Zonder-PM Olmert: "How can I destroy Israel if I keep being outed by Debka?
If only I could have been there to help Hitler exterminate Jews."
Posted on 06/26/2006 9:18:24 AM PDT by strategofr
Israel masses armored strength on its Gaza border Monday as Egypt seeks to broker recovery of Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas. Sunday night, Israel decided to hold off immediate military action in Gaza for fear of harm to kidnapped Israeli soldier since promoted to Sgt. Gideon Shalit, 19, from Mitzpe Hilo, is safe.
The decision was reached at a special security cabinet consultation called by prime minister Ehud Olmert to deal with the IDF response to the Hamas-led pre-dawn raid from Gaza inside Israel, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, a third was kidnapped and 6 were injured.
DEBKAfile’s military sources say the cabinet’s options were narrowed by the slow reactions of the generals on the spot – Maj.-Gen Yoav Galant (Ariel Sharon’s former military secretary) and Brig. Aviv Cochavi - plus the chief of staff’s reluctance to act independently without deferring to his political masters. Had the IDF gone roaring after the terrorists and kidnappers - or even launched a blind pursuit without waiting for a decision from the policy-makers - Israel might have gained the initiative and been in a position to force the kidnapped soldier’s release by pinning the Palestinian terrorists to the wall.
Instead, an Israeli helicopter was lofted to shoot at empty ground and the defense minister Amir Peretz, upon learning that an Israeli naval Dabur missile-ship had opened fire, ordered the vessel to stand down in case of repercussions to the abducted soldier.
These responses were seen by the Palestinian terrorist groups which carried out the concerted attack early Sunday as a sign of weakness and lack of resolve.
Israel has left itself with two chancy options - an unpredictable bargaining process and hope that the missing soldier can be first located through its intelligence and electronic surveillance branches.
Israel’s military tardiness reduced the deterrent effect of the threat defense minister Amir Peretz issued earlier to Palestinian terrorists that they and their leaders would pay a painful price if harm came to Corp. Shalit.
This affair recalls the October 2000 kidnap by Hizballah of three Israeli soldiers, Adi Avitan, Benny Avraham and Omar Sawad, on Israel’s northern border. Then, too, prime minister Ehud Barak held back from expeditious action. Four years later, in the absence of any sign of life from the captured men, Israel was forced to pay dearly for their remains. Both Israeli premiers were loath to send troops back into evacuated territory – South Lebanon then, the Gaza Strip now.
Zonder-PM Olmert: "How can I destroy Israel if I keep being outed by Debka?
If only I could have been there to help Hitler exterminate Jews."
Given Olmert's record, the terrorists will simply see this as a bluff. Which it clearly is.
The Israelis elected Olmert with their eyes wide open, knowing what they were going to get. Now they've got it.
The generals in the IDF are not going to risk being disciplined by a government that has clearly shown that it is more concerned about dealing harshly with Israeli settlers than Palestinian terrorists.
Let's hope the electorate wakes up.
Where is Bibi when you need him?
Sharon really screwed up the situation with his new party.
The only way Israel can continue to survive is to constantly beat down its enemies. Olmert is not helping at all.
"Given Olmert's record, the terrorists will simply see this as a bluff. Which it clearly is.
The Israelis elected Olmert with their eyes wide open, knowing what they were going to get. Now they've got it."
On target as usual, Cicero.
"The generals in the IDF are not going to risk being disciplined by a government that has clearly shown that it is more concerned about dealing harshly with Israeli settlers than Palestinian terrorists.
Let's hope the electorate wakes up."
Yes, I'm very optimistic on that score. Their alternative is to choose the "Danish option". For the Danes, this option probably means they will effectively cease to exist as a people within 50 to 100 years. For the Israelis, this option means they will definitely be dead within 5 to 10 years. While more painful, the correct answer is easier to calculate for the Israelis.
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"The West has given more significance to the myth of the genocide of the Jews, even more significant than God, religion, and the prophets...."—Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Holocaust Chronicle ~
"Palestine is the wrong name for their State. It should be called Anarchy."—FReeper sgtbono2002
"Then let's wait and see what the Arabs do after they take Gaza. There's nothing like Arab reality to break up a Jewish fantasy."—FReeper Noachian
A student told his professor he was going to "Palestine" to "fight for freedom, peace and justice,"—Orwellian leftist code words that mean "murder Jews."
The Nature Of Bruce ~
"I can sort of understand how the American's vote- liberal, anti defense-weak. But the Israelis? Do they vote for a weakling and HOPE that they are safe? The only thing more disturbing than the US electing a Murtha, is Israel electing a Murtha.
Why would they want to be weak? I don't understand."
I'm not Israeli, but as an American Jew I probably follow it a little more than the average American.
I think the key thing here is the way Olmert came to power. Sharon was trying to do a revolutionary thing, to permanently extend the borders of Israel and build a solid defensive wall (known as a "fence"). The territory staked off by the fence is supposedly about 1/10 the West Bank, according to Israeli accounts. By my eyeballing, I estimated it was 1/7.
Anyhow, Sharon made a deal with Bush, he vacated Gaza as part of the deal and Bush approved the idea of a permanent extension of Israeli territory and also rejected the notion of the Arab right of return. At the time, the seem like pretty big concessions to me.
Egypt guaranteed the security of Gaza, and, I presume, the U. S. guaranteed the compliance of Egypt.
Well, Sharon got ill and Olmert was the guy in position to take over. He gained his position through internal politicking---not popularity with the Israeli public. Many had doubts about them, but they hoped for the best.
Obviously, he was a mistake as a choice for Israeli leader, and I hope you will be removed soon via the democratic process.
On the other hand, there are Israeli Leftists---people who seem to want the defeat of Israel, just like American leftists do. I can't explain this either, but I believe the majority of Israelis will vote for survival.
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