A Futile Decision
http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000645.html
We are about 48 hours into the Gaza pullout by the Israeli government. IDF troops were sent into the settlements to remove the Israelis there—even it it must be done by force. As of 3 p.m. AZ time, at the last wire update, four settlements are still not vacated. Seventeen are, and many of them poked along or tried to prevent the soldiers from serving the eviction notices, and dragging them out of their homes. Those were their homes. There are graves there of Israelis. The risk of desecration runs high each day this continues. Needless to say, this was a bird-brained decision by Sharon.
Ariel Sharon, prime-minister of Israel, ordered this pullout. To help perpetuate the idea of a "Palestinian State," Sharon agreed with Abbas to do this.
On the first day of the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip, some Jewish settlers weren't going quietly.
Many had evacuated their homes ahead of the official start of the pullout just after midnight Monday. But those who refused locked the gates to their settlements and clasped hands, forming human chains, to block soldiers from delivering dreaded eviction notices.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in a televised speech that the Gaza pullout was a painful step, both for the nation and for himself, but that it was essential for Israel's future.
A grim-looking Sharon said it is now up to the Palestinians to clamp down on militants and stop violence. "To an outstretched hand we will respond with an olive branch," he said.
The Palestinians will be picking their teeth with that olive branch soon enough. This has been anything but a peaceful pullout. The settlers and the IDF have been operating under a near constant barrage of mortar rounds. Just before midnight Israeli time (just a little over an hour ago), one IDF soldier was injured after taking gunfire from Palestinian militants. It is crystal clear now, at least it should be to Sharon, that this is a futile effort. I’m willing to bet that the IDF will be right back in Gaza in the next sixty days because Mahmoud Abbas, AKA Abu Mazen, isn’t serious about cracking down on the militants. Arafat wielded the power amongst the Palestinians. It is obvious to the world that he has no way to truly control the various terrorist factions in Israel. If he actually did something that would have been a good or a bold step, one of those terrorist groups would off the man.
... Hamas' founders and top political leaders gathered on the same stage for the first time in a decade, vowing to go on fighting Israel and claiming victory for the impending withdrawal.
That was from LittleGreenFootballs, and came from an AP report picked up by Yahoo News. See, they’re already celebrating a victory. That victory wasn’t the withdrawal per se. It was in getting Israel to finally agree to do so. Anyone Remember the last election held where Sharon was elected? Anyone remember the campaign? Probably not. We, as a nation, barely pay attention to our own elections. Why would we pay attention to one across the pond? For a simple reason, that is so blatant, that I’m surprised at Sharon’s actions. I'm also surprised at how cold the IDF could be.
As a midnight deadline to voluntarily leave Gaza approached, Israeli police arrested about 50 protesters Tuesday at the settlement of Neveh Dekalim, Israeli security sources said.
The demonstrators were trying to block vans that were coming to ferry out departing settlers.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned, "We will take action against anyone who violates the law."
Sharon won the prime ministry in early 2003 by electorally crushing an opponent who espoused unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Sharon declared back then: "A unilateral withdrawal is not a recipe for peace. It is a recipe for war." For unknown reasons, in late 2003 he adopted his opponent's policy of leaving Gaza, thereby reneging on his promises, betraying his supporters, and inflicting lasting damage on Israeli public life.
Daniel Pipes wrote that in an article in USA Today on 15 August. He was right, and he’s right in bringing it back up and throwing it in Sharon’s face. This move is going to kill him. The knives are already being pulled out for him. I’m sure that behind the scenes, Netanyahu is being primed for a run at the prime minister position to defeat Sharon, who has become far too dovish, of recent, to adequatley lead and protect the Israeli people. There is a way for peace to work, but this isn’t the way. This is only becoming a prelude to a full-scale war. Once recognized the new Palestinian State need waste little time before declaring war on Israel and formally attacking them.
Looking at the region, Israel is already in a tough spot. With the Palestinian State that close, and Iran still looking for nuclear weapons, Israel may end up on the wrong end of a shooting war. Iran has stated, unequivocally, that should they acquire a nuclear weapon, target number one will be Israel. And there is already enough evidence to show there is a connection to the Palestinian terror groups and those from Iran. Whether it be through an exchange of money, or through training, or even through weapons it doesn’t matter.
This move was clearly a mistake. This is the sort of move that the Left should be celebrating because it’s what they’re demanding of the president in Iraq. Pull out the troops, pull out our people, and leave Iraq to its own devices. The problem with that is the same for Israel. Such appeasement in the face of your enemies will be snatched up by them, and exploited fully. We know that a pullout of Iraq could lead to an internal civil war, or worse, it could lead to the terrorists recreating Afghanistan again, and abandon that nation to the wolves.
The same thing goes for Gaza. This pullout is not for the safety of the Israeli people. There is no safety in this. The Palestinians are still going to attack the IDF. There will still be bombings. To the Palestinians (and to many of our own antiwar/anti-Semitic protesters over here, Ms. Sheehan, and Mr. Churchill, notably) the Israelis even being in Israel is seen as an illegal occupation. The Israelis shouldn’t even be in their own homeland.
I find the stupidity of the left at times quite nauseating. This is a subject that just turns my stomach. We don’t negotiate with terrorists, and we shouldn’t push our allies to do it. That’s what we did in our pressure on Israel. I find it extremely disingenuous of the government to criticize Israel for their actions in dealing with terrorism when we are fighting our own war, our way. We can’t have it both ways.
This is an Israeli matter, true enough. But Marcie and I have been watching the Jewish blogs, and catching the news over this. It’s wrong. We’re asking the Israeli people to roll over. Sharon is complying, and the vultures are just licking their chops. They will move in more terrorists, and more weapons. This is no different than any cease-fire of the past. Sharon is just giving the terrorists amongst the Palestinians time to regroup, rebuild, and remount their siege.
Publius II
http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000645.html
We are about 48 hours into the Gaza pullout by the Israeli government. IDF troops were sent into the settlements to remove the Israelis there—even it it must be done by force. As of 3 p.m. AZ time, at the last wire update, four settlements are still not vacated. Seventeen are, and many of them poked along or tried to prevent the soldiers from serving the eviction notices, and dragging them out of their homes. Those were their homes. There are graves there of Israelis. The risk of desecration runs high each day this continues. Needless to say, this was a bird-brained decision by Sharon.
Ariel Sharon, prime-minister of Israel, ordered this pullout. To help perpetuate the idea of a "Palestinian State," Sharon agreed with Abbas to do this.
On the first day of the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip, some Jewish settlers weren't going quietly.
Many had evacuated their homes ahead of the official start of the pullout just after midnight Monday. But those who refused locked the gates to their settlements and clasped hands, forming human chains, to block soldiers from delivering dreaded eviction notices.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in a televised speech that the Gaza pullout was a painful step, both for the nation and for himself, but that it was essential for Israel's future.
A grim-looking Sharon said it is now up to the Palestinians to clamp down on militants and stop violence. "To an outstretched hand we will respond with an olive branch," he said.
The Palestinians will be picking their teeth with that olive branch soon enough. This has been anything but a peaceful pullout. The settlers and the IDF have been operating under a near constant barrage of mortar rounds. Just before midnight Israeli time (just a little over an hour ago), one IDF soldier was injured after taking gunfire from Palestinian militants. It is crystal clear now, at least it should be to Sharon, that this is a futile effort. I’m willing to bet that the IDF will be right back in Gaza in the next sixty days because Mahmoud Abbas, AKA Abu Mazen, isn’t serious about cracking down on the militants. Arafat wielded the power amongst the Palestinians. It is obvious to the world that he has no way to truly control the various terrorist factions in Israel. If he actually did something that would have been a good or a bold step, one of those terrorist groups would off the man.
... Hamas' founders and top political leaders gathered on the same stage for the first time in a decade, vowing to go on fighting Israel and claiming victory for the impending withdrawal.
That was from LittleGreenFootballs, and came from an AP report picked up by Yahoo News. See, they’re already celebrating a victory. That victory wasn’t the withdrawal per se. It was in getting Israel to finally agree to do so. Anyone Remember the last election held where Sharon was elected? Anyone remember the campaign? Probably not. We, as a nation, barely pay attention to our own elections. Why would we pay attention to one across the pond? For a simple reason, that is so blatant, that I’m surprised at Sharon’s actions. I'm also surprised at how cold the IDF could be.
As a midnight deadline to voluntarily leave Gaza approached, Israeli police arrested about 50 protesters Tuesday at the settlement of Neveh Dekalim, Israeli security sources said.
The demonstrators were trying to block vans that were coming to ferry out departing settlers.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned, "We will take action against anyone who violates the law."
Sharon won the prime ministry in early 2003 by electorally crushing an opponent who espoused unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Sharon declared back then: "A unilateral withdrawal is not a recipe for peace. It is a recipe for war." For unknown reasons, in late 2003 he adopted his opponent's policy of leaving Gaza, thereby reneging on his promises, betraying his supporters, and inflicting lasting damage on Israeli public life.
Daniel Pipes wrote that in an article in USA Today on 15 August. He was right, and he’s right in bringing it back up and throwing it in Sharon’s face. This move is going to kill him. The knives are already being pulled out for him. I’m sure that behind the scenes, Netanyahu is being primed for a run at the prime minister position to defeat Sharon, who has become far too dovish, of recent, to adequatley lead and protect the Israeli people. There is a way for peace to work, but this isn’t the way. This is only becoming a prelude to a full-scale war. Once recognized the new Palestinian State need waste little time before declaring war on Israel and formally attacking them.
Looking at the region, Israel is already in a tough spot. With the Palestinian State that close, and Iran still looking for nuclear weapons, Israel may end up on the wrong end of a shooting war. Iran has stated, unequivocally, that should they acquire a nuclear weapon, target number one will be Israel. And there is already enough evidence to show there is a connection to the Palestinian terror groups and those from Iran. Whether it be through an exchange of money, or through training, or even through weapons it doesn’t matter.
This move was clearly a mistake. This is the sort of move that the Left should be celebrating because it’s what they’re demanding of the president in Iraq. Pull out the troops, pull out our people, and leave Iraq to its own devices. The problem with that is the same for Israel. Such appeasement in the face of your enemies will be snatched up by them, and exploited fully. We know that a pullout of Iraq could lead to an internal civil war, or worse, it could lead to the terrorists recreating Afghanistan again, and abandon that nation to the wolves.
The same thing goes for Gaza. This pullout is not for the safety of the Israeli people. There is no safety in this. The Palestinians are still going to attack the IDF. There will still be bombings. To the Palestinians (and to many of our own antiwar/anti-Semitic protesters over here, Ms. Sheehan, and Mr. Churchill, notably) the Israelis even being in Israel is seen as an illegal occupation. The Israelis shouldn’t even be in their own homeland.
I find the stupidity of the left at times quite nauseating. This is a subject that just turns my stomach. We don’t negotiate with terrorists, and we shouldn’t push our allies to do it. That’s what we did in our pressure on Israel. I find it extremely disingenuous of the government to criticize Israel for their actions in dealing with terrorism when we are fighting our own war, our way. We can’t have it both ways.
This is an Israeli matter, true enough. But Marcie and I have been watching the Jewish blogs, and catching the news over this. It’s wrong. We’re asking the Israeli people to roll over. Sharon is complying, and the vultures are just licking their chops. They will move in more terrorists, and more weapons. This is no different than any cease-fire of the past. Sharon is just giving the terrorists amongst the Palestinians time to regroup, rebuild, and remount their siege.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 3:50 PM
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