Posted on 02/27/2024 6:23:46 AM PST by SJackson
Israel is now engaged in the fourth war it has had to fight for its survival. The three others were fought in 1948, 1967, and 1973. In addition, there have been a half-dozen other campaigns the Israelis have had to fight against the terrorists of the PLO, Hamas, and Hezbollah. The IDF soldiers, their ranks increased with the addition of 360,000 reservists, have been fighting up and down the Gaza Strip, a hellishly difficult theatre of war — that is, urban warfare in one of the most densely-populated places on earth. Israel’s mortal enemy, the terror group Hamas, has built a vast network of terror tunnels deep underground, where its operatives are able to store weapons, and to both move around, and live inside, that warren of tunnels that are between 350 and 450 miles in total length, and built at an average depth of 50 meters.
Hamas also stores weapons, rocket launchers, command and control centers, as well as personnel, above ground, in and around civilian infrastructure, including schools, mosques, apartment buildings, and hospitals. While trying to root out Hamas combatants from their lairs which have been deliberately placed among civilians, the IDF has at the same time been trying to minimize civilian casualties by a campaign, unprecedented in scope and in kind, of warning Gazans away from areas, or from buildings, about to be targeted. In this effort, the IDF has dropped 14 million leaflets, made two million prerecorded calls and 72,000 regular phone calls. Meanwhile, Hamas has tried to prevent Gazans from leaving the same areas and buildings the IDF has warned them about. The terror group wants more civilians to die; their deaths are a propaganda boost for Hamas, that can then paint the IDF as ruthless and uncaring about the welfare of civilians, when the truth is quite otherwise.
The IDF has performed spectacularly, both in neutralizing Hamas operatives, and in managing to minimize civilian casualties. Of the 28,000 deaths that Hamas had reported by mid-February — and as is its wont, not distinguishing between civilians and combatants — between 10,000 and 12,000 were, according to the IDF, members of Hamas. Even if we take the lower figure — 10,000 Hamas deaths — this means that the total number of civilian deaths cannot be more than 18,000. The civilian-to-combatant ratio of deaths is then 18:10, or 9:5. The UN has said that in all the wars since World War II, the average civilian-to-combatant ratio has been 9:1. The U.S. military did much better in the Iraq War, when there were 174,000 casualties, only 39,900 of whom were combatants, resulting in a civilian-to-combatant ratio of 7:2. But in the Gaza War, the IDF has achieved a ratio of 9 civilians killed for every 5 combatants; 9:5 is far less than what any modern army has achieved, in any war. This needs to be kept in mind.
Now we come to Joe Biden, who wants to reward the Palestinians, who have voiced their overwhelming support for Hamas’ attack on October 7, by handing them a state. Why do they deserve a state? They don’t. The Arabs have 22 states, and the creation of a 23rd one, sharing the tiny space “between the river and the sea,” would be a mortal threat to the only Jewish state. But Biden can’t get out of his head the notion of a “two-state solution” which will somehow “bring peace” to the region. Since its very name contains the word “solution” many, like Biden, Blinken, and Sullivan, simply assume that’s what it must be. It’s sleight of word.
In fact, forcing Israel to be squeezed back within the 1949 armistice lines — which is what the Arabs will insist on, and Biden looks ready to satisfy them — would not sate, but whet, Arab appetites. Without the minimal strategic depth that control of Judea and Samaria (a/k/a the West Bank) — and especially, possession of the Jordan Valley — provides, Israel will not have the “secure [i.e. defensible] and recognized boundaries” that, according to UN Security Council Resolution 242, it has a right to possess. After all the wars that have been thrust upon it, doesn’t Israel deserve to retain defensible borders? And even more important, shouldn’t Israel be allowed to keep the borders that the League of Nations envisaged for the future Jewish state, when it decided that the territory of Mandatory Palestine should include all the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea?
but the Palestinians are Israelis ,LOL
And what's Biden's FR nick(s)?
Actually they tried forcing them to move, but the Arabs today called "Palestinians" tried to take over Jordan. So Jordan kicked them out and they've been Israel's problem.
They have a state, it’s called “Jordan”.
Gaza was their state. Israel wasn’t inside it. Palestinians could have done anything they wanted with it.
What they wanted was to kill Jews.
No State for murderers.
The danger from Palestinian terrorists is minor compared to the danger posed by Iran getting nuclear weapons—which may happen eventually no matter what, but will happen sooner because of the pro-Iran outlook of Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
“Hamas also stores weapons, rocket launchers, command and control centers, as well as personnel, above ground, in and around civilian infrastructure, including schools, mosques, apartment buildings, and hospitals. While trying to root out Hamas combatants from their lairs which have been deliberately placed among civilians, the IDF has at the same time been trying to minimize civilian casualties by a campaign, unprecedented in scope and in kind, of warning Gazans away from areas, or from buildings, about to be targeted. In this effort, the IDF has dropped 14 million leaflets, made two million prerecorded calls and 72,000 regular phone calls. Meanwhile, Hamas has tried to prevent Gazans from leaving the same areas and buildings the IDF has warned them about. The terror group wants more civilians to die; their deaths are a propaganda boost for Hamas, that can then paint the IDF as ruthless and uncaring about the welfare of civilians, when the truth is quite otherwise.
The IDF has performed spectacularly, both in neutralizing Hamas operatives, and in managing to minimize civilian casualties. Of the 28,000 deaths that Hamas had reported by mid-February — and as is its wont, not distinguishing between civilians and combatants — between 10,000 and 12,000 were, according to the IDF, members of Hamas. Even if we take the lower figure — 10,000 Hamas deaths — this means that the total number of civilian deaths cannot be more than 18,000. The civilian-to-combatant ratio of deaths is then 18:10, or 9:5. The UN has said that in all the wars since World War II, the average civilian-to-combatant ratio has been 9:1. The U.S. military did much better in the Iraq War, when there were 174,000 casualties, only 39,900 of whom were combatants, resulting in a civilian-to-combatant ratio of 7:2. But in the Gaza War, the IDF has achieved a ratio of 9 civilians killed for every 5 combatants; 9:5 is far less than what any modern army has achieved, in any war. This needs to be kept in mind.”
I don’t see why Joe Pedo just can’t get one of his teeny bopper interns to write an “executive order” awarding the Palacetinians their own state somewhere out in the Gobi Desert.
“Why Does Biden Think the Palestinians Deserve a State? The intentional delusion”
Joe Biden thinks ... Bwhahahahahahaha
The entirety of greater Israel was Palestine when the land was originally confiscated. Of course, the Nazi perspective is that the Palestinians have no more right to be compensated for property stolen than the Jews of Europe had to their stolen property. After the ethnic cleansing/genocide you cheerlead is complete there will be relatively few Palestinians left to contest the deed. Your dream come true.
they had their chance when Israelis left Gaza. they failed. Hamas has not had elections since 2006; in West Bank last leader chosen in 2005. this shows that Palestinians are led undemocratically. during the events since 10/7 Israelis have uncovered terror installations in West Bamk, parallel to Gazan: weapons caches, tunnels, underground architecture - showing their lean to a larger terror structure, on either side of Israel, looking forward to a squeeze. so they have never moved to more democracy but rather the opposite, building a terrorist dictatorship in Gaza and working on a parallel one in West Bank. this is leaving out the atrocities of 10/7 which are popular among P’s. what, pray tell, indicates that these people deserve to be rewarded with an independent state. with proper rehab, maybe in another generation. we should be talking deHamasification, demilitarization and an international force to oversee.
I’ve read here with some alarm, that Iran is capable of placing missile launchers inside shipping cargo containers and firing them at see from these disguised locations. I wonder if we are able to remotely track the radiation from a future Iranian nuclear warhead on such a missile at sea? A mighty unpleasant surprise to have one launched at us from a concealed decoy commercial cargo ship and hit us with almost no warning.
A nuclear armed Iran poses an existential threat to everyone, just based on their public official statements and rhetoric. I tend to believe they mean the stuff they have said.
The entirety of Israel has always been populated with Jews since God gave it to them about 4,000 years ago.
The settler colonialist arabs should return to Arabia from which they launched their evil wars of conquest.
But thanks for playing!
The Palestinians have/had a ‘state’ called Gaza. Failed lab experiment but these blinded hacks keep pushing the two state solution mantra. Facts and results don’t matter to these agenda driven maniacs on the left.
THIS 2 state solution is a total farce.
MANY TIMES IT HAS BEEN OFFERED
REJECTED EVERY TIME BY ONE “LEADER” or another.
PERSONALLY TIRED OF THE COMPLETE CHARADE.
Stalin created a Jewish autonomous region in eastern Siberia for the Jews, but very few Jews ever went there to live. Putin likes the Palestinians so he could offer them that territory. It would have the advantage that they wouldn’t be likely to encounter any Jews if they went there.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.