11 Av 5778
23 July 2018
The News on the Israeli Street
Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .
In yet the latest edition of IDF and government firefighting fake news, it was reported that there were no fires yesterday caused by incendiary kites and balloons launched by terrorists in Gaza.
In fact, there were fires at Nir, Kerem Shalom, Nir Am (2), Kissufim, and Yoshiviya (2) beside Netivot.
As noted, balloons landed near Yoshiviya. Here’s a picture of one that did not explode on landing:
Another nonexistent incendiary balloon according to the IDF (photo source “rotter” on photo).
About those non-existent kites and balloons . . .
According to various reports, an IAF jet hit a 6-man terror cell in Gaza as it was going to launch more incendiary devices last night. At least 3 were killed, the other three critically wounded.
Why weren’t we doing this four months ago?
The effect of the fires . . .
Aside from the tens of thousands of dunams that have been burned, data released yesterday by Clalit Health Services shows that in the last three months the incidence of asthma among children and adults living in the communities around Gaza has risen five-fold.
The empowerment of Hamas . . .
Now that Hamas has emerged victorious in Gaza (still in power, still shooting missiles and mortars, and still launching incendiary devices), it feels emboldened to attack Israel in other venues as well.
Yesterday it was announced that 1400 Jews “were permitted” to ascend to the Temple Mount in recognition of Tisha B’Av. However, ten of those were arrested because they “bowed” in the direction of the Kipat HaSela (Dome of the Rock) under which is the Foundation Stone–the holiest spot in Judaism.
At the same time, hundreds of Jews were denied entrance:
The waiting line at the Mughrabi ramp yesterday.
They were denied entrance by the Israel Police acting in conjunction with the Jordanian-based Islamic Wakf.
But even 1400 Jews walking quietly across the Temple Mount was too much for the Muslims with the Jordanians sending a formal letter to the Netanyahu government condemning the “attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Hamas spokesperson Abd al-Hakim Hanini warned: “The incident that took place in the Al-Aqsa mosque will have serious consequences.”
No doubt our Israeli authorities are shaking in their boots today and will quickly act to curtail the number of Jews who can go to the Mount.
A follow up to yesterday’s blog . . .
You will recall that we printed the eulogy of Aviv Levy’s girlfriend. Aviv was the soldier killed by a Hamas sniper three days ago.
After his girlfriend’s sad comments went viral, her Facebook page was savaged by Palestinians and Arabs with vile and disgusting comments which we will not repeat here.
Some good news for a change . . .
The Israel under-20 basketball team won the European basketball championship yesterday for the first time in history. To reach the finals against Croatia, they had to first defeat Spain and then France.
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TODAY’S BLOG:
Appeasement As Policy: The Twisted Logic of the IDF
This is one of those mornings that your humble servant wants to scream at the idiocy of our government and our IDF General Staff.
First of all we had the idiotic photo-op of our Non-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman down at the Kerem Shalom Crossing yesterday inspecting crates of apples:
Note the cameraman behind Lieberman and another cameraman beside Lieberman.
Four months of fires ravaging the South, 200 missiles and mortars shot at residents of the South last Saturday, an IDF commander seriously wounded in the last week and a Staff Sergeant killed two days ago by a Hamas sniper, and all Lieberman can do is inspect apples.
And what was Lieberman’s idiotic message yesterday? He urged the people of Gaza to “be responsible” and “exert pressure on Hamas.”
Say what?
More than this, Lieberman babbled that all he wants are “two calm days” after which he said “life will return to normal for Gazans” and Israel “will extend the range of Gazan fishermen” in the Mediterranean.
What about the residents of Israeli communities just having a normal life–never mind returning to one?
If you think that Lieberman’s comments were bizarre, they were followed by an “assessment” by the IDF that “Hamas has changed its approach” following the IDF’s “extensive operation in Gaza.”
What extensive operation and what change? Incendiary devices are still being launched by the dozens, the most recent missiles and mortars were two days ago, and now we have Hamas snipers shooting at our soldiers.
There has been no change at all except for the worse.
But continuing with the IDF assessment. Aside from extending the fishing area, the IDF will immediately resume the passage of all “goods” through the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the delivery of fuel to Gaza, and give other “incentives” which will help to “maintain the status quo.”
Pure and simple appeasement: reward the terrorists for their terrorism and maybe they will leave us alone.
But wait there was more absurdity . . . Now, after months of saying that it holds Hamas responsible for all the terror emanating from Gaza, the IDF believes that “rogue forces” are “trying to inflame the area” and that a “local commander misinterpreted Hamas orders” when the Hamas sniper killed Aviv Levy.
Can you believe any of this? Have you ever seen a military organization such as the IDF more obscenely determined to vindicate the very terrorist organization that it is fighting?
How in the world did appeasement of the enemy ever become the announced strategy of the IDF?
Nauseating addendum:
According to reports this morning, the Egyptians have let it be known this morning that as part of the ceasefire, Israel has dropped demands that Hamas return the body parts of soldiers from the 2014 war, dropped demands that Hamas disarm, and dropped demands that Hamas stop building tunnels.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.