Email This to a Friend
Gaza Powder Keg Set to Explode
Israel won't sit on its hands as the Gaza threat escalates.
At least 90 rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip, including 35 on November 5, since the June 19 tahdiyeh (calm) was announced between Hamas and Israel. According to recent analysis, terror groups in Gaza have undergone a massive buildup in training and arms, and have expanded their tunnel networks for smuggling.
One representative for the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees told the London newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that terrorists have used the tahdiyeh “to train in the abduction of [Israeli] soldiers and martial arts,” and he threatened Israel with “unpleasant surprises.”
Israeli authorities have no illusions about the tahdiyeh. They understand that Hamas is practicing the Islamic concept of sabr (patience), which permits and even recommends Muslims to suspend jihad until they are in a position of strength. As Hamas leader Khaled Mashal told one al-Jazeera journalist, “The tahdiyeh is a tactical means. It is a step within the resistance. … It is a process of ebb and flow, going up and down. This is how you run a battle.”
Hamas is now believed to have stockpiled thousands of rockets and to have trained some 20,000 fighters. It also possesses sophisticated anti-tank devices and roadside bombs to target Israeli vehicles. So, as renewed conflict draws nearer, Israel is analyzing the threat Hamas poses and evaluating three options.
Page 1 of 2 Next ->
Michael Sharnoff is a research associate at the Jewish Policy Center.
 |
 |
 |
Podcasts |  PJM Home |
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
25 Comments
1. SAF:Israel has zero chance of being effective against Hamas. The world won’t let them it is not a question of technique.
So here we have Hamas shooting missiles at Ashkelon which provides them with power and the Israeli won’t even shut it off.
So they could seal the border, shut off food, power and water and ask for a surrender of all weapons if they were a normal country. Gazans starving? want food? surrender your missiles. Easy solution.
Israel will never win this war because the world and their internal makeup won’t let it. Perhaps when Tel Aviv gets hit and Ashkelon is severely damaged there may be real action.
Nov 23, 2008 - 5:16 am 2. jerry:In a military operation in Gaza Israel will lose many soldiers, but by choice. A few well-placed blockbusters would immediately halt all hostilities from Gaza, but they would cause considerable civilian casualties among the Gazans. I believe that given the mindsets of the political leaders, loss of Jewish lives is more acceptable than the loss of Muslim lives, strictly for public relations, of course.
Nov 23, 2008 - 5:46 am 3. Ken Besig:Israel, with the present government in power has long since given up the military option in dealing with the Arabs. Certainly since the incompetent and unprincipled Olmert government lost the Second Lebanon War to the Hizballah two years ago, the Israeli military and the government have lost their edge and their determination to fight the enemy. Indeed, the Hamas enemy in the Gaza Strip is so well armed, so well trained in military operations by both Hizballah and Al Qaida, and so well dug into defensive positions, that any Israeli attack might well fail. Of course, if Israel was willing to inflict massive casualties on both the Hamas fighters and the human shields they use, i.e., that is the civilian population of Gaza, then Israel might win. The Jewish communities around Gaza would be attacked in response by Hamas which is another reason why the Israeli military and civilian leadership won’t initiate a conflict. It is as Prime Minister Olmert stated, that he is tired of fighting and winning. Much of Israel’s present leadership, including Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak, have simply lost their nerve and would much rather give a speech, make an empty threat, issue a strongly worded diplomatic statement, or make a photo op than fight Israel’s enemies. So don’t worry, there will be no Israeli military confrontation with Hamas this year or for the foreseeable future no matter how many rockets they fire into Israel. And this restraint is not the result of American or European pressure, it is purely from Israeli lack of nerve and resolve, and yes even fear of what might happen.
Nov 23, 2008 - 7:05 am 4. Scott:Israel must inflict massive destruction on that cancer called Gaza,but it is being eaten away by the cancer of Olmert,Livni,and Barack from within…rule by the lotus eaters is killing Israel.
Nov 23, 2008 - 7:13 am 5. cfbleachers:This is like watching a conversation between a rock, a lamb and a wolf.
The wolf wishes to devour the lamb. The lamb wishes to hide behind the rock. The rock wishes the other two would go away.
The wolf says to the rock, if you continue to hide the lamb, I will push you into the sea, so that you no longer stop me from my conquest.
The rock says, I have remained here for thousands of years. All the winds and storms of time have not eroded my stability nor my strength. I’ve seen generations like you pass through here and I will see generations more.
The lamb intercedes and says, I can’t stand to see you two fighting like this. If I move out into the open, will that be the end of it all?
And the wolf and the rock, simultaneously say…”yes, indeed it will.”
Nov 23, 2008 - 8:10 am 6. Anonymous:World establishment to Israel:
In the interest of keeping peace and safe-guarding the lives and interests of the Palestinian people, you are NOT to defend yourself.
See, this strategy worked for the European states like a charm against Germany before WW2. One who ignores history is bound to repeat it…
Nov 23, 2008 - 8:49 am 7. boazhorribilis:Well put, cfbleachers, the Palestinians and world public opinion have determined that “Chosen” stands for “Chosen for sacrifice”. I fault the Israeli leadership for playing along with this crowd. Israelis die at the hands of Muslims from Gaza and Lebanon, places where you will find zero Israelis. This is the scenario to look forward to once peace will bloom in the Middle East.
Nov 23, 2008 - 9:01 am 8. uburoisc:I say: fight fire with fire.
The Muslim terrorists have specialized in hiding behind civilians as a tactical method of choice, and it has proven very effective. The hand-wringers on the left will never allow you to fire on them, and that has given the terrorists an effective strategy to potentially wear down a vastly superior military adversary. The technique will continue to work until someone chooses to prove that it does not actually work with a decisive show of air and artillery power.
In my opinion, Israel should, block-by-block, inch-by-inch, obliterate evrything that is alive in Gaza, while losing not a single soldier. Let the Muslims all die together or let them all run together, there are no “civilians” in Gaza.
Nov 23, 2008 - 9:27 am 9. Frank:Why can’t the idiots running Israel grasp the concept of “Hudna”?
Nov 23, 2008 - 9:48 am 10. Saltherring:uburoisc,
You have it right. There will come a time, certainly after Obama turns America’s back to Israel, when Israel will not have the luxury of caring what the rest of the world thinks, says or does. They will be fighting, alone, for their very existence.
Nov 23, 2008 - 12:27 pm 11. mk:I said before the Israelis left Gaza that the Israelis should just let it go to pot. I’m thinking that Hamas is going to spend much of its energy like it did before – so busy putting down its rivals that the Little Satan isn’t going to get as much attention.
And let’s face facts, if Israel decides to go whole hog in Gaza, the place is going to be completely flattened…..
Nov 23, 2008 - 4:11 pm 12. David P:don’t get excited, it’s the same powder keg it’s always been, eventually they’ll all flood the Sinai and it will be Egypt’s problem again
Nov 23, 2008 - 4:40 pm 13. Rhein Gold:In the early days of the National Socialist government of Germany the Jews of Germany and Austria did not believe that the leader of their country would seriously try to destroy them. Regardless of the fact that he said it over and over, in speeches, in print, to reporters, they refused to believe what they heard with their own ears. You all know the result. Now there is Hamas and other groups telling Israel they are going to destroy them. What is there not to believe? The only thing that can be done is to destroy the enemy before you are yourself destroyed, the UN be dammed.
Nov 23, 2008 - 4:55 pm 14. myth buster:This is why if I were in President Bush’s position, I would have ordered the use of nuclear weapons on the capitol of the Sudan. It would solve the Darfur crisis and instantly send a message that we will not tolerate genocide. We make an example of a few thugs and the rest will fall in line, trembling.
Nov 23, 2008 - 6:15 pm 15. fred:Every rocket attack should result in immediate heavy counterbattery artillery fire. Big stuff zeroed in on the coordinates that said rocket fire originated from. Announce the policy and carry it through, world opinion be damned.
Nov 23, 2008 - 8:01 pm 16. Cynic:Since it was Israel that broke the truce, it is hard to sympathize with fools who are suffering the consequences of their folly.
Nov 23, 2008 - 9:21 pm 17. robotech master:Their are only 2 options to fix this problem 1. all the jews die. or 2. They lock down gaza and the west bank from everything. Gather the ppl up and deport them to other countries or the sea and demand the UN do its job to save them from other countries/sea which will happily kill them.Theirs is a reason why Egypt is getting millions from the US to build/rebuild a huge border fence, funny how they’re “allowed” to build one but were not.
Nov 23, 2008 - 10:00 pm 18. Aethur Nankervis:When in Gaza … Do as the Romans.
Nov 24, 2008 - 12:32 am 19. Barry 0351:At this point in my life I just want to see these middle eastern mono god fanatics both jew and moslem STFU and go to killing each other and settle this s**t so the rest of us can go about our business without hearing them whine or threaten each other.
Nov 24, 2008 - 9:16 am 20. Keith:Fred is correct with the idea of artillery counter-battery fire.
1. Int’l law allows fully for the right of self-defense. Returning fire upon positions that have fired upon you is allowed, presence of civilians not withstanding.
2. Modern “fire-finder” counter-battery radars and UAVs can pinpoint the location of the launchers in many cases even before the rockets land. Having gun tubes loaded and pointed in the general direction allow for return fire within 60-120 seconds of receiving the coordinates. Then drop 50-100 rounds on each launch site. ALOT cheaper in men and material than a ground offensive.
3. Announce the position of the Israeli govt to adopt this policy. Lay it out point by point under int’l law.
4. See how long the “civilians” in Gaza put up with Hamas launching rockets which bring down some 155mm shells.
5. Screw world opinion
Nov 24, 2008 - 10:13 am 21. danceswithgoats:Fred and Keith have the answer. Why is this so hard?
Nov 24, 2008 - 12:10 pm 22. Judy, NYC:keith is absolutely correct. screw world opinion and bomb the crap out of this hamas stronghold. and i might add, go in and explode them in their rat holes. hamas and the others only know fear or aggression, there is no intellect. frighten them to death.
Nov 24, 2008 - 4:53 pm 23. Lisa:Why is it so hard? Because no one cares about attacks on Jews. Because people scream whenever Israel does anything.
There is a double standard in place here… two edges of racism. The world expects nothing of the Palestinians.. they are barbaric children who can’t control themselves. But the world demands more from the Jews than the US or Western Europe would ever tolerate on our own soil.
Unlike Pakistan and India, Palestine was still born and Israel is held responsible for that even though it was Jordan and Egypt who killed it. Jordan and Egypt occupied the West Bank and Gaza for 20 years before Israel conquered it in 1967. But by the time it came under Israeli control, terrorism against Israel was long established. Hell, Palestinian terrorism against Jews had existed for decades.
No one cared about the massacre in 1929.
No one cared about the Holocaust survivors who Britain tried to keep out.
No one cared about the hundreds of thousands of Jews who were forced from their homes all over the Middle East; after all, only the Palestinians have their very own refugee organization (the rest of the world shares one) but the Jewish refugees were left to fend for themselves.
No one cares about the Jews and that is why Israel must exist.
Nov 25, 2008 - 3:12 am 24. Gilligan:The idea of counter battery fire is OK as far as it goes, but it ignores a couple of facts.
These rockets are fired from populated areas in order to draw artillery fire.
The rockets are fired with timers so that the people who placed the rockets are long gone by the time the artillery fire starts landing.
My modest proposal is that instead of artillery, Israelis should respond with a GPS guided bomb approximately the size of a small water tower, filled with ammonium nitrate and fuel oil dropped from the back of a C-130. Since the people who placed the rockets are long gone, there is no rush to respond. First drop leaflets telling the locals that the area where the rockets were fired from is about to be bombed so they should get as far away from there as possible. Then drop the bomb that will make enough bang that governments will fly air sampling missions nearby to see if it was nuclear.
Arab pride will demand that they fire more rockets in response. Repeat as necessary.
Pretty soon observers will be able to tell when rockets are being set up in a neighborhood because everybody will be loading all their possessions onto cars and trucks to get away from the blast zone. If somebody drops a dime to the Israeli Hot Line in time for a UAV or helicopter gunship to take out the rocket launcher crew before they can fire any rockets, the neighborhood is spared.
If anybody in Gaza gets sick of this, they can show up at one of the gates and Israel will provide them with a plane flight to any place on earth. Whether the people at the destination will let them in once they get to the airport is another story.
Nov 26, 2008 - 5:42 am 25. WestGuard:No more Western money, food or aid to palestine along with heavy carpet bombing from Israel jets will put this islamic salems lot out of business once and for all.
Nov 26, 2008 - 9:49 pm