Israeli Ground Troops Enter Gaza

Here we go.

Israeli ground troops have entered the Gaza Strip, Israeli military officials have confirmed, a week after the offensive against Hamas began.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the intention was to take control of areas from which Palestinian militants have been firing rockets into Israel.

Witnesses say armoured vehicles crossed into northern Gaza at four separate points, supported by helicopters.

1. I understand Israel defending itself. Hamas is a terrorist organization that operate with the stated goal of annihilating Israel. Yet part of me questions the Israel response to missiles that never killed or injured anyone with a full out air and ground attack that killed hundreds. Peace will not be achieved until two sides are at the table that cares to negotiate. As long as a terrorist organization controls one side, this will continue to get uglier and uglier.

   It also shows just how useless the U.N. is.

   It may also show (though I hope not) just how naive and inexperienced a president this country just elected.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 03, 2009 at 1906 hrs




2. The problem is, tarz, that Hamas (along with Iran and other Muslim radical nations) have a demand: the utter destruction of Israel and the Jewish people.  On that point, they will not negoiate or waiver. 

   Additionally, Hamas has no qualms about using civilians (especially women and children) as shields and targets.

   If the neighbors in my apartment building wanted us killed and our apartment gutted, I’d defend myself to the teeth, too.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 03, 2009 at 2210 hrs




3. Peace will not be achieved until two sides are at the table that cares to negotiate.

   I beg to differ ... Peace will not be achieved until one side prevails and one side is summarily defeated.  Until that happens, there will be no peace between Hamas and Isreal.  It’s that simple.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 03, 2009 at 2221 hrs




4. “Yet part of me questions the Israel response to missiles that never killed or injured anyone with a full out air and ground attack that killed hundreds.”

   From FoxNews.com:
   From 2000 to 2004, Hamas was responsible for killing nearly 400 Israelis and wounding more than 2,000 in 425 attacks, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2001 through May 2008, Hamas launched more than 3,000 Qassam rockets and 2,500 mortar attacks against Israeli targets.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 03, 2009 at 2359 hrs




5. This has little to do with Hamas in Gaza (Israel could choose to deal with them whenever they feel like it). This is an attempt to provoke Iran into some kind of overt action that can be used as justification for a strike on the nuke facilities prior to Obama taking office. Let the test begin…

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 04, 2009 at 0031 hrs




6. “This has little to do with Hamas in Gaza (Israel could choose to deal with them whenever they feel like it). This is an attempt to provoke Iran into some kind of overt action that can be used as justification for a strike on the nuke facilities prior to Obama taking office.”

   Where are you getting this from? I’ve checked the English editions of every Israeli newspaper I can find on-line. It’s all Hamas and stopping their missiles from hitting them.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 04, 2009 at 0132 hrs




7. “Yet part of me questions the Israel response to missiles that never killed or injured anyone with a full out air and ground attack that killed hundreds.”

   This is a ridiculous statement. If Mexico was sending rockets into San Diego from Tijuana - what do you think our response would be - regardless of whether anyone was killed or not?

   Personally I think Israel should sweep the entire Gaza area and then patrol it for the next decade.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 04, 2009 at 0832 hrs




8. Yeah- I get it folks. I stated in my post that Israel has a right to defend itself against a terrorist organization that’s stated goal is to annihilate Israel.

   TD probably stated it best; it won’t be over until Hamas is wiped out. But this action will energize Hamas, not wipe them out (they will be seeking an eye for an eye). Does Israel have the military power, intelligence, and gumption to wipe them out? The money? Do they have the support of regional opinion? Do they have the support of world opinion? Do they even have the support of their allies?  Do all those radical Arabs just go away? Are moderate Arabs swayed by the actions?  Was there a better way to respond to it? Maybe, maybe not.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 04, 2009 at 1046 hrs




9. I’ve checked the English editions of every Israeli newspaper I can find on-line.

   I’m connecting the dots to the logical strategy. Just because the journalists don’t report, and never think, beyond the immediate facts doesn’t mean we can’t. The same thing happened in Lebanon, where everybody knew Hezbollah was backed with Iranian arms and training, but the Bush administration got them to back off because of the situation in Iraq at the time.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 04, 2009 at 1209 hrs




10. Andrew Sullivan made a similar argument to wiaggie this morning:
    http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/20 09/01/the-missiles-th.html

    It seems that Israel just acquired some new bunker-buster missiles from the U.S. and may be testing their capabilities prior to using them against Iran’s suspected nuclear facilities.

    Remember, Israel launched a surprise strike against Syria’s suspected nuclear facilities a year and a half ago. Syria made only a token protest, instead denying that there was anything important in that warehouse that Israel blew up. Iran’s nuke facilities are believed to be entirely underground, unlike Syria’s, making them more difficult to reach.

    It is not at all unreasonable (or even much of a reach) to connect those dots.

    Posted by Ordinary Jill on January 04, 2009 at 1219 hrs