While Israel needed to do something about it being attacked, are the air strikes with all the civilian casualties only creating more hatred and suicide bombers and such? What can possibly be the outcome of a house to house ground war in Gaza? Or is that prospect just posturing to pressure the people to oust Hamas, assuming they could?
Israel bombed a mosque and the homes of at least half a dozen Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip on Friday and allowed foreign passport holders to leave the ravaged territory, as speculation rose that a ground assault could be imminent.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which began last Saturday, has been carried out exclusively by air and by sea. After a day of heavy rain, the weather improved Thursday, and military analysts said Israeli tanks and other vehicles massed on Gaza’s border could more easily enter the territory.
[…]
“The forces are there, and they’re ready for anything,” said an Israeli military spokeswoman, Maj. Avital Leibovich.
[…]
Although Israel rejected a cease-fire proposal this week, there were signs Thursday that it was stepping up its diplomatic efforts. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni traveled to France, where officials have been leading an international campaign to persuade Israel and Hamas to hold their fire.But there is pressure within Israel for the government to continue its campaign, and perhaps topple Hamas altogether. That would almost certainly require a ground operation, which would be likely to raise the death toll substantially on both sides.
“There is no way to take Hamas out without going into Gaza. The problem is the price,” said Yaakov Amidror, a retired Israeli major general who headed the military’s research and assessment division. “My feeling is that we should do it. All the other players in the region are wondering why we are hesitating if we are so strong.”
What can possibly go wrong?
Just for fun, the Egyptians have blocked the southern Gaza border.
This conflict can only stop once Israel stops it’s occupation. Everyone who blindly supports all of Israel actions should be forced to watch this documentary film “Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land”: http://tinyurl.com/7uwygq
The more important question is does Israel have the WILL to win a ground war in Gaza…
” Can Israel Win A Ground War In Gaza? ”
Only if they kill or remove all males from the territory.
[Duplicate comment deleted. Please don’t double post! – ed.]
# 5 Brett said, “It can only end once Israel stops the occupation.”
I don’t think Israel is going to. Israel has already offered to give up the land in exchange for these terrorists to acknowledge its right to exist. No go.
@Paddy
They’re forced to accept 10% of the original and even those 10% are under a occupied grid, check-points, disrupted roads and the big wall. Fair? Not really.
They literally live in a prison there and now the innocent people in the gaza strip can’t even escape to egypt because the borders are shut.
I can only refer again to watching that documentary.
Israel can only do what it does if the US backs them up, either officially or unofficially. Seems to me that they launched this strike now to foster a “Status Quo” situation when the Obama cabinet steps into function. Its a wait and see situation. It all depends on the actions of the other forces on the region and these are also waiting to see…
The long term situation will remain basically the same.
Brett,
Your wasting your time trying to convince Americans Israel has and is committing war crimes in Gaza. They don’t care, period. Over 400 dead and 2000 injured in Gaza and Americans cries for the poor victim Israel.
David Ben Gurion
I don’t understand your optimism. Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country. Sure God promised it to us, but what does that matter to them? Our God is not theirs. We come from Israel, but two thousand years ago, and what is that to them? There has been antisemitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They only see one thing: we have come here and stolen their country. Why should they accept that? They may perhaps forget in one or two generations’ time, but for the moment there is no chance. So, it’s simple: we have to stay strong and maintain a powerful army. Our whole policy is there. Otherwise the Arabs will wipe us out.
* As quoted in The Jewish Paradox : A personal memoir (1978) by Nahum Goldmann (translated by Steve Cox), p. 99.
Just sayin…
#7 Brett said, “They’re forced to accept 10% of the original and even those 10% are under a occupied grid”
Yep. They should just agree to acknowledge Israels right to exist and negotiate. Until they do they will be hemmed in.
This has been offered but rejected by the terrorists.
It’s tribal warfare. It would only end with genocide. The real question is at what point the rest of the Islamic nations decides to act. Iraq is the real wild card.
13
You’re understanding of the conflict is too simple and thin. It’s much more complex than asking Hamas to accept Israel’s right to exist… And if you believe that is ALL that needs to be done you really live in a fantasy world of make believe and unicorns.
Setup a democratic election, then blow the peoples choice up when it doesnt agree with your agenda.
hehehe Free to choose what we tell you or else.
Named, smartest thing said. This is a mess that can’t be solved without decades of effort.
You can’t blame Israel for protecting themselves against the rockets. If Mexico attacked Texas, you could only imagine the redneck hell that would rain down on the beaners. An eye for an eye doesn’t work. It has to be a strong response.
# 15 Named said, “It’s much more complex than asking Hamas to accept Israel’s right to exist…”
Of course it’s more complex. However, until the people involved decide that everyone has a right to live, it will go nowhere and the more complex issues will never get a chance to be addressed…
nuke the middle east… make it flat glassy and a radio active wasteland..
only way to solve this… problems here have been going on for several thousand years and it wont go away on it own…
19,
And what if I said that offer was already made and Israel said no? Would you then say Israel is wrong? Or would you ask for a little bit more from Hamas?
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/02/world/middleeast/02mideast.html?ref=middleeast
Israel has never won any war permanently. It has just won a battle here and a battle there and thats all. The poor USA’s lap dog has tried all the war crimes in the world to give protection to its illegal bastard USA child is still to this day fighting for its survival.
Remember the last war against Hezbollah? They had to retreat and the Israeli people called for court marshall for those who started the war which they lost.
Now they are thinking of starting a Gaza warfare which Hamas is just itching for. There will be the same outcome, more shame for the Americas bastard child but more reason for Hamas to stay in power.
As Hamas said, let them come, we are waiting.
heehaawww!
# 21 Named said, “And what if I said that offer was already made and Israel said no?”
You can say whatever you want. When Hamas makes the offer post it.
23,
They did.
http://news.google.ca/news?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&tab=wn&nolr=1&hl=en&q=hamas+offers+ceasefire&btnG=Search+News
I’d use tiny URL but I’m sometimes wary of it.
In this day and age ground wars are unless. There is no point walking down a street with a bulls-eye on your body.
The only people wanting a ground war are those egging us on as they did in Iraq.
“house to house” or “rubble to rubble”?
23,
It won’t matter when they do say it. Israel violated the last ceasefire and they can easily do it again. And again. Re-read David Ben Gurion above…
http://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2009/01/who-ended-the-6-month-ceasefire-in-israelpalestine.html
This will all end in tears and mushroom clouds eventually. Lets just hope it happens there and not here. The Israelis will have no one to blame but themselves.
A surprising lack of common sense and decency is displayed on this blog at times.
When this came up a few days ago, I posted my CONCLUSION that right and wrong have little to do with Nation States–their formation and maintenance. “That leads to some very harsh consequences” I thought as I watched video’s of the innocent Palestinian victims of the Israel retaliation.
As an atheist Westerner, I think both sides are stupidly religious, tribal, and both sides have “no natural” claim to the land. Land is not subject to claim==it is either held or lost by violence.
Look to how all Nation States are formed. Genocide leading to retaliation or peaceful relations. What for sure gets you into continuous turmoil is leaving an enemy too strong to recognize its own defeat and too weak to win in the future–constant anarchy/warfare results.
I think Israel has two potentially effective choices: retake Gaza and push the Palestinians into Egypt or the Mediterrean, OR severe retaliation on the order of 500X1 for any rocket attacks over the wall. Either/or while holding out a two state solution with an open Jerusalem as a dual capital.
The only thing worse than this is maintaining the status quo as has been done for the past 60 years. Not Pretty, but given the harsh mandate of reality, in the longterm, this would be best for Israel and for Palestians.
All else is hand wringing hypocrisy.
Gee I don’t understand this.When you fire missiles at Israel bad things happen.Maybe they should try a strategy that works.Hunger strikes? not doing all of the Israeli scut work?……How far would African-Americans be on their path to equality if the had used terrorism to achieve their goals.India revolted against Britain for 300 hundred years until Gandhi came along.
I believe it will end in mushroom clouds. So its to israel’s advantage to use them now,while the advantage still is there. With 400 gazen’s killed,to 4 israeli’s,their holding a 100 to 1 kill ratio. Send in 50,000 troops,be prepared to lose 15,000, at 100 to 1, that should make for 1.5 million dead gazen’s! With the southern flank secured, turn west & see if fatah & mr. abbas are serious about making a peace deal?