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September 26, 2005

Israel: The Gloves Are Off

One benefit of the withdraw from Palestinian territories, it always seemed to me, is that Israel could start treating Palestine as what it is -- a hostile neighboring state making war on it, rather than an occupied territory requiring less warlike policing.

Israel just killed four Hamas leaders, and they're not done yet:

Meeting Saturday night, the cabinet ratified Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz's proposal that the IDF be instructed to create buffer zones within the Gaza Strip in areas near the border, in order to move the rocket launchers away from Israeli communities.
Military sources told Haaretz Saturday night that the zones will include neighborhoods as well as open areas. "If necessary, we will create ghost neighborhoods, we will use artillery to prevent the rocket launchers from entering even at the price of removing civilians from their homes," the source said.

The IDF believes stiff measures could induce the Palestinian civilian population to pressure Hamas into showing restraint. The operation, which has been named "First Rain," is expected to continue for a few days.

There are certain obligations of a state, and keeping its citizens from making transborder attacks on a neighbor is one of them. And if a state can't or won't, it is effectively in a state of war, no matter what bullshit its cuckolded leader might say.

And if you're at war, the rules are different.

I actually don't want a lot of Palestinians to die, but if they continue supporting those who make war on Israel, they have no one to blame but themselves.

To some extent the Palestinian people have been infantilized, their collective decisions never really resulting in their inevitable consequences -- namely, the full fury of war being visited back upon them. Hopefully they will grow up in a hurry and avoid further deaths.

posted by Ace at 01:12 PM

Comments

Sounds like they are going to create a no-man's land between Israel and the Palestinians, made up exclusively of Palestinian territory to be patrolled by artillery barrage.

Too bad, so sad.

Posted by: Mikey on September 26, 2005 01:25 PM

A hard rain's a-gonna fall on the Pally's. The times they are a changin' in Israel.

Posted by: Jack M. on September 26, 2005 01:27 PM

CNN headline?

Israeli airstrikes target Gaza

Posted by: Slublog on September 26, 2005 01:32 PM

Counter-battery fire, civilian "human shields" be dammned. If the palis want war, let them have war.

Posted by: Darth Bubba on September 26, 2005 01:34 PM

I saw this one coming. Old General Sharon knows that when you're hard-pressed, you collapse the perimeter and clear out your fields of fire. The Gaza Strip just became the primary direction of fire for a nice chunk of the IDF's air and arty assets, I think.

Posted by: SGT Dan on September 26, 2005 01:34 PM

Israel just killed four Hamas leaders, and they're not done yet:

Good!

There are certain obligations of a state, and keeping its citizens from making transborder attacks on a neighbor is one of them.

Hey, we try to have citizens only monitor illegal activity on the border and everyone pitches a shit.

Posted by: on September 26, 2005 01:39 PM

As one hopes for peace, he must never forget that the single Palestinian goal is the eradication of Israel. There are no goals for peace in the Palestinian playbook. This, by the way, is no secret.

So, I guess it's just a matter of time until Israel makes that part of the world one big parking lot.

Posted by: Ol' BC on September 26, 2005 01:51 PM

I would imagine that Israel has some very robust counter-battery response capabilities. If they take the gloves off and don't worry about getting approvals for counter-battery fire, I'd guess they can pretty well destroy the source of the fire within one to two minutes.

It will be most interesting.

Just my $.02
DRK

Posted by: DaveK on September 26, 2005 01:55 PM

I don't think the Isrealis can "pull back" any more either politically or geographically. They have their backs against the figurative wall at this point, and the Palestinians are going to have to start making real concessions from now on if they don't want their asses kicked. Kicked more, anyway.

Hopefully the Cold Hard Bitchslap of Reality will bring them to their senses before too many more of them get killed. They have two choices, either make peace or get slapped around ad infinitum.

Posted by: Mark_D on September 26, 2005 03:19 PM

Actually, the Palestinians will do what they have been doing all along - keep trying to drive the Jews into the sea by any and all means. They will put rocket launchers on top of schools, mosques, hospitals, etc to keep them safe from counter-battery fire.

Posted by: BattleofthePyramids on September 26, 2005 03:35 PM

Hah, the "Cold Hard Bitchslap of Reality". That made me laugh.

Posted by: MH on September 26, 2005 05:42 PM

The Gaza Strip just became the primary direction of fire for a nice chunk of the IDF's air and arty assets, I think.

Yup - dumbasses swallowed the bait. Gonna get hot quick if they don't spit it out quick and play straight.

Posted by: Tony on September 26, 2005 07:01 PM

I always figured that's what this whole Gaza thing was about, from an Israeli strategic point of view. A sort of "hey, we tried to give you what you want, now look what it's gotten us . . . well F@*& you and the retarded, salad-tossing camel you rode in on." So to speak.

Posted by: Tim Higgins on September 27, 2005 12:45 AM