Just thought we could use a discussion thread for this.
In a way, I hope this escalates into a full-scale war with Syria and Palestinian terror, because I have no doubt that Israel would emerge victorious. I doubt it will happen, however, as Israel has already delayed the invasion of Gaza, in favor of “diplomacy.” :nuke:
I do, however, like how the IAF buzzed Bashar Al Assad’s home, making his windows shatter…sent a pretty clear signal, I thought. :nuke:
I like this Cox and Forkum cartoon. Sad thing is that it would be more accurate if they depicted a leash around the lion’s neck, with the rest of the world holding the lion back.
The kidnapped soldier has been killed.
The kidnapped soldier has been killed.
Gilad Shalit? Care to offer a link to the story confirming this? I haven’t seen that news yet and I have been paying pretty close attention. I do know that another Israeli teen kidnapping victim, Eliyahu Asheri, was killed recently (he was kidnapped Sunday also). Might that be the murder to which you were referring?
edit - grammar, added link
I’m pretty sure he’s referring to the murdered teen. Hamas has supposedly just offered a “conditional release.” I just hope Israel won’t take it…but they probably will.
Gilad Shalit? … I do know that another Israeli teen kidnapping victim, Eliyahu Asheri, was killed recently …
Sorry. My mistake.
I’m pretty sure he’s referring to the murdered teen. Hamas has supposedly just offered a “conditional release.” I just hope Israel won’t take it…but they probably will.
They want ONE THOUSAND (of their) prisoners to be released by Israel! There’s no way Israel will do it.
Yesterday, after reading about the student being killed, I thought that Hamas would kill the soldier too. I figured that was the only way they could save face with their sympathizers. In retrospect, I was guilty of US-government style wimpy thinking. Instead, the Israeli response:
ISRAEL last night threatened to assassinate Palestinian Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh if Hamas militants did not release a captured Israeli soldier unharmed.
The Israeli’s don’t have the PM, but – given their historical record of bold action – the threat is not an empty one.
Israel has been bold in the past, but it hasn’t been lately, although that trend has come to an apparent end. Israel did, after all pull out of Gaza and agree to finance the PA, even after Hamas took over. I didn’t realize that they were demanding 1000 prisoners…yeah, Israel won’t do that, but I expected them to come to some kind of agreement. As for Ismail Haniyeh…all I can say is that he should have been assassinated a long time ago.
I fully applaud Israel’s handling of the situation, thus far. I only hope they continue to serve as an example to the United States, and refuse to negotiate. I wasn’t optimistic when Ehud Olmert became PM, since he immediately pledged to withdraw from parts of the West Bank, but I like the way he is handling the current situation.
I sincerely hope this leads Israel to dismantle the PA and go to war (preferably one that’s actually declared) with Syria. With Syria gone, Iraq would become much easier to deal with. Then Iran would be the only immediate threat in the region that remains. Of course, I can see Iran getting pulled into this situation. So maybe Israel can get rid of both at the same time. It wouldn’t be the first time Israel defeated pretty much the entire Arab world.
Israel has already rejected it.
Check out this think:
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticl…_UK-MIDEAST.xml
Note this positive statement: “Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reiterated that there will be no deals , that either Shalit will be released or we will act to bring about his release ,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev, responding to the fresh demands."
Maybe the United States will learn from Israel in regards to dealing with terrorism.
Although I agree with Moose’s statement
Israel has been bold in the past, but it hasn’t been lately, although that trend has come to an apparent end.
you must understand that the basic core of Israel is the same as it was when the Zionists returned. Any civilization, when faced with its destruction, will act without mercy. The kidnapping is a small event in the entire course of Israeli/Palestinian relations. It is just an example of the trend of the last 50 years. We all know this conflict has a beginning (when the group “Palestinians” were fictitiously created) and I believe it will have an end.
Hamas is determined to destroy Israel, and at some point Hamas will get too close to realizing their goal and Israel will act without Mercy as it did in 1948. I don’t think this incident will be the tipping point but it adds to the sum.
That’s a good point. But I don’t think Hamas will ever come close to eliminating Israel, on it’s own. If Iran and Syria get involved, the maybe.
Update: rockets hit Ismail Haniyeh’s office building. No word on casualties, last time I checked.
I think the word is that there were not any casualties. Israel timed it’s strike for late at night when nobody would be there.
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. What’s the point of intentionally waiting for your enemy to leave before you take out his office building? Kill the sonofabitch.
In a way, I hope this escalates into a full-scale war with Syria and Palestinian terror, because I have no doubt that Israel would emerge victorious. I doubt it will happen, however, as Israel has already delayed the invasion of Gaza, in favor of “diplomacy.” :dough:
I do, however, like how the IAF buzzed Bashar Al Assad’s home, making his windows shatter…sent a pretty clear signal, I thought.
They are moving into Lebanon, next stop Syria.
Israel should launch a full-scale invasion and occupation of Syria right away.
Syria provides a refuge for terrorists who prey on Israel.
With Russian help Syria has been hiding Saddam’s Weapons of Mass Destruction. http://ObjectivismOnline.com/blog/archives/000718.html Israel could capture these weapons and add them to its own arsenal for use against the Palestinians, the Iranians, the Saudis and the Egyptians.
Syria is a net oil exporter (285,000 bbl/day). Having such energy at Israel’s disposal would make driving affordable for the average Israeli and boost the country’s standard of living.
Some argue that Israel’s “disengagement” is to be blamed for the recent round of attacks. This is true in a sense, but not in the way most critics claim.
The Palestinian terrorist groups and their backers depend on continued violence for their political power and the foreign and domestic loot (“aid”) that comes with it. They have used the “Zionist entity’s occupation” as the primary excuse for their violence. Since they demand the entire territory of Israel, “disengagement” will not satisfy their demands. (Nothing will, since a continued conflict is the only justification for their existence.) However it does create a line in the sand. This line is a political statement as much as it is a physical barrier, intended to finally delineate Israeli claimed land from Arab land. The audience of this statement is primarily the Israeli public itself, as well as the EU market on which Israel’s economy depends. The Palestinians are a distant second – but faced with a de-facto border and Israeli and European condemnation, their opposition (which is ultimately funded by the West) will collapse.
Of course European support is far from guaranteed, but Israel has no other options. The Palestinians refuse to be integrated and they cannot be expelled - Arab nations don’t want them either. Sooner or later they will have to be recognized as a foreign power, and continued aggresion treated as an act of war. The trick is to marginalize them first in order to limit Islamic and Western support.
Sooner or later they will have to be recognized as a foreign power, and continued aggresion treated as an act of war. The trick is to marginalize them first in order to limit Islamic and Western support.
I think this latest crisis has shown the truth of these words. There has been much less backlash against Israel from the usual suspects than in the past. It wasn’t the palestineans, but Hizbullah (sp?) and Southern Lebanon where Israel pulled its troops out six years ago. Israel has repeatedly told the Lebanese government to move its military down into the south and solve the terrorist problem or it would be held responsible. After the attack into Israel and the kidnapping of its soldiers Israel is keeping its word.
While I wouldn’t mind seeing the bombing of Syrian infrastructure I don’t see that (much less an invasion) happening as of now. That might trigger a much wider conflict and I suspect the US government will pressure Israel to hold off for now, despite the press release from the State department blaming Syria and Iran.
While I wouldn’t mind seeing the bombing of Syrian infrastructure I don’t see that (much less an invasion) happening as of now. That might trigger a much wider conflict and I suspect the US government will pressure Israel to hold off for now, despite the press release from the State department blaming Syria and Iran.
America might be wise to recognize its one reall ally int he region.
If there is a war with Iran (and one looks necessary), then Israel could support the US by attacking Syria, thus preventing Syria from helping Iran (either directly or by meddling further in Iraq).
Israel would never be allowed to take part in any U.S. military action because the Islamic allies would go nuts. That’s why there isn’t any official involvement with our “war on terror.”
