Posted on 01/17/2009 12:56:04 PM PST by Enchante
BEIRUT, Jan 17 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday that if Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire in the Gaza Strip it should include a timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Hamas-ruled enclave.
Israel is planning to announce on Saturday a halt to its three-week Gaza offensive without any deal with Hamas, an Israeli official said.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Leni
Olmert saying Israel’s goals have been achieved. I’d say that Israel’s goals weren’t ambitious enough, unless they make sure to retain control of security and borders, keep Gaza divided, etc. until arms smuggling is really stopped and Hamas power is finally destroyed.
Israel declares ceasefire in Gaza
Palestinians carry the body of a relative killed in an Israeli airstrike during a funeral on 17 January 2009
The Israel announcement came on the 22nd day of violence in Gaza
Israel is to halt its three-week military offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said.
Israel had achieved the aims of its operation, Mr Olmert said, and a unilateral Israeli ceasefire would take effect from 0200 (2400 GMT).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7835794.stm
11:42 PM 8 Rockets have fallen in Be’er Sheva since the cease fire was announced.
11:38 PM Sirens in Be’er Sheva
That’s what’s called an “Islamist cease-fire”
Watch, the UN-types will ignore everything Hamas does and continue to excoriate and pressure Israel.
11:53 PM Due to the success of Israel’s unilateral ceasefire, there will be no school in Be’er Sheva tomorrow. IDF intelligence reports to expect an increase in rocket attacks in the coming hours due to the ceasefire.
Or as the Terminator said, "Come with me if you want to live."
Now, now, folks, let’s not be too critical.....
.....this is just what the Pali-Nazis call “peace”....../sarcasm
8 rockets land in Beersheba
Published: 01.17.09, 23:47 / Israel News
Minutes after Israel declared the cessation of Operation Cast Lead, eight rockets were launched from Gaza towards the Israeli city of Beersheba. (Shmulik Hadad)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3657784,00.html
A letter to the citizens of Gaza from a concerned neighbor
Dear neighbor,
My name is David and I live in Israel, thirty minutes (or one minute rocket time) from you, in a beautiful house by the woods. I hope someday to have you over for a cup of tea. We have a lovely view from the balcony. On a clear day we can see our jets bombing your neighborhood.
I think it’s time we had a heart to heart. It’s time you knew the truth. After all, what are neighbors for? You might have wondered why both you and your parents were born in a refugee camp. Why is it that even though we live only 30 minutes apart, I live in prosperity and you live in poverty and filth? Why you live in despair and hatred while we live in hope and love.
Here is the truth, neighbor:
There really was a Holocaust. I realize you’ve been taught otherwise. I know, that ever since you were a small child you’ve been told that the Holocaust is something the Jews fabricated to justify taking your land. Well, dear citizen of Gaza, it really happened. Not very long ago. It happened. And guess what? It’s NEVER going to happen again. The time in history when Jews were led to slaughter, persecuted, raped and pillaged is over and will never recur. Never. Now we have our own country. Now we have the bombs. We will never forget what was done to our people and you better not either.
We don’t hate you. We don’t hate anyone. Jews are a peaceful people. We do not want your land. We don’t want oil. We don’t want to rape your women or murder your children. We never tried to force our religion on anyone. Our eternal capital, Jerusalem, is open to all faiths to love and to worship. We treat your Arab brothers who live among us as equals. Our hand has been extended to peace with our neighbors since day one. We have proven this time and time again through numerous negotiations and extensive compromise.
We ask only for one thing. Leave us in peace. That’s right. We have no other demands. Just leave us in peace. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t, we will fight back ferociously and mercilessly. We will destroy your homes and your cities. We will make your miserable lives even more miserable. If you don’t want this to happen anymore, leave us in peace.
Our soldiers are not motivated by hate but by determination. We embrace life and will do anything to preserve it. However, we will kill and die to protect our land and our way of life. That’s what they should be teaching in your schools instead of useless lies.
A terrorist is a terrorist. Sorry to be the one to break the news, but it’s about time somebody told you that a terrorist is nothing more than a coward. Not a hero. Not a Shahid. There is nothing heroic in blowing yourself up amongst a crowd of woman and children. Anybody can do it. Anybody can hide inside a school or a mosque and blindly fire rockets into cities, hoping to kill as many babies as possible. There is nothing courageous or admirable in these acts of cruelty. To take pride in an act of terror is pitiful and pathetic. I know you’ve been raised to believe the contrary, but it is a lie. I have seen how your children are taught to commit suicide. How your suicide bombers are glorified. This is tragically sad. A real hero faces his enemy and doesn’t hide in schools and hospitals. A real hero protects his people and will die for them but not among them.
Israel exists and it belongs to the Jewish People. I’ve seen your school books. I know that Israel has been omitted from your maps. Contrary to what you’ve been told, the State of Israel really does exist. Look outside your window. We are here and we are not going anywhere. Dear Palestinian neighbor, it’s time to deal with the facts. We love our beautiful little country. We will protect it with our lives. You are not getting it. This was explained to you in 1948. You got your country and we got ours. Your arrogant and stupid leaders promised you that you will get the whole thing. Thousands have lives have been lost for nothing. It’s NEVER going to happen! While you have been foolishly drooling over our land instead of nurturing your own, we have built one of the most beautiful and successful countries on Earth. We have done it not to spite our greedy neighbors, but rather in spite of them. We’ve planted forests and quenched the desert. We’ve drained wetlands and cultivated fields. We built universities, opera houses, superhighways, hospitals, skyscrapers and stadiums. We have millions of refugees, but no refugee camps.
You could do the same. Focus on what you have and not on what you will never have. It takes love, hard work and determination. We can help. We have experts and scientists helping developing nations across the globe. Accept the facts, lay down your weapons and join us in making this great region of the planet even greater.
Remember, we’re neighbors.
David Rosenblatt, Sarigim, Israel – Jan. 9th, 2009
Israel is being run by fools.
This will lead to their destruction if they don’t wake up.
***************************************************
And we aren’t?
‘We must have a decisive victory’
Netanyahu: I warned that unilateral Gaza pullout would create ‘Hamastan.’
Dear UN,
FU very much.
Sincerely,
Israel
Of course we are being run by fools. However, our strategic position is nowhere near as precarious and thus our margins of safety are far greater than are the Israelis'.
Figures from an independent Palestinian human rights group put the number of civilians killed in three weeks of aerial bombardment and a two-week-long ground offensive backed by tanks and artillery at over 700.
Gee, aren't we lucky that it was an "independent" bunch of lying scumbags providing those reports? I mean, it might have been 750 civilian casualties reported if the group was not "independent".
And prior to that statement was this "Does the population of Gaza all live on the beach?" unbiased assessment:
This ceasefire is meant to...ease the plight of the 1.5 million people penned in to the 45-km (28-mile) sliver of coast.
And, after that "Gee-wiz" geography lesson, come the "Who-the-Hell-cares-about-Israeli-women-and-children" lament:
Most of those, their nerves shredded and sleepless with fear and bereavement, just want the war to be over: "We do not care how, we want a ceasefire. We want to go back to our homes. Our children need to go back to sleep in their beds," said Ali Hassan, 34 and a father of five, in the city of Gaza. Ya think that maybe, just maybe, the civilians who support Hamas will finally get the message that eight-years of around-the-clock, rocket and mortar bombardment of Sderot was not such a good idea after all?
Nah.........
Agree that Bebe is a stateman and certainly hope he wins as Israel needs him!
BTTT
That's what I thought I heard.
This is obsurd. The UN States: should include a timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Hamas-ruled enclave.
I ask, what would the be the big deal for the UN to “include” a statement that Hamas should cease rocket firing into Israel. F**k the UN.
If rockets are still being launched against Israel it’s difficult to understand how the “goal has been achieved”.
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.