JERUSALEM NEWS
NEWS AND INFORMATION
Events, happenings, and Opinions Concerning
Israel, Israelites, Judah, and Everyone Else
Jerusalem News-829
Jerusalem News-829
4 Tevet 5768, 30 December 2009
Contents:
1.
Hamas
misled, surprised by Israeli air offensive
2. Saudi Religious Clerk Calls for Worldwide Persecution of "Israelis"
3. Yigal
Walt: Answering Israel's critics.
Six cliches you are likely to hear constantly in the coming days, and why they're false
1.
Hamas
misled, surprised by Israeli air offensive
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5799
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis
December 27, 2008, 5:39 PM (GMT+02:00)
Hamas compounds in Gaza under Israeli air attack
In an air offensive dubbed "Cast Lead," Saturday, Dec. 27, some 150 Israeli
bombers and helicopters struck 100 targets, destroying dozens of Hamas military
compounds across the Gaza Strip in reprisal for the Palestinian long-term
missile blitz.
The operation had two elements of surprise:
(1. Media reports emanating from official sources in Jerusalem Friday, Dec. 25,
conveyed the impression that the major military operation approved by the
Israeli cabinet had been called off for the time being, at least until the
cabinet reconvened for a reassessment.
(2. Egypt misled Hamas, reporting reliable information that Israeli would not
strike on Saturday, its Sabbath Day.
Some Hamas commanders and operatives felt safe enough to come out of their
hideouts in the tunnels and bunkers under Gaza ? estimated at 80 km long - and
hold a graduation ceremony on the parade ground at their command headquarters in
Gaza City. The Israeli air strike there accounted for the largest number of
casualties.
The other 40 air raids destroyed Hamas installations across the enclave. The
casualty toll Saturday afternoon was 154 dead and 270 injured, some civilians.
According to DEBKAfile's military sources, the bulk of Hamas strength escaped
harm. They played it safe and stayed underground, also guarding their long-range
missile and rocket arsenal.
After the first wave of air attacks, the Israeli military spokesman said the
operation was just beginning and would be expanded and deepened as needed.
Defense minister Ehud Barak warned Israelis that hard times were ahead.
The expected Hamas reprisals came quickly. Before burying their dead, they sent
missiles flying to Ashkelon, then Netivot, where an Israeli man was killed and
seven people were injured. Kiryat Gat was hit by a missile and Ashdod's citizens
heard sirens. Both are on the outer perimeter of Hamas long-range missiles and
have been unscathed until now.
Israel is holding ready the option of a major ground incursion if Palestinian
missile attacks remain at a high level.
A big question hangs over whether Iran will send Hizballah to open a second
front from Lebanon in response to the Israeli air operation in Gaza. According
to DEBKAfile's intelligence sources, the Hizballah leader, Hassan Nasrallah,
paid a secret visit to Tehran in the third week of November to clarify this very
question. A short while later, the al Qods commander, Gen. Qassem Suleimani,
arrived in Beirut. Most probably, they tied up the ends of a possible Hizballah
response to the expected Israeli Gaza operation during that visit. Hence the
Israeli military spokesman's warning that the Gaza air operation was just the
beginning and could be expanded as needed.
2. Saudi Religious Clerk Calls for
Worldwide Persecution of "Israelis"
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:55:22 +0000
From: Guysen International News <webmaster@guysen.com>
Subject: Guysen International News - Mailinfo December 29, 2008
20:05 An imam in Saudi Arabia has called on Muslims throughout the world to
attack Israelis wherever they are, as a reaction to the intervention in Gaza.
''Any Israeli and any link to Israel is a legitimate target,'' he said. ''We
must spill their blood as they have spilled the blood of our brothers in
Palestine.'' (Guysen.International.News)
3.
Yigal
Walt: Answering Israel's critics.
Six cliches you are likely to hear constantly in the coming days, and why they're false
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3647296,00.html
Yigal Walt
Brit-Am Extracts (for complete article go to URL.
Article is short and
well-written).
1) ?Israel's response in Gaza is disproportionate?
Since when is war a mathematical equation?
Would a British citizen complain that "too few" British soldiers are being
killed in Iraq? Probably not.
Being militarily weak does not make the Palestinians right.
2) "But Qassams don't kill"
Actually, Qassams do kill.
3) "It's all because of Israel's siege. Israel should allow aid into Gaza."
Israel has allowed goods into Gaza regularly throughout the "siege".
In short, Israel is allowing aid into the Strip (but guess who has kept Gaza
crossings mostly closed thus far? That's right, Egypt.)
4) "Why didn't Israel just agree to renew the Gaza truce?"
Israel clearly declared that it is interested in extending the truce. Our top
officials made it clear time and again.
Yet Hamas leaders clearly declared that the truce has ended on December 19th,
and proceeded to bombard southern Israeli communities with dozens of rockets
daily.
5) "But Hamas was elected democratically! why can't Israel accept it?"
Although Hamas won the Palestinian elections, it took Gaza by force, in the
process hurling rival Fatah members down to their death from high-rises and
shooting others in the knees with the declared aim of maiming them.
In any case, Israel in fact "recognizes", de facto, Hamas' rule in Gaza, which
is precisely why it is justified in attacking the Hamas-ruled Strip, recognizing
that it is indeed being governed by a terror entity.
6) "Israel is targeting civilians"
You mean to say that "one of the most powerful armies in the world" has been
bombing Gaza for days, deploying massive air power, dropping hundreds of bombs,
and ultimately killing a grand total of 50 civilians or so in the "most crowded
place on earth"?
Indeed, Israel goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties, by deploying
precise ammunition and specialized techniques. In fact, nobody in the world does
this better than the Jewish State.
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