-Bret Stephens
All [the gains of the Gaza war] could be overturned the moment Iran goes nuclear and attempts to thwart Israel's freedom of action. Nor is it foreordained that Israel will enjoy the relatively favorable international circumstances that facilitated the past three weeks of war, or that Hamas will perform poorly the next time. "Usually, the one who loses does his homework better," observes [a senior Israeli military] official.
Bottom line: Israel has scored an impressive tactical victory. But it has missed the strategic opportunity to rid itself of the menace on its doorstep. In the Middle East, opportunities don't always knock twice.
[Wall Street Journal]
Despite Its Threats, Hamas Put Up Light Resistance -Matti Friedman
Before Israel invaded Gaza, Hamas vowed to turn the territory into a "graveyard" for Israeli soldiers. The results were markedly different.
The Islamic group's fighters put up little resistance and the Israeli army emerged relatively unscathed. For a guerrilla group operating on its urban home turf, it wasn't much of a fight.
(AP)
Hamas Halts Rocket Attacks -Calev Ben-David & Saud Abu Ramadan
There were no reported rockets Monday.
(Bloomberg)
Rebuilding Gaza May Legitimize Hamas -Herb Keinon
Concern is mounting in Jerusalem that the massive efforts expected for Gaza reconstruction will lead to a de facto recognition of Hamas rule there. Another Israeli concern is that the massive amounts of steel and concrete that will be needed to rebuild Gaza will be rerouted to reconstructing Hamas' badly damaged rocket-producing capabilities.
EU Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure would only begin when the EU had an acceptable Palestinian partner. She strongly hinted that it would be difficult to rebuild Gaza as long as Hamas remained opposed to peace efforts.
"We don't want to go on to reconstruct Gaza every I-don't-know-how-many years," she said. "What we would like to see is a clear sustainable peace." (Jerusalem Post)
Hamas Torturing Fatah Members -Khaled Abu Toameh
Hamas militiamen have rounded up hundreds of Fatah activists on suspicion of "collaboration" with Israel during the Gaza war, Fatah members said. The Hamas crackdown intensified after the cease-fire went into effect.
A Fatah official in Ramallah said at least 100 of his men had been killed or wounded as a result of the massive Hamas crackdown. Some had been brutally tortured. According to the official, at least three of the detainees had their eyes put out by their interrogators.
(Jerusalem Post)
Fatah: We Also Fought IDF in Gaza -Khaled Abu Toameh
Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, announced that its men in Gaza fired 102 rockets and 35 mortars at Israel during the war.
Ali Hijazi, the group's commander, was killed during the operation. The group said that most of its attacks were carried out in cooperation with Islamic Jihad. (Jerusalem Post)
Israel's Right to Exist -Mortimer Zuckerman
What the world cannot remember the Israelis cannot forget.
The Israelis know the Jewish nation has been one defeat away from extinction for 70 years. They know that every partition plan in the region, from the dawn of Zionism to the present day, has failed because of the Arab failure to accept the State of Israel. They know that the Palestinian leadership is virtually hopeless, wherein the people who are moderate are not effective and the people who are effective are not moderate.
Israel is so small it has no margin for error. When Israel left the West Bank, it became a base for suicide bombers, ultimately forcing the Israelis to go back at great cost. They've since built a security fence, but a fence will not protect people from rockets.
(U.S. News)
The Disproportionate Criticism of Israel -Robert Fulford
The world says: "[O]f course I support Israel's right to defend itself - but not in this way."
We are expected to assume there must be a better way to defeat Israel's tormentors, a way that will win the world's respect. No one ever explains this strategy, perhaps because no such strategy exists.
(National Post-Canada)
'Pictures of Victory' -Caroline Glick
Hamas' continued firing of missiles at southern Israel after Olmert declared the cease-fire, showed [that] Israel failed to deter Hamas. But while they failed to accomplish either of Operation Cast Lead's operational goals, they did accomplish - at least for now - their main strategic goal. They succeeded in not losing. Olmert's primary objective - was to erase the public's memory of Israel's strategic failure in the Second Lebanon War. This goal was partially achieved. The IDF performed with greater competence in Gaza than in Lebanon. And Israel achieved its aim of not being defeated in Gaza. As a result, the nation feels much more confident about the IDF's ability to defend the country.
Although Hamas was not defeated, remains in full control of Gaza and has the ability to rebuild its forces, it was harmed. The IDF's operation did knock out its central installations, reduce its capacity to fight and killed some of its key leaders. With their capitulationist world view, the [current government] cannot bring Israel victory over our enemies. The most they can deliver is an absence of defeat. [T]he next [Israeli] government will need to contend with Israel's two greatest challenges - preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and preventing the new Obama administration from undermining Israel's strategic position by selling out Israel's security to buy "pictures of victory" of its own with Iran and Syria.
[Jerusalem Post]
Bottom line: Israel has scored an impressive tactical victory. But it has missed the strategic opportunity to rid itself of the menace on its doorstep. In the Middle East, opportunities don't always knock twice.
[Wall Street Journal]
Despite Its Threats, Hamas Put Up Light Resistance -Matti Friedman
Before Israel invaded Gaza, Hamas vowed to turn the territory into a "graveyard" for Israeli soldiers. The results were markedly different.
The Islamic group's fighters put up little resistance and the Israeli army emerged relatively unscathed. For a guerrilla group operating on its urban home turf, it wasn't much of a fight.
(AP)
Hamas Halts Rocket Attacks -Calev Ben-David & Saud Abu Ramadan
There were no reported rockets Monday.
(Bloomberg)
Rebuilding Gaza May Legitimize Hamas -Herb Keinon
Concern is mounting in Jerusalem that the massive efforts expected for Gaza reconstruction will lead to a de facto recognition of Hamas rule there. Another Israeli concern is that the massive amounts of steel and concrete that will be needed to rebuild Gaza will be rerouted to reconstructing Hamas' badly damaged rocket-producing capabilities.
EU Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure would only begin when the EU had an acceptable Palestinian partner. She strongly hinted that it would be difficult to rebuild Gaza as long as Hamas remained opposed to peace efforts.
"We don't want to go on to reconstruct Gaza every I-don't-know-how-many years," she said. "What we would like to see is a clear sustainable peace." (Jerusalem Post)
Hamas Torturing Fatah Members -Khaled Abu Toameh
Hamas militiamen have rounded up hundreds of Fatah activists on suspicion of "collaboration" with Israel during the Gaza war, Fatah members said. The Hamas crackdown intensified after the cease-fire went into effect.
A Fatah official in Ramallah said at least 100 of his men had been killed or wounded as a result of the massive Hamas crackdown. Some had been brutally tortured. According to the official, at least three of the detainees had their eyes put out by their interrogators.
(Jerusalem Post)
Fatah: We Also Fought IDF in Gaza -Khaled Abu Toameh
Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, announced that its men in Gaza fired 102 rockets and 35 mortars at Israel during the war.
Ali Hijazi, the group's commander, was killed during the operation. The group said that most of its attacks were carried out in cooperation with Islamic Jihad. (Jerusalem Post)
Israel's Right to Exist -Mortimer Zuckerman
What the world cannot remember the Israelis cannot forget.
The Israelis know the Jewish nation has been one defeat away from extinction for 70 years. They know that every partition plan in the region, from the dawn of Zionism to the present day, has failed because of the Arab failure to accept the State of Israel. They know that the Palestinian leadership is virtually hopeless, wherein the people who are moderate are not effective and the people who are effective are not moderate.
Israel is so small it has no margin for error. When Israel left the West Bank, it became a base for suicide bombers, ultimately forcing the Israelis to go back at great cost. They've since built a security fence, but a fence will not protect people from rockets.
(U.S. News)
The Disproportionate Criticism of Israel -Robert Fulford
The world says: "[O]f course I support Israel's right to defend itself - but not in this way."
We are expected to assume there must be a better way to defeat Israel's tormentors, a way that will win the world's respect. No one ever explains this strategy, perhaps because no such strategy exists.
(National Post-Canada)
'Pictures of Victory' -Caroline Glick
Hamas' continued firing of missiles at southern Israel after Olmert declared the cease-fire, showed [that] Israel failed to deter Hamas. But while they failed to accomplish either of Operation Cast Lead's operational goals, they did accomplish - at least for now - their main strategic goal. They succeeded in not losing. Olmert's primary objective - was to erase the public's memory of Israel's strategic failure in the Second Lebanon War. This goal was partially achieved. The IDF performed with greater competence in Gaza than in Lebanon. And Israel achieved its aim of not being defeated in Gaza. As a result, the nation feels much more confident about the IDF's ability to defend the country.
Although Hamas was not defeated, remains in full control of Gaza and has the ability to rebuild its forces, it was harmed. The IDF's operation did knock out its central installations, reduce its capacity to fight and killed some of its key leaders. With their capitulationist world view, the [current government] cannot bring Israel victory over our enemies. The most they can deliver is an absence of defeat. [T]he next [Israeli] government will need to contend with Israel's two greatest challenges - preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and preventing the new Obama administration from undermining Israel's strategic position by selling out Israel's security to buy "pictures of victory" of its own with Iran and Syria.
[Jerusalem Post]
4 comments:
In Gaza’s alleys the terrorists flow, while
Israel bombs military buildings, row on row.
They try to avoid our homes from the sky
Israeli jets, still bravely screeching, fly
specific targets amid the rockets fired below.
The west is deceived. Short years ago
prosperity before the Oslo Accords grew,
Jobs building two nations, and now the victims of Hamas lie in Gaza’s alleys.
Western media: Take up our quarrel with the foe. Hamas is our oppressor; didn’t know?
They taught our children to hold hate high.
If we broke faith with them we would die
Oh naive Westerners, we can not sleep.
Iranian backed murderers treat us like sheep
to baffle bullets aimed at Hamas thugs do our liberators heap, in Gaza’s allies.
Thankx for sharing that excellent poem...very nice. I've not read much poetry on the subject.
Best,
Bruce
Sounds like "In Flanders Field" to me.
Now that i've looked up "In Flanders Field" i can see the similarity. Did you write the Gaza poem?
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