PrintDecember 31, 2008
Israel ignores calls for cease fire - pounds Hamas for 4th day
As pressure builds on Israel in the west to stop being nasty to those peace loving Hamas terrorists, the Israeli cabinet has rejected a 48 hour cease fire proposal from the usual suspects and continues to pummel Hamas smuggler tunnels:
"We didn't initiate the Gaza operation in order to end it while Israeli towns are still under fire, as they were before the operation." said Olmert."Imagine if after a few days of the offensive we had declared a unilateral cease-fire and a rocket barrage had then hit Ashkelon" he continued. "Israel has shown restraint for years; it gave the truce a chance. We did this in full knowledge of its price only so that southerners could recover and to give them a period without the worry of a Red Color warning every minute. We told ourselves 'let's try it,' but Hamas violated the truce."Olmert blasted those calling for an end to the military operation. "Do you understand what repercussions this would have in Israel and the entire region?" he asked rhetorically. "Nevertheless, if the conditions are right and we believe it would provide a solution that ensures a better scurity situation, we will consider it. However, we are not there yet."
Olmert is talking to a wall. Those predisposed to blame Israel for the violence while ignoring the terrorist's promise to destroy the Jewish state will not and will never listen. Only if Israel's enemies succeed in wiping them off the map will there then be a little sympathy for them - coupled no doubt with the caveat that it was their own fault, that they should have listened to those pushing Israel to commit national suicide.
It is a constant source of amazement to me that there are those who believe that Israel can negotiate over its own existence. The "peace process" has not convinced Hamas (or the PA for that matter) to unequivocally recognize the right of Israel to exist. Are there otherwise intelligent people on the planet who think that a state can or should negotiate this right? Why must Israel be the only warring state in the history of human civilization to be forced to negotiate this fundamental, self-evident right? And is it too much to insist that this must be a given before any serious talks with the Palestinians can be undertaken?
Apparently yes. Palestnian apologists wish Israel to give up land in exchange for Hamas accepting the fact of Israel's existence. Will bombing them force a change of mind? Of course not. But this is not about changing anyone's mind or attitude, this war is about simple security - the ability of Israeli citizens to live a somewhat normal life instead of living day to day in fear of rocket and suicide attacks.
To highlight the bizarre manner in which Hamas terrorism is excused while Israel defending itself is condemned, consider this: an AP report refers to rockets that only "occasionally landed" around Ashkelon. I suppose Israel was supposed to endure the terror strikes on their civilians because they were only being attacked "occasionally."
Incredible.
Apparently, Israel is going after the tunnels where arms and explosives are smuggled past the checkpoints into Gaza:
Early Wednesday, Israeli aircraft pounded smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border in another attempt to sever the lifeline that keeps Hamas in power by supplying weapons, food and fuel.Israel and Egypt blockaded Gaza after Hamas violently seized control of the territory in June 2007, and have cracked open their borders only to let in limited amounts of humanitarian aid.A huge explosion rocked a tunnel that housed a fuel pipeline, and aircraft also smashed the house of a smuggling kingpin. In all, two tunnels were destroyed in the raid, Egyptian security officials in Rafah said.An Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Israel has destroyed 120 tunnels since the aerial campaign began. According to conservative estimates, there were at least 200 tunnels before Israeli warplanes began striking.
The cabinet, while rejecting the cease fire, appears to be split about whether to halt operations for 48 hours to determine Hamas intentions. If the terrorists continue their bombardment, expect the IDF to go in full throttle complete with tanks and APC's and start smashing what little infrastructure exists in Gaza.
