrorist attacks, or bringing a flotilla of "peace activists" to Gaza, Israel is brought to a position that it must act. Not to do so is ultimately suicide.
However, when Israel does act, it is condemned... as brutal... as unconcerned for the human rights of the victims of the conflict... Hamas plays the world, its press and the Western governments masterfully.. Read the London press... read the Goldstone report.... listen to the debate in the UN.
What is sad, is that while the world is busy condemning Israel for defending itself against an existential threat, it ignores the horrible plight that Hamas and the corrupt Palestinian leadership of the PA are inflicting on the Palestinians, let alone the horror inflicted on Israeli civilians as a result of these wars.
In every respect, the leadership of the Palestinian people has used them as pawns in their military and psychological war against Israel. Children are taught that Jews are "pigs and dogs". "Martyrs" are glorified: sports teams are named after suicide bombers; Children are taught songs of praise of these "heroes" who blow up civilians on buses and shopping malls. Millions of dollars of international "humanitarian" aid have been siphoned off by corrupt "leaders" into private accounts. Meanwhile, the people suffer... Rather than fix the infrastructure problems that make life miserable, the Israeli scapegoat is nurtured as the cause of all problems....
Israel is in a lose-lose scenario... So are the Palestinian people.... But the world.... especially the West... is only making it worse...
World... you claim to care about the Palestinians? Deal with those who are truly oppressing them!!!
posted by Shaul Gedalyah | 6:00 PM
