Posted on 07/20/2014 3:09:07 PM PDT by Eleutheria5
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the nation and answered reporters' questions Sunday evening during the prime time newscasts after 8:00 p.m., and spelled out relatively modest aims for Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, which completes its 13th day Sunday night.
In response to a question, Netanyahu said that Israel has embarked on a gradual process of undoing the harm done by the 2005 unilateral Gaza withdrawal known as the Disengagement, which ended up allowing Hamas to take over Gaza. At the time, he noted, he had warned that the vacuum left behind by Israel would be filled by Hamas, which would turn Gaza into "Hamastan" and fire rockets into Israel. This is, in fact, is what took place, he added.
The current campaign is intended to achieve “an extended period of calm and security” for the citizens of Israel, and “to inflict serious damage” on terror infrastructures in Gaza, Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu made no mention of more ambitious aims, like completely annihilating Hamas's ability to attack Israel with missiles and tunnels, or unseating Hamas.
Earlier Sunday, in a CNN interview, Netanyahu said that the Gaza operation could be over "fairly quickly."
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said at the news conference that within "two or three days," the "lion's share" of Hamas's terror tunnels will have been destroyed.
He also explained that one of the reasons for Hamas's decision to escalate the situation recently was that its future "is not looking rosy" and that it has lost much of the support it used to enjoy in the Arab world.
The prime minister addressed the families of the soldiers killed in the operation. "No war is more just than the one in which your sons fell bravely,” he said. “We will complete the mission that they started....”
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(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
Just heard on the evening news that one Israeli solder has been captured. Don’t know whether it’s true or not.
From what I understand its total BS..supposedly the name of the soldier that Hamas gave has been dead since 1948..either way I hope its not true
Bibi doesn’t play. The only true man who is a head of state in the West.
Runs circles around the Clown, Cameron, Hollande, Merkel, etc.
Maybe. But here's what I posted on another thread. It's worth reading. (And I give you permission to "flame away")
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From all I've read this seems to be a war (or whatever) that Netanyahu didn't want and didn't plan on.
Netanyahu was (rightfully) angry with the unity pact with Hamas and Abbas...and the reaction to it from the Western governments.
I'm of the opinion that Netanyahu saw an opportunity to do damage to Hamas "using" the kidnapping of the three teenagers as "cover". All was going his way until the search went a little over the top with the bulldozing of houses, roundups and arrests and the shooting deaths of six Palestinian teenagers.
I also think this was the trigger for Hamas firing rockets into Israel. There was "calm" for two years, and I don't think Hamas woke up one morning and decided to piss off the giant on its border.
Initially Netanyahu called for restraint against Hamas and was applauded for his calm leadership by Western governments.
Then Lieberman bolted the coalition because Netanyahu wasn't taking on Hamas. This move left Likud with a one seat majority and set the stage for a possible call for early elections.
It was 24 hours after Leibrman's move putting Netanyahu's coalition and his position at real political risk that Netanyahu order the IDF to "take the gloves off" and sought to "protect the Israeli people".
Netanyahu lost political control and now has a war he didn't want and will do nothing in the long term except stroke the flames of rage and revenge on both sides.
Just in case you didn’t know, the surge in rocket attacks has been going on since January.
The rocket attacks surged in 2012, then quieted in 2013 for resupply, very possibly with Obama’s direct or indirect help.
On a least one point you’re right: Bibi probably has no long-term plan, he’s just giving himself political cover.
I think you have misread the situation. As I read it, Leiberman’s party never left the coalition. He did end some political alliances between the two parties but the government was intact. Its always possible that some of Netanyahu’s calculus was to protect his right flank politically speaking, the real bottom line is no government is legitimate unless it acts to protect its citizenry. Especially one that is militarily stronger than its violent enemies.
Israel actually has an opportunity because America has projected so much pitiful weakness. We have lost so much credibility in every part of the world, there is almost no point in our pressing Israel for concession on anything because the Arabs (and Muslims) are all but in an internecine war amongst themselves anyway. Whether it has the support of Western governments or not (I actually think Israel does have some tacit approvals because Abbas needs Hamas weakened, if they are even in a unity pact) Israel has this chance to realign some expectations.
“Netanyahu made no mention of more ambitious aims, like completely annihilating Hamas’s ability to attack Israel with missiles and tunnels, or unseating Hamas”
Smart man. I would not say a word and just do it.
I don’t know why they say things like “it will be over soon”. What does this suggest? It tells the enemy that they are almost free from attack and to just bunker down and bear it a while longer? I suppose they think it projects strength as in “we can mop them up in no time” but I think it also says “we will not finish everything we need to do”. I suppose there may be people in Israel - maybe the majority - who can’t stomach the sight of dead soldiers. Nobody could. But you can’t fight an antiseptic war either, so if you are going to do it you have to do it, I’m afraid. Its sad to see so many die. It is worse to see so many die and accomplish nothing in the process (as it increasingly looks like we will end up having done in Iraq, unfortunately, thanks to a hasty about face when Obama started making policy).
I’m not sure Israel knows what it wants, other than to stop the rockets and close the tunnels that enable the rocket fire. The world has been derelict in allowing Hamas to use its money and resources to make war. Israel may not want to remove Hamas. But I think this action will not deter Hamas in the future. Hamas is weird, with nothing to gain from all this, but almost nothing to lose either since they know Israel won’t wipe them out. Its just freaking bizarre.
Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, they have had to launch military invasions to stop rocket attacks in 2008, 2012 and again now in 2014.
What’s the definition of insanity?
If true then a condition of stopping the assault must be his return...otherwise, continue until the whole miserable place is ground to dust.
Sharon job there.
It did not end well for him.
There is no land for peace formula for the Jews. There is only war and threats of war today tomorrow and forever.
God will settle this in the end. When will that be?
I do not know. When is not if. It is when.
I like the Australian guy. Maybe the last outpost of the anglosphere.
Stephen Harper of Canada didn’t sound like a terrorist-symp US President. There are many in the West just waiting for an opportunity to turn this around.
If this were back in the cold war, I don’t think we would have survived if we had the leaders we have now. We would been blown to little bits. We do have an invasion going at our southern border, while Nero fiddles.
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Related threads
‘My bad’: State Dept. official apologizes for #UnitedForGaza tweet
Hot Mic: Kerry Mocks Israel: 'A Hell of a Pinpoint Operation'
No one is talking about the crucial role Obama and Hillary had in causing this war. Hamas is better armed than ever before because our government supported Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
That support left transport of weapons wide open from Egypt into Gaza. The blood of Israelis (and Gazans) are on them.
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