15th January 2009.
Day 20 of Operation Cast Lead
Shabbat shalom
OK Let's start at the beginning. Condi and Ehud made up after their rather public and inappropriate tiff! In a telephone conversation the two decided that the current situation was infinitely more important than winning points over each other. They have a job to do and it is more urgent than any other on the agenda. What could have been a major problem has turned into a storm in a political teacup with not a drop spilt into the waters around Boston. Efforts to bring Egypt into a more active role in the peacekeeping will go ahead.
The Israeli Central Elections Committee determined that the Arab political parties, Balad, United Arab List-Ta'al are ineligible to run in the February 2009 elections, on the grounds that, in practice, they are unwilling to recognize the State of Israel and call for armed conflict against it. They constantly undermine the Israeli Government, the actions of the IDF and use their position of privilege to work for the enemy. The decision will go before the Supreme Court for a final pronouncement.
Many Americans believe that Europe in general and the UK in particular, due to their ever increasing Moslem citizens and their influence, hate Israel but the USA is safe . Don't be complacent – in this video from Fort Lauderdale look at the demonstrators cursing and using foul language http://bijenkorf.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/pro-hamas-ft-lauderdale/
Thanks to BICOM for publishing parts of a parliamentary debate. BICOM offices in London were attacked by a gang of "yobbos" two days ago but the staff is soldiering on. http://www.bicom.org.uk/news/news-archive/bicom-briefing--gaza-situation-update---14-january-2009
David Cairns (Labour Party): "According to reports from Egypt, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Larijani, and Saeed Jalili from the Iranian security services are actively encouraging Hamas not to enter into a ceasefire and, indeed, to step up the rocket attacks. Does my hon. Friend agree that those reports not only underline Iran's wholly malign influence in this region but underscore genuine fears among the Israeli public that behind Hamas is a country led by a lunatic and committed to the destruction of the State of Israel?"
The "Phosphorous" shells over which the IDF is accused of war crimes are not phosphorous at all. The IDF's "Medusa" shells create a smoke screen to foil the aim of enemy gunmen so that they cannot aim their weapons accurately. Not only are these shells legal, they have been used by the Allied Forces in Iraq for some time.
Today the IDF managed to execute two senior Hamas terrorists and the morale of the Hamas rank and file is in total disarray because they cannot hold the usual gruesome funerals with thousands in the streets. In the same IDF foray an UNWRA facility and a hospital were hit. In initial television interviews the Senior UNWRA representative spoke said that Hamas was indeed shooting from the building, but his report was ignored by most of the media. In addition an IDF shell allegedly hit the 14 storey building which houses the press corps in Gaza City but as yet it is unknown if that was the actual source of the explosion since the amount of arms caches of Hamas in built up areas of Gaza City is enormous. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1231950855726
Rockets and Grad missiles are still coming over the border, but in much smaller quantities. This evening however a Grad rocket made a direct hit on a moving car in a residential area of Beersheva seriously injuring a woman and child. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3656914,00.html
Reuters invite you to comment on their coverage of Middle East Affairs in general and this period in particular on their blog – a brave decision. I ask only one thing of you – be polite and representative – insulting words achieve negative results. http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2009/01/15/reporting-in-gaza-striving-for-fairness/
Yesterday Jerusalem had a tiny taste of what Sderot has endured for 8 years. Apparently a Grad rocket, bound for Yavneh, was picked up on the Jerusalem missile detectors and the siren sounded. Many youngsters who did not live through the second Gulf war were totally panic-stricken and no-one knew exactly what to do, to run for the shelter or to stay where we were. It was a mistake, a simple glitch in the system but it gave us some insight into the unbelievable terror each day brought to the residents of the Southern Border with Gaza.
Our dear friend Canon Andrew White is today recovering from a stem cell transplant in his beloved Baghdad. He opted to undergo the operation in Baghdad, performed by an Iraqi doctor who he trusts implicitly. He wrote to me yesterday to say that the pain from the drugs which increase the production of the stem cells in his body was excruciating yet he continued with his work in without a moment's hesitation. I promised Andrew that I would ask you to pray for his well-being. Even those of you who have not heard of his amazing work and his untiring efforts despite the all pervading horror of his advanced MS and the fact that his wife Caroline and two young sons wait anxiously him in the UK.
It is hard to be optimistic and think about normal life since our every moment is steeped in newscasts. However, yesterday was my birthday and my wonderful girlfriends wanted to take me out! This is a protracted birthday which began with birthday cake with my daughter Rachel and her three children two days ago; lunch with my friend Judith in the German Colony yesterday and breakfast with Rosa and Polita in the glorious Anna Ticho House today. It will continue with the family on Shabbat and even extend into next week with Betty and Dana but as we laugh and take pleasure in the sunshine and good food, conversations inevitably turn to our all pervading fear for our boys in the IDF and the task that has fallen upon their young shoulders. As I think of their lost innocence and future nightmares I'm drawn to Golda Meir's famous words which may sound trite to some but express the very essence of our battle for peace in our little country.
Peace will come to the Middle East when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.
Please G-d, I pray that we will always love our children more than we hate anyone and will follow every avenue to give them a secure and kinder future where they can raise their children safely right here in their own home
Shabbat Shalom and much love from Jerusalem
Sheila
Showing posts with label Ground Troops IDF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ground Troops IDF. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Monday, 12 January 2009
090103 Gaza Update
3rd January, 2009
Shevua Tov
Operation Cast Lead
Today has not been a good day for the residents of Ashdod and Ashkelon, since we have not yet succeeded in wiping out the terror cells that fire rockets at those towns, as well as Sderot, Nahal Oz and many small towns and villages within their rocket fire. They are just one of the many good reasons we have to fight against Hamas.
It is important to remember that any pictures and videos you are receiving on your television screens are those syndicated by Al Jazeera. The Mosque which every news station has reported as proof that Israel is targeting innocent civilians at prayer was not a hit by the Israeli Air Force at all. The type of explosive used is not used by the Israeli Air Force. The IAF targeted a vehicle which was passing near the Mosque, it appears that the vehicle was loaded to the brim with explosive devices and the subsequent explosion demolished the Mosque and killed and injured those within.
It must also be made clear that such is the care which Israel and the IDF is taking to ensure minimum civilian losses that our specialists drop leaflets and send recorded messages in Arabic, to all the cell phones in the Gaza Strip, giving people 10 minute warnings to leave any area which they know to be either an arsenal or centre of operations for Hamas. Hamas, whose arsenals and local HQ's are all in highly populated areas, stop people leaving at gun-point, because incredibly the more civilian casualties the more ammunition for their war of words, after all it worked so well for Hezb-Allah in Beirut. It is absurd that callous and cynical journalists are taken in by every word they say.
Just a few hours ago the decision was made for a limited entry of ground troops into the Northern Gaza Strip; their prime targets are the rocket launching sites of Grad Missiles, unlike the older, smaller Kassam missiles which were on portable, easily identified launchers, the Grad missiles are launched from hidden silos. In addition a 20 kilometre blockade has been enforced on the coastal waters of Gaza to prevent the importation of armaments now that many of the gun-running tunnels have been wiped out. Minister of Defence Ehud Barak made an announcement on Israeli Television that although he had the support of all but two of the Cabinet; he thought and re-thought the decision to send in troops. Israel does not consider any loss of life acceptable, and every avenue is travelled in the search for an alternative. Our objective is to clear the rocket launchers and those behind the attacks from Gaza but our other danger is that the Hezb-Allah in Lebanon will choose to attack Israel from the North with the sole intent of diluting both areas of defence and catching Israel at a weakened moment. As long as the Minister of Defence is aware of that I am less concerned.
This is not a war which Israel wants; this is a war we must fight having given Hamas nearly eight years to stop firing missiles at Israeli towns. We have tried Hudnahs and every other type of break in missile firing, only to find that Hamas used the time to re-arm. Every time you hear anyone talk of Israel's aggressiveness remember – this is the Israel DEFENCE Force, formed to defend a tiny nation with many enemies in a truly aggressive neighbourhood.
Zvi is on his way, right this minute, to the BBC's Jerusalem studios to be interviewed about the situation. I know he will explain the why and wherefores with his usual brilliance, but I asked him to add that Israel demands moral equivalence in their judgments - but, just in case anyone is concerned – we will do what we must to defend our citizens and the sensibilities of journalists anywhere in the world is our last consideration!
I just got a phone call from Zvi. The BBC in their usual brilliant style, have moved their studios and forgot to tell him!! Maybe that is why they never get pro-Israel interviewees – they send them all on wild goose chases!!
This is a tough start to 2009, but if the IDF is able to perform a surgical, speedy entry and achieve their goals accurately and precisely and leave the people of Gaza to go back to living their lives without fear, they will ensure safety to the people of the South of Israel who have held out with stalwart heroism against a constant onslaught of rockets and missiles.
For your perusal, some articles of great interest which clarify the situation further.
From our dear friend Leonard Cole http://www.northjersey.com/opinion/36965554.html
Charles Krauthammer http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010101780.html
Prof. Alan Dershowitz http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123085925621747981.html
Wishing you a good week and a peaceful 2009 for the people of Southern Israel - and indeed for the ordinary people of Gaza.
Shevua Tov
Operation Cast Lead
Today has not been a good day for the residents of Ashdod and Ashkelon, since we have not yet succeeded in wiping out the terror cells that fire rockets at those towns, as well as Sderot, Nahal Oz and many small towns and villages within their rocket fire. They are just one of the many good reasons we have to fight against Hamas.
It is important to remember that any pictures and videos you are receiving on your television screens are those syndicated by Al Jazeera. The Mosque which every news station has reported as proof that Israel is targeting innocent civilians at prayer was not a hit by the Israeli Air Force at all. The type of explosive used is not used by the Israeli Air Force. The IAF targeted a vehicle which was passing near the Mosque, it appears that the vehicle was loaded to the brim with explosive devices and the subsequent explosion demolished the Mosque and killed and injured those within.
It must also be made clear that such is the care which Israel and the IDF is taking to ensure minimum civilian losses that our specialists drop leaflets and send recorded messages in Arabic, to all the cell phones in the Gaza Strip, giving people 10 minute warnings to leave any area which they know to be either an arsenal or centre of operations for Hamas. Hamas, whose arsenals and local HQ's are all in highly populated areas, stop people leaving at gun-point, because incredibly the more civilian casualties the more ammunition for their war of words, after all it worked so well for Hezb-Allah in Beirut. It is absurd that callous and cynical journalists are taken in by every word they say.
Just a few hours ago the decision was made for a limited entry of ground troops into the Northern Gaza Strip; their prime targets are the rocket launching sites of Grad Missiles, unlike the older, smaller Kassam missiles which were on portable, easily identified launchers, the Grad missiles are launched from hidden silos. In addition a 20 kilometre blockade has been enforced on the coastal waters of Gaza to prevent the importation of armaments now that many of the gun-running tunnels have been wiped out. Minister of Defence Ehud Barak made an announcement on Israeli Television that although he had the support of all but two of the Cabinet; he thought and re-thought the decision to send in troops. Israel does not consider any loss of life acceptable, and every avenue is travelled in the search for an alternative. Our objective is to clear the rocket launchers and those behind the attacks from Gaza but our other danger is that the Hezb-Allah in Lebanon will choose to attack Israel from the North with the sole intent of diluting both areas of defence and catching Israel at a weakened moment. As long as the Minister of Defence is aware of that I am less concerned.
This is not a war which Israel wants; this is a war we must fight having given Hamas nearly eight years to stop firing missiles at Israeli towns. We have tried Hudnahs and every other type of break in missile firing, only to find that Hamas used the time to re-arm. Every time you hear anyone talk of Israel's aggressiveness remember – this is the Israel DEFENCE Force, formed to defend a tiny nation with many enemies in a truly aggressive neighbourhood.
Zvi is on his way, right this minute, to the BBC's Jerusalem studios to be interviewed about the situation. I know he will explain the why and wherefores with his usual brilliance, but I asked him to add that Israel demands moral equivalence in their judgments - but, just in case anyone is concerned – we will do what we must to defend our citizens and the sensibilities of journalists anywhere in the world is our last consideration!
I just got a phone call from Zvi. The BBC in their usual brilliant style, have moved their studios and forgot to tell him!! Maybe that is why they never get pro-Israel interviewees – they send them all on wild goose chases!!
This is a tough start to 2009, but if the IDF is able to perform a surgical, speedy entry and achieve their goals accurately and precisely and leave the people of Gaza to go back to living their lives without fear, they will ensure safety to the people of the South of Israel who have held out with stalwart heroism against a constant onslaught of rockets and missiles.
For your perusal, some articles of great interest which clarify the situation further.
From our dear friend Leonard Cole http://www.northjersey.com/opinion/36965554.html
Charles Krauthammer http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010101780.html
Prof. Alan Dershowitz http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123085925621747981.html
Wishing you a good week and a peaceful 2009 for the people of Southern Israel - and indeed for the ordinary people of Gaza.
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