Fixing Gaza...Permanently

Since March 30th, much of the world's press and a chunk of the so-called 'international community' has been focusing on a series of what can only be called violent riots emanating from Gaza against Israel's border.

Of course the media refers to them as protests, and the rioters as protestors and the UN as well as the usual channels refer to what has happened as 'war crimes.' So as a beginning, it's perhaps helpful to describe these so-called protests and let the reader judge.

Israel understandably has a border fence with Gaza, a precaution against the numerous terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas and Iranian proxy Islamic Jihad that have occurred in the past. The protests weren't composed of people carrying signs and making a few speeches. They were mob attacks on Israel's border, specifically on points Hamas had advised the mob were vulnerable. The mobs attacked the fence directly with Molotov cocktails, small arms fire, axes, wire cutters, explosives and knives. They used women and children as human shields, and had support from Hamas missiles and mortar shells. In other words, this was an attack, an act of war carried out against a sovereign nation.

The IDF responded the way any country's military would faced by this attack on their borders. After warnings to the mob in Arabic not to approach the border fence and tear gas didn't stop them, the IDF soldiers opened fire when the mob charged the fence in response. It is a testimony to the cool heads, marksmanship and professionalism of the Tzahal that there were so few casualties, and that even Hamas admits almost all of them were Hamas or Islamic Jihad members. If a group of Jewish women and children had approached Gaza with an actual protest asking Hamas to stop firing missiles and mortar rounds at Israeli towns, does anyone doubt Hamas would have killed every one of them and celebrated afterwards?

Hamas's Leader Ismail Haniyeh has made it clear that the riots and assaults of the fence will continue 'until Jerusalem is liberated.' And true to his command, the riots have continued, usually of Fridays after the imams have had a chance to stir up the mobs.

Another assault has been launched from the air. Incendiary kites, balloons and even inflated condoms have been launched towards Israel, resulting in fires that have already destroyed hundreds of dunams of Israeli land. One balloon containing an explosive device and a booby trapped detonator attached to the string was launched to be landed near an Israeli kindergarten only a half hour before the children were scheduled to arrive for class. Here's what it looked like:



The leftist press reacted as expected. The AP, for instance in an article I won't bother to link to had a whole sob story about how there's such limited electricity nowadays and that it was making medical procedures like tending the wounds of would-be jihadis so difficult. Of course, what this Hamas PR piece didn't mention is that the electricity in Gaza is so limited because a Hamas missile accidentally hit one of the Israeli towers that provides electricity to Hamasastan. And to add to the smell of what the AP and others are peddling, the Israelis aren't able to make repairs because of the danger to Israeli repair crew.

The UN also played its traditional role. An extremely biased UNSC resolution damning Israel for 'war crimes' was unable to pass thanks to a U.S. veto, but the same resolution passed in the General Assembly, 120-8, with 45 abstentions. About half of the EU voted for the resolution, including Spain, France and Belgium, with Switzerland, New Zealand, Iceland and Norway also voting in favor. The UK and Germany abstained. Of the major U.S. allies, only the Australians had the guts and decency to vote against this travesty openly...Advance Australia Fair indeed.





An amendment advanced by U.S Ambassador Nikki Haley condemning Hamas actually passed by a majority, but was disallowed by General Assembly president Miroslav Lajcak. While the resolution has the legal force of a stale piece of take out pizza, the fact that the UN was willing to vote to not condemn a clear aggressor against a democracy, and to actually vote in favor of establishing 'an international protection force for the occupied Palestinians' tells us quite a bit of what the UN has become. As Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon put it, if the UN approved the Palestinian resolution, “it will have signed in writing its unequivocal support for terrorism against Israel.”

“Let us not pretend,” Danon said. “If ISIS were to attack Stockholm tomorrow, ISIS would be held responsible for the attack. If al-Qaeda assaulted Paris, the UN would issue the strongest condemnation of al-Qaeda.”

“Only when Hamas attacks Israel does the UN seek to blame Israel.”

Well they did approve it, and a large part of the UN does approve terrorist attacks on Israel. And they have for a very long time.

So, how to fix this sorry situation?

Obviously the Israelis cannot depend on any cooperation at the UN. Nor can they depend on Hamas to stop attacking them or trust any negotiations they make with them. The latest laugher was Hamas's offer for 'comprehensive negotiation.' You know what Hamas proposed? They will return the remains of two Israeli servicemen,Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul they've held since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. And they will return two kidnapped Israeli civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, prisoners who the Red Cross has not even been permitted to visit.

What do they want in exchange? Oh, just to build a seaport and an airport. When you realize the Iran has now joined Turkey as Hamas's paymasters, it's easy to figure out they don't exactly want these things for the tourist trade, but to fly and import weapons and missiles. The Iranians are particularly noted for using civilian airplanes for this purpose. And these attacks on Israel's border are largely at Iran's request, to open up another front against Israel and distract from Iranian attempts to militarize Syria.

And no mention of an actual peace treaty, of course. Israel is never going to be able to negotiate anything like that with people who would use a pretty, kid friendly balloon as a booby trap in hopes of murdering  Jewish children.

What Israel has done to date since the Hamas takeover is to wall Gaza off, destroy the terrorist tunnels into Israel and do their best not to allow Iranian heavy weapons to get into Hamas's hands. Whenever the missile firings and mortar shelling get too intense, Israel engages in  what they refer to as 'mowing the grass' to take out as many Hamas military assets as possible and calm things down until the next time. Followed, of course by the usual media and UN hysterics,

This strategy actually helps Hamas, who care very little about the people they rule or about peace with Israel.It has become, essentially a war of attrition which favors Hamas.

I have a different solution, and it's one I would implement if it were my decision to make.

Wars are won (or lost) when certain things occur. To end a war or the active threat of war, one side occupies enemy territory and subdues it while protecting its own. Or  one side simply destroys an enemy's capacity to wage war and forces them to seek terms of surrender and peaceful coexistence.

Of course, not all wars are decisively won or lost, but that is how a war in which one side is victorious ends.

My proposal is that Israel treat this like the war that it is and do what's necessary to end it. It would not be without cost, but is entirely possible. And certainly an improvement on the status quo.

First, I would inform the civilian population to leave to avoid undue hardship. Then, I would send the IDF over the borders, after announcing publicly to Hamas and the world that any hospitals, mosques, civilian dwellings or schools from which any missiles were fired would be considered  legitimate military targets and dealt with accordingly. After all, the UN is going to condemn anything Israel does anyway, so it makes sense to deal with this Hamas tactic properly, once and for all.

I would then shut off all electricity and water to Gaza. which is now provided by Israel. Men have survived for centuries without electricity, but never for very long without water. The IDF could simply dig in and besiege Gaza City and Khan Yunis while the air force and attack choppers took out the missile launching sites and anything else that was appropriate. Hamas would eventually have to come out to either face the IDF's firepower or to surrender.

After vetting them, the Israelis could definitely let a large part of the civilian population flee to Egyptian Sinai and then close off the Rafah crossing while turning over the Hamas small fry that were captured directly to Egypt's Mukhabarat for a nice, leisurely interrogation. Getting their hands on bunch of Hamas operatives is something I'm sure Egypt's al-Sisi would appreciate, especially when they spilled the beans about their fellow Muslim Brotherhood comrades in Egypt. The Hamas leaders could be subjected to a nice sit down with the Shin Bet, who are noted for their hospitality and encouragement of interesting conversation in these situations. Most of the Hamas leaderrs could probably be turned over to the Egyptians afterwards. Sharing is caring, nachon?

At that point, the Israelis would control previously hostile territory, eliminating an Iran proxy and a probable war front. Mahmoud Abbas would certainly want it turned over to him and the corrupt PLO, but Israel could and should refuse outright, and annex the Gaza Strip. They could then start doing what Israelis seem to do so well, rebuilding and improving the mess, exactly what they did to Judea and Samaria after the Six Day War. There would be no more missiles from Gaza, and not much of a Hamas threat. Perhaps even some of the inhabitants from Gush Katif could resettle there, along with other Israelis. It could even become a haven for Arab and Middle East Christians and Yazedis, whose young men would become as good soldiers defending their new country as the Druse, Bedouin and Arab Christians have been. South Africa's Jews, who are increasingly under threat from the government of their native land might be another good source of population.

And Gaza itself? It would become what it could easily have been with different rulers, a second Singapore rife with trade and prosperity. While Egypt might whine a bit about a large part of Gaza's population settling in Sinai, the increased trade between Israel and Egypt, which Egypt badly needs would be a consolation. Egypt could also probably apply to the UN or elsewhere to get some support money for these new refugees.

The UN and the usual media clowns would go insane. But they do that anyway whenever Israel takes the least step to defend itself. They would never recognize Israel's annexation of Gaza, but so what? They don't even recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capitol, or Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, which is 50 years old. Some European nations might not accept products from Gaza, but there would be plenty of trade with Asia, Eastern Europe and the Arab world to make up the slack.

Wars end with victory. It's time this one did.

Hamas Is Working Very Hard To Rebuild Gaza

Khaled Abu Toameh @KhaledAbuToameh

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PHOTO: #Hamas working hard and investing enormous resources to rebuild Gaza Strip.

9:13 AM - 14 Dec 2014

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Yes, they certainly are.

The U.S. State Department Is At War...With Israel

When it comes to hatred and hypocrisy it's business as usual where Israel's concerned when it comes to the U.S. State Department, which has become a willing tool of the Obama Administration to discredit and demonize Israel.And that was clearly demonstrated today in the exchanges below.



Last Week, U.S Chief of Staff General Martin Donovan made a speech about Israel and the Gaza War that went pretty far off the Obama Regime's reservation. He not only praised the IDF for their efforts to avoid civilian casualties,saying that Israel had gone to “extraordinary lengths” in Gaza, but revealed that the U.S. Armed Forces had sent a delegation to learn about the IDF's policies to help Americans to improve their own record in wartime.

This directly contradicted the State Department and the White House, whose stated position was to attack Israel at every opportunity for not doing enough to avoid civilian casualties.

When former Obama campaign flack turned State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki was questioned about this by Matt Lee at the AP of all places, the exchange revealed quite a bit:

MATT LEE, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Yesterday, the ICC made its decision that there was no case to prosecute for war crimes in Gaza. But also yesterday – and you spoke about that very briefly here. But also yesterday, General Dempsey, who is no slouch when it comes to military things, told an audience in New York that the Israelis went to extraordinary lengths to limit collateral damage during the Gaza war. And I’m puzzled, because I thought it was the position of the Administration – or maybe it was just the position of the State Department and the White House – that Israel was not doing enough to live up to its – what you called its own high standards. Back on August 3rd, there was the statement you put out after the UNRWA school incident, saying that the U.S. “is appalled by today’s disgraceful shelling.” And that was some pretty fierce criticism. How do you reconcile these two apparent divergent points of view? When this statement came out, the United States was appalled? Did that just mean the State Department was appalled?

JEN PSAKI, STATE DEPARTMENT: No, that is the position of the Administration; it remains the position of the Administration. As we made clear throughout the summer’s conflict, we supported Israel’s right to self-defense and strongly condemned Hamas’s rocket attacks that deliberately targeted civilians, and the use of tunnels, of course, of attacks into Israel. However, we also expressed deep concern and heartbreak for the civilian death toll in Gaza and made clear, as you noted in the statement you pointed to, that we believed that Israel could have done more to prevent civilian casualties, and it was important that they held their selves to a high standard. So that remains our view and position about this summer’s events.

LEE: Okay. But I’m still confused as to how you can reconcile the fact that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – who knows a bit about how military operations work, I would venture to guess; I don’t know him, but I assume that he wouldn’t be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff if he was – if he didn’t –

MS. PSAKI: Correct.

LEE: — says that the Israelis essentially did the best that they could and lived up to – by extension lived up to their high standards by taking – by going to, quote, “extraordinary lengths” to limit the collateral damage.

MS. PSAKI: Well, I would point you to the chairman’s team for his – more specifics on his comments. But it remains the broad view of the entire Administration that they could have done more and they should have taken more – all feasible precautions to prevent civilian casualties.

It gets even worse.

There were two terrorist murders in Israel today, one by an Arab who entered the country illegally and attacked and knifed to death a young airman, Almog Shiloni, 20,(HY"D) as he was waiting at the Haganah train station in south Tel Aviv and a second one by an Islamic Jihad operative whom Israel had freed as a 'gesture to Mahmoud Abbas.' His victim was Dalia Lemkus, 26 (HY"D), who was first run over as she waited at a bus stop in Alon Shvut near Gush Etzion in Judea and then deliberately stabbed to death when her murderer got out of his car to make sure he finished the job.

 

Jen Psaki's remarks on this? She referred to them as “unfortunately a couple of events.”

Just, you know, the kind of tragedies that happen some time. Here's the rest of her statement:

"We strongly condemn the stabbings – the stabbing today in the West Bank and we deeply regret the loss of life. Our condolences go out to the victim’s family. It is absolutely critical that parties take every possible measure to protect civilians and de-escalate tensions,” Psaki said.

Protect civilians? Does she even listen to what comes out of her mouth? These were deliberate terrorist attacks aimed at killing civilians. And the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are encouraging them.



 

And of course, being Jen Psaki, she had to find something to say to show some kind of  equivalence between Israel and the Arabs whom call themselves Palestinians...

“We are also seeking additional information surrounding the incident of the Israeli Arab who was shot with – who was shot as well with a live bullet. We’re looking for information surrounding this incident. We’re in touch – close touch with the Ministry of Justice. And of course, we urge all parties to exercise restraint."

The Arab whom she's perhaps talking about, Khayr al-Din al-Hamdan had attacked a police car with a knife and attempted to attack the police inside. Or perhaps she means Dalia Lemkus's murderer Maher Hamdi al-Hashalmoun from Hebron, who was shot by police as he ran away on foot after a 59-year-old Israeli stopped his car, got out and took the killer on with his bare hands

A reporter asked her, “If you’re standing at a bus stop or something and someone runs a car into you or comes up and stabs you, I don’t know how – I mean, those people aren’t – don’t need to exercise restraint, do they?”

Her reply? “I think I’m referring to the fact that we know that there have been – there’s been rising tensions in the region that has led to some of these incidents. I think we all are aware of that.”

“Obviously, there have been a range of issues and events that have led to the rising tensions in the region that both sides need to do more to fix.”

These exchanges reveal a lot. They tell us that the constant hammering on Israel by the Obama Administration is all about President Obama's attitude towards Israel and towards Benyamin Netanyahu, not anything about how Israel defends itself.

This president and his minions don't consider the attacks against Israeli civilians to be terrorism, but 'legitimate' resistance by 'freedom fighters.' That's exactly why they never use the 'T' word to describe them.

It's always Israel's fault. And if that isn't supported in the least by facts, that doesn't stop Psaki and others of her ilk from being the mouthpieces used to demonize Israel and its security forces as they defend the country. It's to try and force Israel back to indefensible borders that would result in even worse violence than exists now.

The president and his team don't consider Israel an ally. They see Israel as a problem he needs to neutralize and create distance from, just as he said openly in 2009. It's what he wanted from the very beginning, and it's much more to his taste than actually fighting Islamists or seeing to it that Iran is stopped from getting nuclear weapons

Also, the callous dismissal of what Dempsey had to say is just one more example of exactly how much respect this president and his team have for our military and their advice and opinions.

And Jen Psaki?

I know, it's just a well paid job that involves equating Israel with the likes of Hamas/Fatah and whitewashing the Obama regime's despicable stance by blaming 'both sides', as if the victims brought it on themselves just by being there. But then, there are limits in what most people with any decency will do for money ...unless they're true believers. Ms. Psaki obviously is one, and is thus enabling what I'd call more than the usual level of evil.

There's always a price for that in the end.

Netanyahu Caves In On Gaza Reconstruction

 

The Hamas/Fatah Unity government  and the UN have apparently come up with a formula for Gaza reconstruction, and Israel has apparently agreed to it.

According to the agreement, Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority will be in charge of ensuring that the construction materials sent into Gaza for reconstruction will not be diverted to Hamas’s military efforts. 

Coordinating the plan from the UN side was none other than Hamas money-launderer Robert Serry, whom Israel should have declared persona non-grata and kicked out of the region a long time ago.

“The crisis in Gaza is far from over and the window of opportunity to address critical needs and stabilize the situation is short,” Serry warned.

The envoy appealed for action to “change fundamentally the dynamics in Gaza,” warning that “if we do not, Gaza could implode — or, yet again, explode — possibly with a new and even more devastating round of violence.”

Israel agreed to the UN proposal to put the PA in charge of overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction under the auspices of the UN.

Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, who's in charge of the IDF’s interaction with Palestinian authorities, was quoted as saying that this new agreement would allow Gaza’s reconstruction to go forward while securing the security interests of Israel.

'Securing the security interests of Israel?' How, exactly? Ironically, on the day the Israelis agreed to this, a mortar shell was fired from Gaza into the Eskol Council area in southern Israel.

Abbas and his PA thugs are almost guaranteed to look the other way while their Hamas partners purloin whatever they need to rebuild the tunnels and the rest of their terrorist infrastructure.

PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya'allon have just given up their prime bargaining chip for Israel's main strategic goal with Hamas.

Here's how this should have worked.

 

"Oh hello Mr. Serry, have a seat. Oh, so this is what you and Mahmoud Abbas came up with? Let's have a look."

"Hmm, this seems OK..but there's something missing. When is Hamas going to disarm and turn its missiles and mortars over to us? I don't see anything here about that."

"Oh that's to be negotiated later? Ummm, no, sorry. When we find out when the Hamas disarmament happens, then we can talk about the reconstruction.In fact, I just sent off a query to your boss, Ban ki-Moon to find out how that's coming along. I'm surprised he didn't mention it."

"The rubble and destruction? Well, I understand it's upsetting to you Mr. Serry. We didn't like the damage done to our people's homes either. But it serves a purpose you know, especially if Hamas isn't going to disarm. When they start to look around them, maybe they'll think twice about attacking us again."

"But since Hamas isn't willing to disarm and since we're not getting any UN or donor aid to help our people anyway and have to pay for that ourselves, the disarmament thing is our primary goal here. We'd rather just let things sit until this disarmament question gets settled. After all, wasn't the Hamas disarmament in that UN resolution anyway?"

"Now no need to get red in the face, Mr. Serry. After all, you're on such good terms with Hamas, and I have confidence in your abilities. Why don't you talk to your Hamas friends and work out a schedule for disarmament, and then we can talk about getting that reconstruction moving right along."

"I believer you know your own way out. Keep me posted on how you're doing with Hamas, and have a nice day."

Instead of that, the Hamas/Fatah entity gets what it wants, and Israel gets..what? The right to fight the next round?

This needs to stop.Israel was never intended to be a nation of friers.

DIY: How to Booby-Trap Your Home

 

By David Gerstman

On Monday, the IDF translated and published the contents of a Hamas bomb-making manual that it captured during Operation Protective Edge.

The IDF blog quotes from the manual:

The explosives manual recommends teaching civilians how to build and store bombs in their homes. According to the manual, the goal is “to transfer combat from open areas to built-up urban areas, which serves the ‘resistance’ [i.e. Hamas] and fighters of Islamic Jihad.” ...

In an especially incriminating section entitled “Factors for Successfully Hiding Weapons in Homes,” the manual explains how civilians can be used to hide explosives:
“(1) The activity of hiding weapons in homes needs to be done with secrecy and should not have a military character.

(2) Placing equipment in residential areas needs to be done with household items.
(3) You must use residents of the area in order place the equipment inside.”

According to the IDF, Hamas has booby-trapped hundreds of houses in Gaza. In a video (embedded below), IDF soldiers can be seen entering a booby-trapped house.

While the goal of the booby traps may be to kill Israeli soldiers, a Hamas combat manual suggested another reason for using the tactic:

 

The destruction of civilian homes: This increases the hatred of the citizens towards the attackers [the IDF] and increases their gathering [support] around the city defenders (resistance forces[i.e. Hamas]).

 Booby-trapping civilians homes is one more documented way that Hamas has  used human shields in violation of international law.

Genocide Is In The Eyes Of The Beholder!

 

By Michael Haltman

It's mainstream media coverage that slants the news in all of the wrong directions!

Note: The numbers in the poster by now no doubt need to be ratcheted higher.

As we have seen it's not until an issue or humanitarian crisis in some way makes it unavoidable for news outlets to report it, that the average TV watching idiot learns anything about it.

For example if the story of Iraq's Yazidis trapped on a mountain had never reached the mainstream media, Barack Obama never would have learned about it and for him, ISIS would still be a JV team.

True to form, however, now that he knows they are anything but a JV team our Commander-in-Chief is still doing nothing to stop them!



Cross posted at The Political Commentator

Strike, Zion! Israel Recalls Reservists, Prepares For Ground Operation

Hamas may just have violated its last ceasefire.

Israel has recalled 2,000 reservists and is in the process of recalling others for use in a ground operation. Airstrikes have already paved the way and  the Israeli positions inside the security buffer are in an excellent position to take the fight to Hamas.

 

DF OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Sami Torkeman met with southern Israel mayors and community leaders Tuesday night and warned them to prepare for a major escalation in the conflict with Hamas, with residents advised to take extra precautions, and stay close to bomb shelters and fortified rooms.

 

The political background on this is interesting as well. Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moishe  Ya’alon had been pretty much operating the war and the diplomacy track in a vacuum, refusing to share anything or convene with the rest of Israel's security cabinet,which angered them immensely. Netanyahu and Ya’alon were convinced that Hamas was tired of fighting and ready for a long term truce and some of my sources say that Netanyahu and Ya’alon were even ready to sign off on a ridiculous agreement (courtesy of US Secretary of State Kerry and President Obama) that would have met some of Hamas's demands and given them a win. The idea of course was 'quiet for quiet.'


 


 
The missile barrage by Hamas took Netanyahu by surprise and opened him up to what was essentially a mini revolt both from members of his cabinet and from the Israeli public, who after a month of tough fighting were furious that the Army remained handcuffed and the Israelis still need to run for shelters and sealed rooms.

 

Netanyahu's popularity has been sinking like a stone with each ceasefire because of his reluctance to deal decisively with Hamas. And the other members of his cabinet gave him a barrage of their own

Many government ministers demanded Israel delivered a fatal blow to Hamas in Gaza, and abandon ceasefire talks altogether.

"The government policy of 'calm will be met with calm' is fundamentally wrong. We need to talk and negotiate with Hamas only when it has surrendered. We now must seek a quick and decisive end to Hamas," Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a meeting with Yisrael Beiteinu MKs.

Cabinet member, Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, said following the resumption of rocket fire that "when you want to defeat a terror organization, you reach a decisive victory. When we hold peace talks with a terrorist organization we get more terror. Hamas thinks that rocket fire helps them reach their goals in talks and so they fire even during a ceasefire. Rockets are not an accident as far as we're concerned, it's systematic."

Bennett went on to say that "Only a severe response, like any sovereign nation responds to rocket fire on its territory, will be able to stop the deterioration (of the situation). Sooner or later, Israel will need to subdue Hamas, there's no way to avoid it."

"The negotiations with Hamas do not serve Israel's security interests, and there's no point in continuing them," Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar said.

Housing Minister Uri Ariel said that "we must strike the Hamas enemy until we achieve victory. I support the prime minister and security forces in giving a decisive and painful response to the terrorists, and in restoring the security to the citizens of Israel. It can't be that we'll be responsible for halting fire while they're responsible for firing." 

Even some of the Left of center members of Israel's security cabinet weighed. Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid went on Facebook saying that Israel must not end Operation Protective Edge before ensuring the disarmament of the terror infrastructure in the Strip, and before the transfer of international funds to Gaza is monitored and supervised. Although he favors 'an international conference' to do it, which isn't going to happen.

And the usually flexible Tzipi Livni weighed in as well, saying, "You can't negotiate with terrorists until you have beaten them."

So in a way, Hamas has actually rescued Netanyahu and given him a chance to stiffen his spine again and do what has to be done.

Israel cannot allow control of the Gaza Strip by a hostile entity. Ever since they pulled out ( with a plethora of international security guarantees, I might add)  they have been attacked from Gaza. at the enemy's whim No nation can put up with this.

I would give UNRWA 24 hours to get the civilian population out of the way, either in the open areas of Gaza or in the camps they run in the Arab occupied part of Judea and Samaria, with the IDF supervising to make sure none of those brave Hamas fighters were sneaking away dressed as woman.

Then destroy Hamas utterly, no holds barred, annex Gaza and repopulate it with Jews. And watch it become another Singapore.

Among other things, it would be a useful example to Hezbollah and Fatah about what could happen if they ever dare attack Israel.

Enough. Finish it. 

Hamas Breaks Ceasefire -Missiles Fired At Tel Aviv , Aimed At Airport

In the midst of rumors about an extended ceasefire and a long term truce agreement, Hamas decided to break the ceasefire (this is truce violation #8) and launch missiles at Israel.

It started with three Grad rockets fired from the Gaza Strip fell near Be'er Sheva and Netivot on Tuesday afternoon around 2PM, a full 8 hours before the current truce was supposed to expire. The IDF responded by hitting different targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation.

Hamas responded with a barrage of forty rockets fired last night at about 10:40 PM local time, and they included heavyweight items like M-75 and Fajr-5 missiles and a J-80 missile fired at Ben-Gurion Airport.

Yes, at a civilian airport. Can you say 'w-a-r  c-r-i-m-e? ' I'm sure you can, unless you work at the UN, the EU or the U.S. State Department.

There were explosions reported in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, and Code Red sirens were heard throughout southern and central Israel. Hamas also admitted firing an m-75 at Jerusalem.

One missile was intercepted by Iron Dome over central Israel and another fell in an open area. Two more were intercepted over Sderot, two over Be'er Sheva, two over Kiryat Malachi, and three over Ashkelon.

Rockets were also fired at Netivot and the Sdot Negev area.

Want to laugh? Even though Hamas's armed wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam claimed responsibility for the missile barrage, Hamas spokeshole Sami Abu Zuhri claimed - wait for it - that Hamas had no knowledge of any missiles being fired, even though they were launched from inside central Gaza City!



And just think, yesterday, the headlines were all about a new 24 hour ceasefire extension to discuss a long term truce.I could be wrong, but even the likes of John Kerry and Barack Obama have to see what a losing proposition this is.

The Israelis seem to have wised up finally, pulled out of 'negotiations' and brought their delegation home from Cairo. After all, how can you make peace with someone who's entire aim in life is to exterminate you? The only kind of truce possible with the likes of Hamas is a hudna that will only last until they're ready to attack again. Why bother?

It's time to finish this. In the end, it will cost far less in Israeli and Palestinian lives That's especially true if Israel avoids the temptation of giving Gaza back to the Palestinian Authority, the slightly more moderate version of Hamas, but an entity who has the same ultimate goal - driving the Jews into the sea.

Have UNRWA do something useful for once. Publicly warn them and have them bring as many of the civilian population as Hamas will allow to leave out of Gaza City and set up camps in the open areas (and yes, there's a lot of open area in Gaza). Or let them take the civilian population to the other camps they run in Area A.

Then let the Lion of Judah loose. Let the Army win. Destroy Hamas utterly, annex Gaza, and repopulate it with Jews.




Selah.

Hamas Violates Ceasefire - Again

Hamas fired rockets from northern Gaza into Israel 2 hours before the cease fire was supposed to end. One rocket struck open territory in the Sha'ar Hanegev area and exploded without causing injuries or damage. Another was launched at the Ashkelon area.

This will be the seventh cease fire Hamas has violated.

A Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri said Hamas "denies there was any rocket fire at the occupation this evening".

Since the rockets didn't appear by magic, either Hamas is lying or they don't have complete control over their forces. If either is true, there's no sense in Israel making any kind of deal with them at this point.

The Hamas/Fatah delegation was supposed to give a press conference at 9:30 p.m. to reply to the Egyptian proposal to extend the truce by another 72 hours. That press conference has now been postponed.

Hamas sources are reporting that instead, the Palestinian delegation is preparing to leave Cairo. The Israelis left earlier in the evening.

Hamas is insisting that all its demands be met in order for any long term cease fire to be put in place. They want the Egyptian/Israeli blockade lifted, an airport and seaport to be constructed, the Egyptians replaced as mediators with someone more Hamas friendly, the crossings between Egypt,Israel and Gaza opened with the Palestinian Authority in control and a number of Hamas terrorists released from Israeli jails. They are offering no concessions in return.

Neither Egypt or Israel is prepared to fully open the borders and allow Hamas to simply rebuild its terrorist structure and re-arm.

 

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Hamas’ Aqsa TV station that “The sacrifices of our people don’t allow for compromises on the rights and demands of the Palestinians.”
He expressed support for the Palestinian team in Cairo and urged its members not to “succumb to blackmail.”

Israel has reacted to the breach of the ceasefire by moving more troops into position.

 

Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyau received a call from President Barack Obama today, reportedly pressuring him to make a deal with Hamas that would end the fighting, even if it was just an extension of the short term truce. That phone call was made before Hamas broke the ceasefire.

There was an announcement by Egypt before the rockets were fired that the two sides had agreed to extend the ceasefire for another 72 hours,apparently what President Obama was pushing for.  We'll see how things go.

A Holdup In Gaza Negotiations - Hamas and PA Refuse To Return Dead Soldier's Bodies

Lt. Hadar Goldin and Sgt. Oron Shaul were killed in action during attempts to kidnap them, and their remains were taken into the tunnels by Hamas.

The Israelis have requested that their remains be returned as part of any long term ceasefire...but Hamas and The Palestinian Authority have refused to do so, and will not discuss the issue.

The talks are at a dead end. Israel made several concessions as far as easing the passage of Gaza residents, goods and money in and out of Gaza. But Hamas and the PA are insisting on an airport and seaport, the replacement of Egypt as a mediator and the release of a number of convicted terrorists in Israeli hands...without giving up anything, not even the bodies of two dead Israeli soldiers.

 

Believe it or not, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly tried today to "soften" his coalition partners to concessions, including that of Israel paying the salaries of Hamas officials in Gaza.

Reportedly Economics Minister Bennett and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman are adamant against making "terrorism pay," and Liberman specifically mentioned the return of the bodies of Goldin and Shaul as essential before the end of Operation Protective Edge.

"It's unthinkable that all Hamas members, including 20,000 of the terrorists in Hamas's military wing, will receive their salaries in an orderly fashion, through the Palestinian Authority or any other way, while the bodies of IDF soldiers still have not received a proper burial in Israel," remarked Liberman.

There's likely a very good reason Hamas and the PA are refusing to return the bodies. They were almost certainly mutilated and desecrated, something Israel has seen before.


The Israeli delegation left Cairo and headed by to Israel last night for consultations but there is simply too much daylight between the Israeli and Palestinian positions, and Hamas and the PA are divided about letting Mahmoud Abbas take control again. The cease fire ends at midnight Thursday night local time. It will almost certainly end before then, with a barrage of Hamas rockets fired at Israeli civilians...probably sometime today.

 

The Israeli people and the IDF are both sick and tired of half measures, this on again, off again nonsense. They want Hamas dealt with once and for all. Netanyahu has to know that the Israeli public's patience has run out, and his popularity continues to drop the longer he hesitates.They will not tolerate a return to the status quo, where Hamas has the option on whether to attack Israel or not...and each time, with better weaponry.

There are actually indications from my sources that this message may have finally gotten through, and that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon are preparing to do a lot more than merely destroying the tunnels they can find and mounting limited air strikes when Hamas attacks again. From what I gather, this time they're preparing to target the Hamas leadership. And that means hitting Shifa Hospital in central Gaza City, where the rats are hiding.

The quicker this finishes, the better.

More Proof That Hamas And Abbas's Fatah Are On The Same Page - Exterminate Israel!

 

While there are still some who call Mahmoud Abbas a moderate and think of him as Israel's 'peace partner' they're deluding themselves. Abbas and Hamas leader Khalid Mesha'al are on the same page. Here's one more proof, if it was needed.After all, the two are now part of the same Hamas/Fatah entity!

 

Iranian official news agency Fars is reporting on the remarks of Palestinian Authority Envoy to Iran Salah al-Zawawi, who told reporters today that “Israel’s annihilation has begun and the new generation in Iran will certainly witness our victory over Israel.

”The U.S. and the Western countries have created a fake regime in Palestine to get rid of it and have supplied it with the most advanced weapons and are seeking to create an Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates,” Zawawi said.

Remember, this is one of Abbas's hand picked diplomats, not some loose cannon representing himself.

Yesterday, Hamas Envoy to Tehran Khaled Al-Qadoumi told a conference on Gaza that, “The only mechanism for liberating Palestine is resistance and we have no option other than supporting the resistance,” according to Fars, which also cited him as saying “that Hamas will not talk to those who are willing to make compromise and have negotiations with Israel.”

He reiterated that Hamas will not talk to those who are willing to make compromise and have negotiations with Israel. By that, I assume he means actual peace negotiations rather than self-serving horse manure designed to get concessions so Hamas can rebuild for the next round of fighting.

Al-Qadoumi also made reference to the help the Iranians have been giving them with heavy weapons, saying, "We hope to be able to make our missiles more advanced with the help of the knowledgeable Iranians."

Iran has already supplied Hamas with Fajr-5 missiles and Ababil drones for use against Israel.

 

Two sides of the same coin. And not a dime's worth of difference. That ought to be something to think about for those who like the idea of giving Abbas and Fatah control of entry into Gaza. That would simply be a green light to Iran toi start the missile shipments.

 

Yet Another Biased Anti-Israel U.N. Investigative Committee Formed

 

By David Gerstman

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has decided that Israel's self-defense needs to be investigated. (Note in the UN"s announcement the words "Hamas" and "rockets" are nowhere to be found.) After Operation Cast Lead the UNHRC picked a panel of four individuals, all of whom had prejudged Israel's guilt. The leader of that investigation, Judge Richard Goldstone of South Africa later recanted his group's conclusions, but the damage was done.

The UNHRC has decided that having a committee that is biased against Israel is necessary and selected an Irish professor of human rights law named William Schabas to head the new committee. Schabas has been involved in the travesty called the Russell Tribunal on Palestine along with crackpots such as Cynthia McKinney. At a hearing this "tribunal" in 2012, Schabas said "[m]y favorite would be Netanyahu within the dock of the International Criminal Court."

UN Watch has compiled a list of statements and from Schabas showing his bias against Israel, including:

- A few years earlier, Schabas called for “going after” Israeli president Shimon Peres in the ICC, saying, “Why are we going after the president of Sudan for Darfur and not the president of Israel for Gaza?”

- In a 2009 blog post about the UN’s infamous Durban II conference on racism, Schabas urged the world not only to “ignore” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s statements, but to stop “exaggerating” them. According to Schabas, those who “deserve the blame” are “Israel and its friends, who have manipulated the truth about the nature of the work of the United Nations by gross exaggeration of the role and intervention of certain fanatics.” Schabas described Ahmadinejad as nothing more than a “provocative politician,” and not a torturer of dissidents, inciter of genocidal anti-Semitism, and arch-sponsor of terrorism.

- In 2011, Schabas went to Iran to co-sponsor conferences with the Tehran-based “Center for Human Rights and Cultural Diversity,” despite its intimate ties with the fundamentalist regime, and avowed propaganda agenda. The center’s director, Kamran Hashemi, a former political officer with Iran’s foreign ministry, wrote his Ph.D under Schabas at the Irish Center for Human Rights.

After citing Schabas' record, Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, wrote "“Under international law, William Schabas is obliged to recuse himself because his repeated calls to indict Israeli leaders obviously gives rise to actual bias or the appearance thereof.”

After Goldstone retracted the report that bears his name, Schabas mocked Goldstone for  being “certainly more indulgent towards Israel.”

None of this surprising as the UNHRC as Israel is the subject of a permanent agenda item of the council.

George Clooney's fiance, Amal Alamuddin was also selected to serve on the panel but declined.

"I am horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian casualties," Alamuddin said in a statement, "and strongly believe that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed." ...

Clooney's wife-to-be wished the other panelists "courage and strength," as they go forward with the inquiry into Israel's actions during the month-long Operation Protective Edge.

Alamuddin didn't decline on account of principles. She even falsely called Gaza "occupied," when Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005.

Early reporting on Schabas had him acknowledging that Israel's actions during Cast Lead "were not on the same scale as more serious violations elsewhere in the world." But the reasonableness of such a claim has been outweighed by Schabas' overall record. Last year Schabas argued that Syria's use of chemical weapons was not technically a war crime and instead used the killing of over 1000 civilians to argue that it was the United States that wants to "monopolise" its possession of weapons of mass destruction.

 

Crossposted at Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

More UN Stupidity On Gaza!! Unbelievable!!

You can't make this stuff up.



James Rawley, the top UN humanitarian official for the Palestinian territories was bloviating to France's AFP today on the Gaza situation.

His solution? Cater to all of Hamas's demands and lift the Egyptian-Israeli blockage on Hamas.

“The blockade must be lifted not only to get material into Gaza in order to rebuild it but to allow Gaza to do what it was doing very well just 10 years ago, to trade with the outside world,” Rawley told AFP.

“Gaza has a tremendous potential. People are very entrepreneurial, they’re well educated, they have markets abroad, in Israel and the West Bank. The blockade has to be lifted in order that Gaza can thrive.”

Note the part I emphasized. Ten years ago, the trade with the outside world indeed existed...but it was carried on by Israeli Jews in places like Gush Katif!!

The Israelis constructed thriving communities and state-of-the-art irrigated green houses that sent fruit, vegetables and flowers to Europe in a trade that amounted to millions of Euros annually. Here's what the green houses looked like back then:



The Israeli disengagement took place in August of 2005. The greenhouses were turned over intact to the Arabs who identify themselves as Palestinians. Within hours, every one of them had been looted and destroyed, the pumps and irrigation lines ripped out by the roots.. Here's what these same greenhouses looked  like within hours after the Jews left:



Needless to say, the Palestinian Authority, which received millions to rebuild Gaza diverted that money elsewhere, and Hamas  used the money it received for 'construction and development' to build tunnels for terrorist attacks and to buy missiles to kill Jews with.

Gaza does have tremendous potential, but not with its current rulers and inhabitants.  They already have had years to do that, but killing Jews was a much more important mission..and besides, the UN and those gullible western donors kept kicking in money for basic food, medicine and education,enabling Hamas and Islamic Jihad to spend their money on building tunnels and buying armaments

And this idiot thinks that if the blockade's lifted, these people are going to create another Singapore?
If the blockade's lifted, Hamas will just use those 'rebuilding materials' to repair the tunnels and to build luxury villas for the Hamas leaders...and the lack of a blockade to import more missiles from Iran.That's exactly how the 'building materials' Israel let in last time were used. And has Mr. Rawley conveniently forgotten why the blockade was originally instituted? It was imposed in 2006 after Hamas invaded Israeli territory and kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

But wait, there's more:

Rawley said Israel’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed but warned without ending the blockade that another round of fighting was “likely”.

“Not only will we see very little in the way of reconstruction, but I am afraid that the conditions are in place for us to have another round of violence like we’re seeing now,” he tells AFP in Gaza City.

“It (another conflict) would be likely… it doesn’t make me feel good to say that,” he says.

This tool again forgets some history. When Israel pulled out of Gaza, the U.S. the EU and the UN signed formal guarantees about Israeli security, none of which amounted to anything. As a matter of fact, when Hamas took over, the  EU guards stationed at the various crossings, dropped their weapons and ran like rabbits for the Israeli border.


Rawley, in true UN style also forgets that in every case of hostilities, it has been Hamas who has been the aggressor, not Israel. And it has been the 'international community' that has saved Hamas to fight another day each time.

It's also worth noting that this latest buildup of Hamas' military capabilities occurred while UNRWA was supposedly supervising what was going on with all the building materials Hamas was getting. Bags of cement with the UNRWA label have been found inside the Hamas tunnels, not to mention UNRWA being implicated in hiding weapons for Hamas in supposedly neutral UN buildings. With a track record like that, why would Israel trust assurances from the likes of the UN  that its 'legitimate security concerns' would be addressed?



If Rawley and the 'international community' want to avoid another round of conflict in Gaza, the solution's simple...disarm Hamas, since they can't be trusted to end hostilities permanently and run Gaza yourselves. Or even better, let Israel run it  and repopulate it with Jews, Then it might be something besides a beaten down terrorist squat.

Of course, if that happened, people like James Rawley would have to find an honest line of work that doesn't involve perpetuating  Palestinian 'refugee' status for four generations.

Hamas Violates The Ceasefire - Again

Hamas has begun shooting rockets again at Israel, violating the ceasefire that was supposed to continue until 8 AM tomorrow local time.

Rockets fired from Gaza hit the Eshkol region of Israel at 4:00 AM local time, about an hour ago.

Israel indicated on Wednesday it was prepared to extend the ceasefire, something  Egyptian mediators were pushing for  but Hamas was rejected it, saying they would "resume fighting immediately at the end of the 72-hour ceasefire, at 8:00 am Friday."

Of course the scum didn't actually wait that long to start hostilities. To date, they have violated every ceasefire.

 

The Israelis with the help of the Egyptians had pulled off a major diplomatic tour de force that provoked a split between Hamas and Fatah, shut down Hamas's demands and even stymied the terrorist group's 'lawyers', the Obama Administration.

Abu Ubeida, the spokesperson of Hamas's military wing pictured above demanded that Fatah and the Palestinian Authority reject the truce and join them in hostilities unless all of Hamas's demands were met, which included the release of all Hamas terrorists incarcerated by Israel, construction of a seaport and lifting the Egyptian/Israeli blockade so they can import weapons.None of that is going to happen.

"We urge the Palestinian delegation negotiating not to renew the truce except after the acceptance in principle, particularly to the port (opening), and if there is no acceptance then we ask the delegation to withdraw from talks." Abu Ubeida made the statement aired on the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera news network.

Abu Ubeida also said that Hamas would destroy the IDF if it tried to reenter Gaza and said Hamas would target Israel's air and sea ports in a bid to hit Israel economically, as if they haven't tried their best to do so already.

It's on...stay tuned. And watch the north and Hezbollah.

About Second-Guessing Israel on Hamas

 

By David Gerstman

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told the U.S. Ambassador to Israel "not to ever second guess me again" when it comes to Hamas, after Hamas' refusal and eventual breach of ceasefire agreements.

Did he have a point?

The international community in its zeal to solve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians makes plenty of suggestions about what needs to be done. One would think that with the number of suggestions it has made that have backfired, it would learn a little humility and perhaps listen a little bit more to Israel when it comes to Hamas.

For example, in a recent column, New York Times columnist Roger Cohen called the Israel-Palestinian conflict an "obscenity." At the end of the column he made a suggestion as to how to go about ending the conflict.

Real reconciliation can only come on the basis of an ironclad commitment to nonviolence and to holding of free and fair elections, the first since 2006. Good Palestinian governance, unity and nonviolence constitute the path to making a free state of Palestine irrefutable. The longer Hamas fights this, the greater its betrayal of its people.

What happened in those "free and fair elections" in 2006? Hamas won and established its political legitimacy among Palestinians. A year and a half later it violently forced Fatah out of Gaza and established a stranglehold on the territory. With its newly found freedom to operate it launched thousands of rockets into Israel forcing three wars.

 

But how and why did Hamas, a terrorist organization with a genocidal charter come to participate in those elections? International pressure, including pressure from the Bush administration, forced Israel to drop its objections to Hamas' participation. In retrospect that pressure doesn't look so good. After Fatah and Hamas announced their unity deal earlier this year, Elliott Abrams, who was a member of the administration, recalled:

The last parliamentary elections were held in 2006, and there was a major dispute about whether Hamas should be allowed to run. Abbas then argued strongly and successfully (in that he persuaded Washington to back off) that an election without Hamas would be illegitimate: He would be barring his only real opponent, in the manner of all Arab dictators. We in the Bush administration made the wrong call and sided with Abbas, over Israeli objections. As Condoleezza Rice wrote in her memoirs, “In retrospect, we should have insisted that every party disarm as a condition for participating in the vote.” She was right, for several reasons.

Subsequent developments have shown Israel's objections to having Hamas run in those election to be valid.

In addition to supporting the events that led to Hamas' gaining power, the United States and other allies pressured Israel to loosen its blockade of Gaza following the Mavi Marmara incident. When the boat, Mavi Marmara, captained by the terrorist organization IHH, tried to run the Israel blockade in 2010, Israeli commandos who stormed the ship were violently attacked. When they responded with force, nine of the attackers were killed. In response to Turkish outrage over the incident Israel was forced to relax the blockade. President Obama hailed the decision:

The President has described the situation in Gaza as unsustainable and has made clear that it demands fundamental change. On June 9, he announced that the United States was moving forward with $400 million in initiatives and commitments for the West Bank and Gaza. The President described these projects as a down payment on the U.S. commitment to the people of Gaza, who deserve a chance to take part in building a viable, independent state of Palestine, together with those who live in the West Bank. These announcements resulted from consultations with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Today, the United States welcomes the new policy towards Gaza announced by the Government of Israel, which responds to the calls of many in the international community. Once implemented, we believe these arrangements should significantly improve conditions for Palestinians in Gaza, while preventing the entry of weapons. We will work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the Quartet, and other international partners to ensure these arrangements are implemented as quickly and effectively as possible and to explore additional ways to improve the situation in Gaza, including greater freedom of movement and commerce between Gaza and the West Bank. There is more to be done, and the President looks forward to discussing this new policy, and additional steps, with Prime Minister Netanyahu during his visit to Washington on July 6.

Barry Rubin criticized this announcement at the time:

Note that Obama did not mention the conditions for easing the blockade--that Hamas abandon terrorism and accept Israel's existence--nor did he say that anything the Palestinian Authority or Hamas is doing is "unsustainable." Only Western and Israeli policy are said to be unsustainable. In effect, Obama is saying that the policies of Hamas, Iran, Hizballah, and Syria, among others, are infinitely sustainable, especially because of his reluctance to do things to make them unsustainable.

And thus in Middle East terms, he's saying: Your intransigence has won. We couldn't move you so our policy has failed. We must give in.

Practically speaking the policies that the United States advocated weren't just a surrender, but likely helped Hamas build its strategic capabilities.

 

It's reasonable to ask if the relaxing of the blockade help Hamas smuggle the cement it needed to build its terror tunnels. Did the American aid abet Hamas in its efforts? By IDF estimates, the tunnels cost at least $90 million. How much of that was paid for by international aid? (How much of the aid went to building the fortunes of Hamas' leaders?)

The international community will lament the violence in the Middle East and criticize Israeli self-defense measures. But when will it conclude that with the best of intentions it is encouraging terrorists by rewarding them for their violence and intransigence? Maybe it's time to start taking Israel's security concerns seriously.

Cross posted at  Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion