Israel’s War on Hamas: The Next Stage

121123020546-cantor-hamas-fighters-story-topBill Buckley regretted his column indicting Israel’s invasion of Jenin, because that Israeli “massacre” of Palestinians  in 2002 never occurred.  Indeed, to limit Palestinian casualties, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) had lost many soldiers going door to door.  Even Bill was seduced by the mainstream media, which relied on graphic footage, some doctored, and on bogus numbers.

Absent Iron Dome (which, incidentally, like many Israeli military achievements will tutor our Pentagon with real-time validation), we would see horrible images of mass Israeli casualties.  Do we need to quantify the deaths and injuries that would have occurred in Israel without the intercepts? Even such horror would not satiate the European street thugs, not all Muslims, who yearn for another Kristallnacht.  That’s because, contrary to leftist mythology, the dispute involving tiny Israel is not a real estate squabble to be resolved by Donald Trump, so “land for peace” doesn’t work.

In 1999, I sat down with Ariel Sharon to discuss running a campaign in Israel the following year against a national referendum to give the Golan Heights back to Syria. It was an ill-advised Bill Clinton plan, endorsed by then-Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak, that had to be scuttled.  Clearly, it was painful for Sharon, who became prime minister in 2001, to uproot nearly ten thousand Israeli settlers and leave Gaza.  But he did, against his political base and against  Bibi Netanyahu.  In return, Gaza, which could have become a model for the “two-state solution,” became a terrorist base for launching thousands of rockets.

In Gaza, the deaths and injuries are  substantial, though numbers are not independently verified. Also, many “civilian casualties” were Hamas.  And some casualties resulted, as in the past, from Hamas rockets falling short and landing in Gaza, or from hundreds of Hamas improvised explosive devices (IEDs).   The U.S. should blame Hamas entirely, not mainly or partially.

We know the IDF alerted the innocent to leave, and Hamas urged them to stay. Why then would the U.N. and the world not condemn Hamas, thus rendering its barbarianism obsolete, and saving lives now, and later?

History.  The U.N. withdrew its Sinai buffer peace force in 1967, a withdrawal helping precipitate the Six-Day War.  For decades, UN facilities and refugee centers have stored weapons for staging attacks on Israel.  With its 50+ nations with a Muslim majority, the U.N. is obsessed with Israel as the world’s villain. Remember, Arabs routinely kill fellow Arabs, including Palestinians (Syria, right now), and the world is silent. The U.N. didn’t care when Jordan killed thousands of Palestinians.  Indeed, no demonstrations occurred in Paris or London over Jordan’s “occupation” of “Palestine.”

We were told each Gaza “truce” must be acceptable both to the Hamas “political wing” and the Hamas “military wing.”  The former luxuriates in 5-star hotels in Qatar and denies responsibility for the  latter, ensconced in fortified bunkers under a hospital while urging children to congregate near rocket launchers.  We should insist Qatar delegitimize these corrupt Hamas politicians and Israel (or someone) should kill these evil, but cowardly, Hamas “generals.”

The U.S. seeking a cease-fire was a lose-lose situation.  If it didn’t get it, the U.S. would look impotent (which American impotence is the case, now, in most of the world).  If a ceasefire succeeded but undercut Israel’s strategy  — either by giving Hamas an opportunity to regroup, or laying the basis for concessions to Hamas, the interest of both Israel and the U.S. was ill-served.  Now, Israel destroyed the tunnels, so it left Gaza — on its terms.

The Obama policy destabilizes the region.  Just as the clueless, Jew-hating Jimmy Carter replaced the imperfect, but-reform-minded Iranian Shah with the Ayatollah, ushering in the Islamist revolution, Barack Obama undercut another imperfect ally, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, in effect replacing him with the “elected” Mohamed Morsi.  Fortunately, the Egyptian military trumped the Arab Spring and, with popular support, and despite Obama, overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi, whose regime was inexplicably being rearmed by Obama — though  Morsi had repudiated Egypt’s peaceful relationship with Israel and allowed more rocket smuggling into Gaza.

Imagine – the current Egyptian government  today opposes Hamas and secures the Gaza-Sinai border against Hamas rearming.  Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia tacitly approves the destruction of Hamas. Jordan and other Arab nations have remained on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Kerry continued to undercut the moderate Arab world, which finally realizes Hamas is its enemy.

Despite – or maybe, because of – the Obama/Kerry machinations, Israel realized it had to act…now.

Israel could not wait for Syria to stabilize and Hezbollah to threaten from the north, for ISIS to triumph through enough of Iraq to threaten Israel via Jordan, for Iran to complete its nuclear armament and delivery system, certainly not for all this simultaneously with what Israel uncovered: a plan for Hamas terrorists to emerge from an intricate tunnel system to kill, maim and kidnap.

In other words, Israel cannot risk fighting multiple wars on all fronts. That’s why, regardless of what happens now, Israel will persist in various ways to take down Hamas.

Arnold Steinberg served as chief political aide to Sen. James L. Buckley (New York) where he worked on transforming the U.S. military into an all-volunteer force. He also dealt with foreign policy issues, particularly Soviet Jewry.  Over many years, he was involved with the U.S. Information Agency (U.S.I.A.) and has been on U.S. delegations to various nations. He has also served on the board of the National Defense University (NDU).

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  • ObamaYoMoma

    Also, many “civilian casualties” were Hamas.

    I’m sorry but there are no civilian casualties in Islamic totalitarian society, as waging jihad, which is a holy war waged by ALL MUSLIMS against ALL INFIDELS in the cause of Allah to ultimately make Islam and Islamic totalitarian society supreme throughout the world, is a fundamental holy obligation incumbent upon all Muslims in the world in one form or another, either via violence or via non-violence, including women and children, and serving as human shields is one of the most prevalent forms of jihad that Muslim women and children participate in to the extent that they are capable.

    Not to mention as well, that Muslims don’t specifically target and murder innocent civilian infidels in cold-blood because they are terrorists, as that is an utterly false analogy. Instead, they specifically target and murder innocent civilian infidels in cold-blood because they only employ “total war” tactics according to the dictates of Sharia and because murdering innocent civilian infidels in cold-blood is the soft underbelly of infidel society.

    Terrorists – that are radicals and extremists and that in all societies only constitute a tiny minority – aren’t the problem here, as Muslims aren’t terrorists. Instead, the problem is jihad, and jihad is a civilizational holy war waged by ALL MUSLIMS against ALL INFIDELS in the cause of Allah to ultimately make Islam and Islamic totalitarian society supreme throughout the world. Hence, Muslims aren’t terrorists. Instead, they are jihadists, i.e., mujahideen (holy warriors), waging jihad by any and all means at their disposal both violent and non-violent against all infidels to ultimately make Islam supreme.

    Therefore, the jihad being waged perpetually against the infidels in Israel is only a tiny part of the worldwide global jihad at large being waged by the Islamic totalitarian world against all infidels and all infidel states throughout the world for world supremacy.

    Furthermore, I could not be naïve enough to be fooled into believing that Saudi Arabia is somehow an ally of the infidel world, as no other Islamic totalitarian country has done more to reenergize the reemergence of Islam other than Saudi Arabia. Now while the current leaders of Egypt and Jordan are certainly secular, there hold onto power is precarious at best. Not to mention that the greater majorities of people in both authoritarian countries are mainstream orthodox Muslims that could easily be enticed to overthrow their dictators.

    The only solution for Israel is also the only solution for the greater infidel world at large and that is to put an end to the worldwide global jihad the Islamic totalitarian world is waging against all infidels and all infidel states once and for all. No individual infidel state can act alone to solve the jihad being waged against them. Not Israel, not India, not Thailand, not Nigeria, not China, not Russia, not Europe, not the USA, etc., etc., etc. It will have to take the collective action of the entire infidel world acting together in unison to accomplish that.

    • Americana

      Of course there are civilian casualties in any Muslim society, whether you want to admit this or not is another question entirely Just because the tenets of Islam say jihad is the responsibility of every member of society, there are AGES of likely jihad service just as Israel says IDF members must serve till age 55. Beyond that, there are diminishing returns as far as expecting 55-year olds to perform as rapidly, as well, and as safely as their younger counterparts.

      As for why the Palestinian jihadis are choosing settlers, it’s patently clear as to why. The settlers represent the cutting edge of Israeli society that is continuing the displacing and the dispossession tactics of settlement that are meant to secure all of the remaining Palestinian territory for Israel. Surely, the Israelis would be willing to admit that if they were put under oath. I’d hate to be the Israeli who’s attached to electrodes being asked such questions or one who’s being given truth serum attempting to lie about what their intentions are. It’s clear and it has been clear since at least 1980.

      As for what the status is of the global jihad that you constantly trumpet, ObamaYoMama, sure, that’s been a popularized aim. It sounds really impressive to be the imam or the jihadi who’s saying they’ll conquer the West. It’s also about as likely as the worldwide dominance of the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Scientologists. Because even with their savagery, hardly anyone thinks the godliness the jihadis promise will be worth the tradeoff. At some point, and it’s already begun, the civilized world — INCLUDING the MUSLIM CIVILIZED WORLD — will be pushing back hard enough to sink these fundamentalist jihadis. Not only will the individual Muslims who don’t want the worldwide Caliphate mobilize, but the Arab bloc will mobilize and decide that the jihadis are far more of a sociological threat than they are liable to be a blessing or indicative of the coming of the Mahdi. It’ll be a miracle if the jiahadis keep on a successful track of conquering even in the Muslim corner of the world.

      • ObamaYoMoma

        Women, children, and the elderly wage jihad to the extent that they are capable, and for many women, children, and elderly Muslims that is by serving as human shields. As a matter of fact, the highest honor in Islam is to die while fighting jihad in the cause of Allah, as such martyrs automatically become Shahids (Saints) and not only get to bypass purgatory, but, indeed, proceed directly to Allah’s version of carnal paradise. Indeed, there are no civilians in Islamic totalitarian society, and take it from me, you don’t have the first clue about the institution of jihad.

        As for why the Palestinian jihadis are choosing settlers, it’s patently clear as to why

        You’re an ignoramus. Those 3 Jewish boys were murdered in cold-blood because they were infidels and because Muslims only employ “total war” tactics per the dictates of Sharia, as murdering innocent civilian infidels in cold-blood is the weak underbelly of infidel society.

        Meanwhile, whether an infidel is a settler or not, if the opportunity presents itself, the infidels inevitably will be murdered. Not to mention that the entire claim that Israel is occupying their land is a complete and utter farce, i.e., a pretext, that used to dupe gullible useful idiot infidels exactly like you to justify permanent and perpetual jihad against the infidels in Israel. If it wasn’t a claim of illegal occupation, it would be something else. Moreover, besides only tiny Israel, Muslims are waging jihad against all infidels and infidel states throughout the world including you. Thus, that means that besides being incredibly mentally handicapped, you are also exceedingly self-hating as well.

        INCLUDING the MUSLIM CIVILIZED WORLD

        That world exist only in comic books and within the dark recesses of your unhinged suicidal mind.

        • Americana

          Muslims are certainly waging jihad in various places round the world, but these PARTICULAR MUSLIMS are Palestinians and they’re WAGING THE PALESTINIAN JIHAD against the Israelis whom they consider to be oppressors and occupiers and who’ve kept seizing their lands and seizing their lands w/the intention of total absorption of Palestinian holdings. If those Palestinians who’ve died were serving as human shields, we’d have Palestinians shouting that during their funerals. Very few of the Palestinians civilians who die have died w/the intention of being a willing human shield though there are some mothers who are pleased if their sons decide to become suicide bombers or members of Hamas. There are relatively few women who’ve become suicide bombers though the number has been escalating as the male suicide bombers have become more easily detected.

          If you’re unable or unwilling to understand the true reasons for the continuing Palestinian jihad, heaven help us. People at least have to understand the true causes of a conflict in order to find solutions. You, with your delusional thinking, are no help whatsoever in postulating solutions.

          Two of those 3 Jewish boys lived in a settlement. They were killed in cold blood not because they were INFIDELS but because they were Jewish Israelis heading home to a settlement in the West Bank. Only one of the three didn’t live in a settlement so he perhaps was merely intending to visit w/them. The Hamas militants who took them would have known where they were hitchhiking to because they would have asked their destination. Whether that destination was enough to condemn to death, who knows, but it certainly wouldn’t have helped them survive the experience w/the Hamas terrorists. Keep your besotted mind cranking out illogical, fantastical visions of HOW and WHY this sudden eruption of world jihad has come about after 70 years of the Palestinian jihad situation which has been growing and grown in intensity. No, there’s no connection whatsoever.

  • ObamaYoMoma

    Meanwhile, Kerry continued to undercut the moderate Arab world, which finally realizes Hamas is its enemy.

    The so-called moderate Arab world only exists in comic books in reality, in fantasy it exist within the dark recesses of this writer’s incredibly naïve mind. Not to mention that being Arab has exactly nothing whatsoever to do with anything, and certainly doesn’t have anything to do with anything in Israel However, being Islamic has everything to do with what is happening not only in Israel, but also throughout the entire world as well.

    • Americana

      Your writing on the subject of jihad, as well as Israeli and Palestinian relations, is a comic book.

      • ObamaYoMoma

        Thank you! Coming from you, I appreciate that.

  • kikorikid

    So the Jihadi is a Muslim , who, the day before, decided to answer the Imams call to Jihad, got it. Islam comes only to Conquer, Submit, Convert, or Kill.

  • USARetired

    Muslims have no religious attributes, except radicalism, and torture! They should have been exterminated centuries ago as they contribute nothing to the World worthwhile!!