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May 21, 2007
Learning from Yojimbo
A 35-year-old woman was killed Monday when one of three Kassam rockets fired at Sderot struck a car. She was the first Israeli killed in a rocket attack since November.
A 20-year-old man was moderately wounded in the rocket attack and twelve people were suffering from shock.
Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Palestinian Resistance Committee (PRC) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Streets were blocked in the area following the incident and Sderot residents ran towards the scene to try and locate loved ones. The Home Front Command was working with police to keep people away from the site.
The attack came as EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were meeting in the western Negev town.
Livni said during a joint press conference with Solana in Sderot that Israel did not consider the option of a cease-fire as feasible, because to Hamas it was only an opportunity to rearm and not to adhere to the true meaning of a cease-fire.
To read the entire story, please click here.
Seraphic Secret has already pointed out that Gaza gets its electricity from Israel. In other words, Israel is supplying the terrorists with the power they need to continue their murderous attacks on Israel.
To the charge that shutting off the power to Gaza is collective punishment, we see no reason why the so-called Palestinian people should not be subject to retaliation for the actions of the government they have elected. That is what war is all about: punishing a people for the governments they have chosen. And no people deserve more punishment than the so-called Palestinians who have enthusiastically chosen one genocidal regime after another.
Besides, one of the definitions of war is collective punishment. The American Civil War was only fought to a successful conclusion once the citizens of the South were made to suffer for their support of slavery and secession. Sherman and his army had to march and ruthlessly destroy the cotton plantations and civilian infrastructure of the Southern states—only then did that terrible war come to a swift conclusion.
The attempt to make war a pin-point affair, painless and, well, nice, is a grievous sin. The Arabs have only contempt for Israel's restraint. And the Jew-hating Europeans chronically hold Israel responsible for crimes never even committed. Thus, in the end, the attempt at fighting a politically correct war brings great suffering to the people of Israel, and by extension to the West. The only people who benefit from this type of warfare are the terrorists and those Muslims who yearn for a 7th century caliphite.
As for cease-fires: As if we needed reminding, Tzipi Livni is a delusional fool. There are no meaningful cease-fires with terrorists—only seeds for much larger battles; again, only the jihadists benefit.
It's time for Israel to play the role of Sanjuro in Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo: Israel should step in and help Hamas and Fatah—wipe each other off the face of the earth.
Caroline Glick's latest thoughts: Denial is not a Strategy.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at May 21, 2007 01:16 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.
Your observation is one that should be obvious to everyone. It raises two thoughts in my mind:
1)Israel is too kind for its own good, and gets no recognition for that virtue.
2)Were I in power (and it's probably a very good thing I'm not), I'd certainly consider turning off power for a particular time period in response to specific attacks. Say...2 hours in the prime time of the day for each kassam rocket fired into Israel. I don't know...but something to that effect. That way, people would be reminded that you have a power - _their_ power - in your hands. I suspect it might be more powerful than a military attack, especially as summer comes on.
Posted by: suek at May 22, 2007 09:47 AM
Suek:
In fact, Israel is held in contempt in the Arab world for the restraint she shows.
How's this for a show of power: in Tripoli the first thing the Lebanese army did was cut off power to the Nahr al Bared refugee camp.
Any front page condemnations from the NY Times?
Nah, they barely mention it.
Thunderous denunciuations from the UN?
No way.
Why?
Because when Arabs slaughter other Arabs, it's okay.
By the way, why is there an Arab refugee camp in Lebanon?
Just, y'know, asking.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 22, 2007 09:58 AM
>>Israel is held in contempt in the Arab world for the restraint she shows.>>
As is the US. The Dems just don't get it.
It's the same old problem - can the White Hat sheriff do bad stuff to catch the Black Hats? or does he then lose his White Hat in the process? Sounds a bit like a Shakespearean tragedy, no?
Posted by: suek at May 23, 2007 10:20 AM
Suek:
You ask: Can the White Hat sheriff do bad stuff to catch the black hats?
In an existential conflict there is no question that freedom loving people will have to resort to horrifying deeds to preserve civilization. This happens all the time. In WWII the allies bombed Germany back to the stone age, and it took two nuclear bombs to compel Japan to surrender.
Sooner or later the West/Israel will be forced to deal with an Arab/Muslim nation with terminal force. I can pretty much guarantee it.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at May 24, 2007 11:06 PM