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April 30, 2007
Indictment, Part I
The Winograd Committee's interim report on the Second Lebanese War, the IDF, and the conduct of Prime Minister Olmert, Defense Minister Peretz, and former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Chalutz, is, to put it mildly, damning. Here is the initial report in English.
A few relevant passages, bold type by Seraphic Secret:
The IDF was not ready for this war. Among the many reasons for this we can mention a few: Some of the political and military elites in Israel have reached the conclusion that Israel is beyond the era of wars. It had enough military might and superiority to deter others from declaring war against her; these would also be sufficient to send a painful reminder to anyone who seemed to be undeterred; since Israel did not intend to initiate a war, the conclusion was that the main challenge facing the land forces would be low intensity asymmetrical conflicts.
Given these assumptions, the IDF did not need to be prepared for ‘real’ war. There was also no urgent need to update in a systematic and sophisticated way Israel’s overall security strategy and to consider how to mobilize and combine all its resources and sources of strength – political, economic, social, military, spiritual. cultural and scientific – to address the totality of the challenges it faces.
We believe that – beyond the important need to examine the failures of conducting the war and the preparation for it, beyond the need to identify the weaknesses (and strengths) in the decisions made in the war – these are the main questions raised by the Second Lebanon war. These are questions that go far beyond the mandate of this or that commission of inquiry; they are the questions that stand at the center of our existence here as a Jewish and democratic state. It would be a grave mistake to concentrate only on the flaws revealed in the war and not to address these basic issues.
Seraphic Secret has read the report just once, but we have been able to form some initial impressions.
The report goes further than indicting Olmert's inept government, it questions the mindset of the chattering classes in Israel who insist that weakness is strength, that diplomacy can replace warfare. It damns those who believe that war is a thing of the past.
The report also states, in no uncertain terms, that the Second Lebanon War was a direct result of Israel's unilateral withdrawl from Lebanon in May 2000.
Seraphic Secret believes that it is most urgent for this present Israeli government to be replaced with men and women who truly understand the current strategic and regional conflicts; Israel needs a government that will turn away from policies of appeasement and return to the confident Zionist ideals of her founders. The post-Zionist mind-set of Israel's cafe set is a recipe for national suicide.
A new Israeli government must deal with several brutal realities: the current leadership of the so-called Palestinian people, perhaps the world's most dysfunctional culture, will not and should not be appeased. They have made themselves what they are: a corrupt thugogracy; a death-loving cult; and they are quite lucky that Israel is their enemy. Any other foe would have wiped them off the face of the earth years ago—especially other Arabs.
Iran is a clear and present danger to Israel and to the entire region. Nuclear warheads are unthinkable in the hands of men who deny one Holocaust even as they threaten another.
Hizbullah is rebuilding on the Lebanese border. They are preparing for round #2. UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, overwhelmingly French) and the Lebanese Army are scared to death of Hizbullah and their masters in Iran. It was irresponsible of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to negotiate a cease fire and agree to foreign mercenaries on Israel's borders, with the mission of disarming Hizbullah. Since when do French and Arab soldiers fight for Jews?
In fact, since when do French troops fight at all?
This stupid move by Livni made not only a mockery of the IDF, but of the entire notion of national sovereignty.
Livni too should resign in disgrace.
Syria, always a grave threat to Israel and Lebanon, must never be allowed to build up serious offensive capabilities. But Syria, with Iran's assistance, are now arming and training Hizbullah troops on the Golan border. There are now fortified Iwo Jima-like bunkers, and missles flow from Tehran. These bold military moves are a direct result of the Second Lebanon War. Israel cannot allow this build-up to continue. It is suicidal.
And so, the elites in Israel, dipped in self-righteous fury, turn on the Jews in Hebron and assist the Arabs in trying to create yet another Judenrein patch of land. Simultaneously, the Arabs continue their two-front offensive: the relentless media war against Jews and Israel, (where liberal Jews assist in the blackening Israel's name) and endless terrorist attacks on Israel's citizens. It is, as far as the Arabs are concerned, a winning formula, for it takes the long view: a hundred years? Fine. They are perfectly willing. But Israelis and their western counterparts are impatient; they do not understand 4th Generation Warfare. Worse, they do not understand the evil of jihad. They believe that if they make enough concessions the Arabs will be satisfied. This is naive and dangerous.
Seraphic Secret sincerely hopes that, whatever the shortcomings of this report, it will hasten the fall of the current disgraceful government and usher in a new and energized coalition that will seriously rebuild Israel's national defense and breathe new life into Israel's national will.
Am Yisroel Chai.
Caroline Glick comments on the interim Report. Essential reading.
An editorial in The Jerusalem Post calls for Olmert's resignation.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at April 30, 2007 01:04 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
There are many things to find disgust with, in the conduct of Olmert et al, but I wanted to remark on what you wrote about the Jews in Hebron. The misconceptions about Hevron, the lies and propaganda by the Israeli Left and the govt, and of the Mainstream Media, are truly disgusting.
They paint the "settlers" as bigots and crazies, when they are trying to preserve the Land. Hevron is an integral part of the land of Israel, one of the 4 holy cities, and almost continuously settled by Jews since the exile 2000 years ago.
There is an excellent history of Hevron at:
http://www.saudades.org/Jewish%20_history.htm
Worth reading to really understand the background. Then one can truly realize the perfidy of the Left in trying to rid Israel of Hevron, when instead it should do everything in its power to make Hevron stay a Jewish and Israeli city.
Posted by: Maurice at April 30, 2007 05:19 PM
Maurice:
It is tried and true tactic of the left to pour contempt on our most patriotic of citizens—and in undermining the very foundations of our states: Israel and America. They call it: supporting a democratic process. Yet it's no such thing when you are locked in a life and death struggle with jihadists whose very charter dismisses democracy as an alien construct. And of course it's no such thing when the Israeli left always agitates for Arabs who are sworn to Israel's destruction.
The left, swimmng in Orwellian language, would have us believe that it's fine and just for a million Arabs to live as citizens in Israel, yet also fine and just for the so-called PA territories (and all of Arabia) to be Judenrein.
Thus the left has enthusiastically accepted the Nuremberg laws of racial separation. We now have Jews openly endorsing Nazi doctrine. This is what's called progressive/liberal thought.
One wonders how the left will respond when the Arabs in Brooklyn insist that Jews living in their midst are an "unbearable provocation."
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 30, 2007 06:11 PM
Good points Robert. I will add that Ian Buruma in Real Clear Politics says we don't have enough security police in the West to avoid Islamic Terror and thus 'must' come to some sort of "accommodation" ... and yes your suggestions that Jews in Brooklyn are an "unbearable provocation" is likely not too far off the mark. As "accommodation." So too a ban on alcohol, women not in burquas, suppression of all non-Muslim religion, etc.
Buruma and people like him always want to surrender because it's easier than fighting. Until it's not.
Israel ought IMHO to realize it's one advantage is use of force massively to kill lots of enemies and cause massive problems for said enemies. Wars of attrition and 4th Gen Warfare do not work to it's advantage.
Posted by: Jim Rockford at April 30, 2007 07:30 PM
One wonders how the left will respond when the Arabs in Brooklyn insist that Jews living in their midst are an "unbearable provocation."
I doubt it would trouble them at all. The type of Jew that lives in Brooklyn does not count with them.
Posted by: kishke at April 30, 2007 07:32 PM
Jim:
Ian Buruma is a Jihad enabler. There is no accomodation with jihad. There is only submission or death or—and here's a concept: fighting back. But look, Buruma teaches at Bard College; this academic black hole gave jihadist Edward Said an honorary degree several years ago. So it's not exactly shocking to hear Buruma making nice to Jew killers.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 30, 2007 08:05 PM
Kishke:
Last I heard the jihadists kill secular kills along with Hasidic Jews. The jihadists are equal time genocidiers.
After Brooklyn, it's on to Lakewood and Monsey.
In two or three generations there will be no Jews left in England or France.
Jews are an intolerable provocation. They are occupying Islamic land. And you better believe that it's the Muslims who get to define what's considered Muslim land. Just ask the Jews who call the Jews in Hevron "radical settlers."
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 30, 2007 08:11 PM
With "them," I was referring to leftie Jews, not to jihadists.
Posted by: kishke at April 30, 2007 08:46 PM
Kishke:
They decapitated Daniel Pearl, a'h, and he was a liberal. My point being: in the end, the jihadists make no distinctions.
Not that the lefties understand this.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 30, 2007 08:55 PM
No, I meant leftie Jews don't care about the kind of Jews who populate Brooklyn! But I can see how my sentence was misconstrued.
Posted by: kishke at April 30, 2007 09:51 PM
Kishke:
Okay, gotcha; finally.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 30, 2007 11:33 PM