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January 18, 2009
Cease The Stupidity, Please
Seraphic Secret will be updating throughout the day, so just keep scrolling downward.
Let's review:
1. Israel declared a unilateral cease fire late Saturday.
2. Olmert states that all of Israel's objectives have been achieved.
3. The Hamas continue firing missiles into Israel.
4. Gilad Shalit, kdnapped by the Hamas and never seen by the oh-so-caring Red Cross, is still in cruel captivity.
5. Sigh, back to the status quo.
Meanwhile the Hamas leadership have come out of hiding, and here's our exclusive photo:
11:24 am PST Jack fills us in with his Gaza War Update # 19.
Haveil Havalim #201 is up and live. Lots of good stuff to read from the Jewish Blogosphere.
Soccer Dad weighs in with Shiny Happy Dhimmi #9.
Aussie Dave and The Muqata continue live-blogging the, er, cease-fire.
11:56 am PST The Hamas, shattered but not broken, are now waging a PR war, trying to position themselves as victors. This from their bunkers in hospitals and in the warm embrace of U.N. buildings. Nothing like human shields to bolster aggressive rhetoric. They will continue to fire missiles at civilians—they are incapable of fighting like real men—but not enough to provoke a determined Israeli reaction. In short, they will wait for the IDF to withdraw, declare victory, then continue digging tunnels and firing missiles.
As for Egypt, being treated like a pro-Western actor in this whole affair, let us bear in mind that they have turned a blind eye to the rockets which are brought into Egypt from Iran via Syria—by truck. It's a well known operation supported by thousands of terrorists, including elements in the Egyptian government, army, police and border patrol. Anyone who expects the Mubarak regime to clamp down on the smuggling is fooling themselves. Egypt works hard at placating the Muslim Brotherhood while at the same time making nice-nice to America—can't lose all that foreign aid.
The IDF are, reportedly, furious with the government for not allowing them to finish the job. And the feckless Israeli leadership once again proves that they are unworthy of the IDF and the Jewish people. Let's hope that in the upcoming elections this infamous group who have betrayed Israel and the West—the war in Gaza globalized Arab Muslim terrorism—will be flung on the ash heap of history.
12:50 pm In 1973, The Yom Kippur War, the Egyptian Third Army was completely surrounded and the IDF could have wiped that broken army off the face of the earth. At that point, naturally, a cease-fire was declared, saving the wretched Arab army. Arabs then poured into the streets of their capitals and celebrated victory. The Arab Muslim world defines victory against the Jews as, er, breathing. Sort of like cockroaches scuttling about after a nuclear blast. Until Hamas are broken and formally surrender, Israel and the West will be at war with these terrorists.
Killer make-up for IDF soldierette.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at January 18, 2009 08:26 AM
Comments
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It's very depressing, but hopefully the cease-fire will fall apart-the Arabs can't resist shooting at Israelis, and please, G-d willing, the Israeli army will be allowed to finish off Hamas.
Posted by: Miranda Rose Smith at January 18, 2009 08:50 AM
Depressingly predictable.
Israel's "leadership" have achieved their Political Objectives.
The Israeli public now knows (Livni et al hopes) that the government is "serious" about protecting Israel...
So the government can resume its feckless political behaviors.
The main difficultly in all of this is that neither Israel nor most of the world have any idea of whom or what they are fighting and what their objectives ought to be.
Israel could wipe out Hamas entirely and destroy every tunnel and it wouldn't change things one jot.
The Islamic world is engaged in a worldwide civil (sectarian) war and the next sect or tribe or fascist political group will quickly move in to fill the void were Hamas to vanish.
Israel (and the US and the rest of the so called "West") are just points on their power politics scale of who ought to be the dominant sect and create their world wide Caliphate...
Nothing will change until someone, including someone in Israel, wakes up to this simple fact.
Destroying Israel is not their endgame. Achieving Dominance is their endgame.
Posted by: Moishe3rd at January 18, 2009 09:42 AM
Dear Robert: Even HaAretz admits this truce is fragile. I'm preying that it will break. Arabs can't resist shooting at Jews. Please, G-d, let Olmert let the I.D.F. finish off Hamas.
Posted by: Miranda Rose Smith at January 18, 2009 10:05 AM
So the rockets can still hit Sderot? So Galid Shalit is still unimportant enough to not even get an answer to?
If Livni wants to win, the IDF should surround the hospital where the cowards leading Hamas are bunkered down. Then when the next rocket gets fired into Israel, the patients should be evacuated and the building leveled. If they aren't going to fight the IDF, the IDF can always fight them.
Instead it looks after Tuesday Obama will be arguing with Bibi to please be nice to those misunderstood leaders of Hamas. Netanyahu will stand up to Obama better than Livni anyway.
Posted by: Johnny at January 18, 2009 10:09 AM
We know this was a resounding IDF victoyry and more importantly so do our enemies...fear has returned.
Posted by: thud at January 18, 2009 12:29 PM
This is a major defeat for Israel and a victory for Hamas.
Mubarak has already made it clear that he will not be bound by the vague, farcical MOU signed by Livni and Condi Rice to do a damned thing to stop arms smuggling to Hamas from Iran,and he will not permit any foreign monitors to operate on Egyptian soil. Period.
Hamas, on the other hand gave up nothing and scored a great political coup.
Abbas, who the West put all its money on as their Preferred Palestinian Terrorist now has no legal mandate as his term is over, and Hamas can legitimately claim leadership of the Palestinians. If there are elections, Hamas wil increase its majority because they will be perceived as victorious over the Jews, which is all most Palestinians care about, and why they got such a huge majority last time. If there are no elections, Abbas and Fayed become just another group of Western supported Arab dictators with decreasing popular support.
Israel will be pressured by the EU to open up all the border crossings to allow 'humanitarian aid' and construction materials into Gaza - the EU and the UN have a $1.6 billion dollar package ready, and a good part of the construction materials will go to reconstruct Hamas' tunnels and bunkers while they rearm.
This is not only a major defeat for Israel but for the West.They just don't realize it yet.
Posted by: Rob at January 18, 2009 12:33 PM
Dear Robert,
I understand your frustration and share it completely; after all, a terrific opportunity was given to IDF to set the matters straight on the South and all of it is now being wasted because of political issues!!! I fervently pray that this hasty, ill-taken decision will not lead to ominous consequences in a few weeks or months!!! And while we're still at it, a question that refuses to be forgotten: where is Gilad Shalit?!?! Why has'n he come home yet?!?!?! It is a terrible shame for us, the jewish people - al hapanim for the Israeli government!!!!
Anyway, I wish you and your family a Shavua Tov, as good as it gets...
All the best from down here, in South America...let' see what's waiting us around the corner!
Posted by: Flavio at January 18, 2009 04:02 PM
I can't believe that they've ceased fire while ahead but not complete yet again. How many times must they go round and round?
Posted by: Larry Reznick at January 18, 2009 07:31 PM