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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
10,000+
rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001. [10]
3,200+
rockets and mortars fired from Gaza in 2008 alone. [11]
6,500+
rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. [12]
538+
rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israeli territory during the ceasefire from June 19 to Dec. 19, 2008. [13]
480
rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israel since Operation Cast Lead began Dec. 27. [14]
28
deaths caused by rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israel since 2001. The dead include Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the ceasefire ended, Iran-backed Palestinian groups in Gaza fired rockets and mortars that killed an Israeli-Arab construction worker and a mother of four who was seeking shelter in a bus station as a rocket warning siren sounded. [15]
1,000+
people in Israel injured from rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001, including Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the start of Israel’s defensive operation in Gaza Dec. 27, 90 Israelis have been injured and at least 244 have been treated for shock. [16]
20,000
Hamas terrorists Israel is targeting as part of its defensive operations [17]
1,000,000
Israeli civilians Hamas is targeting and can reach. [18]
15
seconds Israelis have to get to a bomb shelter once a warning siren has sounded. [19]
8
years Israel has endured rockets and mortar fire from Gaza [20]
3
mosques in Gaza used as weapons, ammunitions and explosives depots that were struck by the Israel Defense Forces during the operation in Gaza. [21] The strikes occurred only at night and never during prayer times, to avoid civilian casualties.
4
UN Security Council resolutions passed since 2006 to try to stop Iran from enriching uranium. [22]
5,000+
number of centrifuges operating in Iran to enrich uranium, the material used to produce a nuclear weapon. [23]
[10] Farrell, Stephen, “A Credo of Rejection,” The New York Times, Dec. 30, 2008
[11] IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Dec. 19, 2008; “Iran-backed Terrorists in Gaza Kill 3, Wound Others in Continuing Rocket Attacks on Israel,” The Israel Project press release, Dec. 29, 2008, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=3587015&content_id={4F0CF025-98BF-4875-A59B-B1F5E4B079F7}¬oc=1; Barzak, Ibrahim and Friedman, Matti, “Israel rejects truce call, pursues bombing Gaza,” Associated Press, Dec. 31, 2008, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCndRPRq3gD95DQIEO0; Ferziger, Jonathan and Ramadan, Abu Saud, “Israel Advances in Gaza as Sarkozy Leads Truce Effort,” Bloomberg.com, Jan. 5, 2009, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ah8sqE_xotkk&refer=home
[12] Ibid.
[13] “Presentation to Military Attaches,” Israel Ministry of Defense, Dec. 2008
[14] Israel strikes back against Hamas terror infrastructure in Gaza, 4 Jan 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Israel_strikes_back_against_Hamas_terror_infrastructure_Gaza_27-Dec-2008.htm
[15] “Rocket and Mortar Fatalities in Israel,” The Israel Project backgrounder, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.3906189/k.EDAC/Rocket_and_Mortar_Fatalities_in_Israel.htm; Kershner, Isabel, “Despite Strikes, Israelis Vow to Soldier On,” The New York Times, Dec. 30, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/world/middleeast/31israel.html?em; “Iran-backed Terrorists in Gaza Kill 3, Wound Others in Continuing Rocket Attacks on Israel,” The Israel Project press release, Dec. 29, 2008, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=689705&ct=6476363#contactinfo
[16] Ibid.
[17] Fletcher, Martin, “Analysis: What is Israel's end game in Gaza?” MSNBC.com, Dec. 29, 2008, http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/29/1726211.aspx
[18] “Summary of Rocket Fire and Mortar Shelling in 2008,” Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Jan. 1, 2009, http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/ipc_e007.pdf
[19] “IDF Operation in the Gaza Strip,” The Military-Strategic Information Section Daily Update – Day 4, Dec. 30, 2008
[20] “Israeli Injuries and Fatalities Due to Rocket and Mortar Fire,” The Israel Project, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.4277777/k.3E99/Injuries_and_Fatalities_Graph.htm
[21] Information relayed by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Dec. 28, 2008; Harel, Amos, Issacharoff, Avi, Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press, “IAF bombs Gaza mosque being used as weapons storehouse,” Dec. 31, 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1051305.html
[22] “Security Council Tightens Restrictions on Iran’s Proliferation-Sensitive Nuclear Activities, Increases Vigilance Over Iranian Banks, Has States Inspect Cargo,” United Nations Security Council, 5848th Meeting, Department of Public Relations, March 3, 2008, http://un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sc9268.doc.htm
[23] Dareini, Ali Akbar, “Iran says it now runs more than 5,000 centrifuges,” AP, Nov. 26, 2008, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG7bnyWWJfgaYD-JwcqmImlpRujwD94MND800
Israel's tragedy is that it does have real enemies. Palestine's tragedy is that it doesn't have any real friends.
Or perhaps I should say that Gaza, under Hamas, has no real friends. I see that the West Bank, under Fatah, has managed to mostly stay out of the mess. I hope they continue to do so. Certainly Fatah is no friend of Hamas.
I don't see why anybody should be surprized by any of this. Saddened, horrified, outraged, yes, but not surprized. This war was scheduled months in advance, and mutually agreed on.
My prediction: Israel will get a military victory, Hamas a propaganda victory, as both had planned; and both victories will be worth nothing.
to be safe ... fwiw.
I've seen little (none actually) mention of two things I would mention wrt to Israeli support for this action.
First, the ceasefire, flawed and holey as it was, represented a step forard, it was hopeful, Hamas was willing to engage ... the end of the ceasefire represented a step back (IMHO, for both sides).
While many have mentioned how pointless and futile Israeli military reaction is and has been, only a few have mentioned how futile, pointless, and self-defeating the rockets from gaza into Israel are and have been. Ditto Intifada I and Intifada II.
As I mentioned elsewhere, Israel gave stern warnings for weeks as to what would occur if the ceasefire was not renewed. That anyone would doubt Israel's promise of an overwhelming response is beyond reason, so I have to figure Hamas knew what was coming and did the math.
The problems with not confronting Hamas, allowing Hamas to thumb its nose while ESCALATING rocket attacks would not only create an intolerable precedent, yes, it could also lose Kadima the election, because, I guess, Israeli citizens expect their government to protect them.
Second, I've seen no mention of something that was fairly widely written about a year or so ago -- that the wall built in response to Intifada II, the security afforded by strict (oppressive) border controls, and an improving economy, much of Israel was quite able and increasing willing -- after decades of fruitless attempts at "peace" -- to just live their lives and turn their backs on the Palestinians, who -- particularly by electing Hamas -- seems to spit on such efforts.
Israel can live quite well without the Palestinians ... thank you very much. They already have replaced their large Palestinian work force ...
in my humble opinion, this talk about a one-state solution ios a pipedream -- kumbaya, y'all.
Finally, I'd like to mention the "state's" need to control vigilantism. When Hamas agreed to make efforts (which were partially successful) to control the rocket-firing folks -- who appear to be "vigilantees", they showed that it could be done. Absent some credible action by the Israeli government in the face of increasing rocket attacks and nose-thumbing, I suspect Likud would have been a shoe-in. That's not cynical "manipulation" ... that's reality.
Both Hamas and the Israeli government need to play to their constituencies and their benefactors. Hamas is not remotely exempt from this charge, imho.
The United States is building an equally wasteful, stupid and offensive wall on our southern border, in part to avoid what was a rising threat of vigilantism by our own yahoos who believed it was their duty / mission to stem the tide of "illegal immigrants" and the "social ills" they believe they cause.
The Mexicans (and all those other folks living at the lower latitudes) are not firing missles, they're just trying to find work.
Personally, I'd love to see some of the outrage directed at Israel instead directed at the "disproportionate response" of our use of air power in both Iraq and Afghanistan ...
I could say more but I have to get back to work. Bye.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
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