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What I’ve Been Up To Lately
- mazel tov to @bluenatic and @grandstreet on the birth of their baby girl 1 week ago
- RT @JTownCrier: Tropper? Kolko? Margulies? Balkany? Dwek? Rubashkin? NO. Moetzes Gedolei Torah condemn AVI WEISS as more offensive. 2 weeks ago
- Rorschach from Watchmen is the new Freddy Krueger http://bit.ly/7s61Cj 2 weeks ago
- More updates...
With Israel's Gaza offensive a failure, top Defense officials back a ceasefire
Over at Jewschool, Kung Fu Jews reports:
The Israeli media is swimming in pronouncements from anonymous Israeli defense officials that the Gaza offensive has accomplished all it can in Gaza and yet has not dismantled Hamas’ infrastructure. Hamas has played it safe and is still capable of shooting just as many rockets per day as previously. Senior defense ministers back an immediate ceasefire. Meanwhile Israeli diplomats are beginning to worry about the long-term impact of the lost media war, EU relations are freezing, the northern front with Lebanon simmers, anti-Semitic incidents the world over are increasing, and the Arab world is inflamed.
The Gaza mission’s stated objectives have failed. From the very, very beginning I said it, we said it and publically: The military option never worked in Gaza, even when soldiers were stationed inside day and night for years. Why would it be different this time? There is no military solution to a political problem and the military operation will not bring Israel security.
Tags: conflict, gaza, israel, palestine, War
In strategy and war, the ‘fog of war’ ensures that we simply won’t know for awhile whether the operation is really ’success’ or not. Egypt is pushing hard to damage or destroy Hamas, and blames Hamas for starting the war; this in and of itself is a strategic victory for Israel. As is Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan’s refusal to merge their summit with the hardline Iran, Syrian, and Qatari summit to resolve the Gaza issue. Every missile and rocket destroyed that won’t be shot at Israel is a victory, as long as the IDF retakes and holds the Philadelphi corridor and stops smuggling.
Even if Israel wasn’t invading or even responding to rocket fire, life in Gaza would be unbearable unless they have full freedom of movement to Egypt and the rest of the world. Until that is resolved, until Gazans have a viable future (something Israel cannot provide them), they will continue to be the world’s welfare children, and the problem will fester. Gazans have to take full responsibility for their actions and their lives, and acknowledge that they chose to bring this war upon themselves. Indeed their election of the Muslim Brotherhood– i.e. Hamas– ensures that Egypt will not help them, and they need to accept the consequences of that choice, too.