Posted on 09/22/2009 6:15:55 PM PDT by dervish
When it was launched last December, Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip looked to most people in Washington to be risky, counterproductive and doomed to futility.
'snip'
But today, Operation Cast Lead, as the three-week operation is known in Israel, is generally regarded by the country's military and political elite as a success. The reasons for that are worth examining now that a new and even more hawkish Israeli government is weighing whether to flout Washington's prevailing opposition to a military attack on Iran.
Israel's satisfaction starts with a simple set of facts. Between April 2001 and the end of 2008, 4,246 rockets and 4,180 mortar shells were fired into Israel from Gaza, killing 14 Israelis, wounding more than 400 and making life in southern Israel intolerable. During what was supposed to be a cease-fire during the last half of 2008, 362 rockets and shells landed. Meanwhile, between late 2000 and the end of 2008, Israeli forces killed some 3,000 Gazans.
Since April there have been just over two dozen rocket and mortar strikes -- or less than on many single days before the war. No one has been seriously injured, and life in the Israeli town of Sderot and the area around it has returned almost to normal. Israeli attacks in Gaza have almost ceased, too
'snip'
The point, however, is that Israel has bought itself a stretch of relative peace with Hamas, just as its costly 2006 invasion of Lebanon has produced three years of quiet on that front. From the Israeli perspective, a respite from conflict is the most that can be expected from either group -- or from their mutual sponsor, Iran.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldjewishdaily.com ...
good analysis of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in Gaza
Hopefully Netanyahu will defy Obama and his (Obama’s) cronies and attack Iran and save America AND Israel from Nuclear desruction.
Between April 2001 and the end of 2008, 4,246 rockets and 4,180 mortar shells were fired into Israel from Gaza, killing 14 Israelis, wounding more than 400 and making life in southern Israel intolerable. During what was supposed to be a cease-fire during the last half of 2008, 362 rockets and shells landed... Since April there have been just over two dozen rocket and mortar strikes -- or less than on many single days before the war. No one has been seriously injured, and life in the Israeli town of Sderot and the area around it has returned almost to normal... Israel has bought itself a stretch of relative peace with Hamas, just as its costly 2006 invasion of Lebanon has produced three years of quiet on that front.Thanks dervish.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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But if they had utterly destroyed either Hizbollah or Hamas, preferably both, this “respite” would have lasted decades, rather than mere years. Hizbollah now has more rockets, and it looks like some of them have chemical warheads. If even one of them is fired at Israel, what will our response be? Nuclear? As Bartleby said, “I’d prefer not to.” Next time we go in to Gaza or Lebanon, it should be with a more permanent goal in mind. Just take out one of them (Hizbollah or Hamas) completely. Make an example with which to warn the other.
I agree with you. But right now I believe Bibi has big game hunting on his mind.
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