By Robert Danin, CFR
Editor's note: Robert Danin is Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. This entry of Middle East Matters originally appeared here. The views expressed are his own.
By Israel’s accounting, Operation Pillar of Defense has achieved many if not most of its major objectives: assassinating Hamas’ long-sought after military mastermind Ahmed Ja’abari and other top officials, destroying much of Hamas’ long-range arsenal of imported Iranian-produced Fajr-5 missiles, and eliminating other significant high-value military targets. Despite this, however, a number of unintended consequences have already emerged, ranging from the boosting of Hamas’ prominence, undermining its isolation, further weakening the Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas, and diverting regional attention from Syria.
Fundamentally, the operation – an outgrowth of a rapid escalation of the past year’s episodic firing from Gaza into southern Israel and IDF strikes against limited targets – appears to have an been the unintended consequence of Hamas’ miscalculation: The organization apparently determined it could build up long-range rockets in Gaza and allow its truce with Israel to erode without incurring a significant price. Over the past year, Hamas, the de facto ruler in Gaza, allowed even more militant groups to launch mortars and rockets into southern Israel seemingly thinking that Israel’s response would be limited. The fact that its military leader, Jaabari, felt confident to let strict operational security lapse and leave himself vulnerable to an Israeli strike while riding in an unprotected vehicle reflects that.
More from CNN: Hamas issues cease-fire conditions
But rather than marginalize Hamas, Israel’s operation so far has only enhanced the centrality of that organization. That by-product is entirely consistent with Israel’s aim – to compel Hamas to take responsibility for developments in Gaza. As in the 2009 Cast Lead operation, Israel’s goal now is not to destroy Hamas, but to compel it to behave more responsibly and keep order in Gaza. Much of the mortar fire over the past year against southern Israel has been launched by groups more radical than Hamas. By holding Hamas responsible, Israel inadvertently bolsters Hamas’ standing and legitimacy as the ultimate power-broker and arbiter in Gaza.
Yet this objective of forcing Hamas’ responsibility has unintentionally contributed to undermining Israel’s longstanding objective of keeping Hamas isolated internationally, if not regionally. With the United States, Israel, and other countries urging Egypt to rein in the Gaza leaders, Hamas’ centrality as the locus of decision-making grows rather than diminishes. This then encourages other Middle East leaders to accelerate their rush to Gaza while skipping Ramallah to court Hamas’ leadership.
This Qatari, Turkish, Tunisian, and Egyptian courting of Hamas has the unintended consequence of further eroding the stature of the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas, a Palestinian leader avowedly committed to the non-violent path. By bypassing Ramallah and President Abbas, they further marginalize the moderate leaders as the proper address for resolving problems. This still leaves the Ramallah-based Palestinian authority shouldering much of the burden for the situation in Gaza by being the largest source of sustenance for the Strip’s wage-earners. It also has the unintended consequence of boosting the diplomatic standing of Islamist supporters: Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
More from CFR: Hamas and Egypt
The fact that Israel has acted with considerable restraint compared to its conduct of Operation Cast Lead has created conditions boosting Hamas’ domestic popularity, at least for now. Gazans have sustained the majority of the casualties and damage so far, and don’t expect to beat the Israelis militarily. Just causing the Israelis pain – piercing the “Tel Aviv bubble” and lashing out against Israeli Jerusalem – is seen as a tactical achievement, so long as it does not incur demonstrable defeat or the populace overwhelming loss. That perception is why, in addition to taking out Hamas’ increased military capabilities in Gaza, Israel feels the need to strike a decisive psychological blow – an aim that may well prove elusive.
The current conflict will also have the further unintended effect of reinforcing President Abbas determination to seek non-member state status at the end of the month. In Palestinian eyes right now, it is Hamas that is seen to be taking action, not Abbas. Abbas thus no doubt feels all the more compelled to carry out his threat to resume his U.N. gambit, despite strong American, Israeli and other international opposition.
A final unintended consequence of the conflict has been to eclipse the regional and international focus on Syria, where hundreds of people have been slaughtered on a daily basis for the past year and a half. Al-Assad will likely exploit this by ratcheting up his brutality against Syrian rebels and civilians while eyes are gazed elsewhere. While the course of Operation Pillar of Defense is still to be played out, we can be sure that it will be filled with surprises.
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It is far more telling that the Islamic world if far more concerned over the death of less then 50 Palestinians then they are over the death of 30,000 Syrians. Is there a rule in that region that is is acceptable for Muslims to kill Muslims but any other killing forms the basis for religious hysteria?
Yep ! ! !
It's difficult to agree with what the author wrote. It's obvious that Israel wants to weaken Hamas as much as possible. But politically Hamas would emerge stronger. They're going to demande Israel to lift the Gaza blockade. If Egypt manages to broker a cease-fire, how long would it last? Besides the Hezbollah have also their missiles pointed to Israel and they are better equipped than the Hamas.
Great point!!!
It is far more to be far more from far more.
On point!
You don't hold a monopoly on stupid comments.
OK.
Shows how much you watch the region, there have been many protests in support of the syrian people, and the neighboring countries have sanctions on syria
Actually, the Arab League has voted to support the Syrian rebels.
ur 100% right,because this is not about caring about the Palestinians its about wanting the Jews in the sea and out of the middle east.
Jews have lived thousands of years in the Middle East before the creation of Israel. I'm sure Jews willl live thousands of years in the Middle East after its liquidation.
You personally know how concerned all 6 billion Muslims are? There's psychiatric help for your condition, you know?
you are neither smart nor clever ....but keep believing you are if it makes you feel better
That's really funny as I never saw it in that light. Thanks for bringing a different perspective on the issue which is rather puzzling and one can see your point clearly. It's called ganging up against a common enemy and one wonders why?
This is not a mid east crisis.
It's an issue of one's heart.
All conflicts defy logic when it comes to these events.
Don't be puzzled. Don't be afraid.
GOD told us all this would happen. Read Genesis account of Abraham.
These nations will always be at war.
Only JESUS can save them now.
Read John 3:16-21.
Follow directions
Give your life to Christ and be saved.
Oh sh–t! Don't bring Jesus in here in a quagmire that humans started. Soon someone might bring in Budhha or whoever and then you start to argue with one another. And then you start throwing things. It is the likes of you that started all these mess.
See that guy bellow me? He is driving a different model of car that you do.
Because muslims haven't been protesting against the violence in Syria right? And neighbouring governments aren't trying to diplomatically end it as well? You like to pick and choose your facts.
Unfortunately, there is. They can kill each other with impunity, and massacre another sect without another thought. But the Palestinians, unfortunately have the cachet of being the one thing the Arab world cannot do wtihout: a hammer with which to bash the Jews. They don't really want them to be resettled anywhere, it's just too convenient!!
Unfortunately, there is. They can kill each other with impunity, and massacre another sect without another thought. But the Palestinians, unfortunately have the cachet of being the one thing the Arab world cannot do wtihout: a hammer with which to bash the Jews. They don't really want them to be resettled anywhere, it's just too convenient!!
This is human nature. When there is war between co-religionists, the animosity doesn´t last.
If Hamas militants seek martyrdom, they CAN be accomodated.
And Israel seeks to build on it's status as the most hated country in the world and by god it will be accomodated!!!!!!!!
For Israel it would be desirable to keep their current peace with Egypt, Jordan, the Soudis and other moderates. With other complications such as Iran, Syria and the Arab Spring should they lose that now Benjamin Netanyahu will not have helped the Israeli nation.
Those countries are not moderate. The only reason they are sticking to a sort-of-quiet between themselves and Israel is because the USA pays them $millions. They teach their children from kindergarten that a good Jew is a dead Jew...state sponsored literature. They are just waiting for the opportunity to unleash their hatred.
Excellent source, you racist.
De-escalate. With EVERYBODY.
"Over the past year, Hamas, the de facto ruler in Gaza, allowed even more militant groups to launch mortars and rockets into southern Israel seemingly thinking that Israel’s response would be limited."
WRONG... Israel can and will finish this conflict.
Promises, promises. Time is not on Israel's side. Tick tock. Tick tock.
1967 SIX DAY WAR. Let's talk about time, shall we?
Time is not measured by years for nations. Who'd have thunk that Ghaddafi and Mubarak would be no more and that Assad will soon follow suit? Or who'd have predicted that Israel would tuck its tail and run out of South Lebanon. Tick tock.
Both of the examples you cite here were internal uprisings against repressive regimes. There is nothing analogous about either of them and the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel is there to stay. It is Hamas and the Palestinians they're using as human shields that will pay the heaviest price for this conflict.
JohnRJohnson, you might want to learn arithmatic. Or is that too Arabic for you?
Do you actually think that insulting people you know nothing about advances your point of view? More importantly, do you think anybody is actually insulted by them?
I'm sorry if you feel insulted, but this is one occasion it wasn't intended. I was pointing out that I gave more than two examples. I was snarky but I didn't think insulting.
ok
Hey look, I'm Frank!
Me too!
Wrong. She can smolder and shamble her neighbors but she is not in the position to occupy. It will over stretch her and depletes her resources. An open armed conflict with any of them can easily turn into a proxy war of a bigger conflict which is the Arab-Israel conflict. Therefore she cannot finish them. It is the same with her enemies.
So, maybe everybody should try something else.
Can someone PLEASE put Hamas out of our misery? Sometimes the only way to deal with rabid dog is making sure it does not bite anyone ever again. Sad but true.
Hammas members feel the same way about you, except they probably don't share your hubris.
There is only one "m" in Hamas.
Except that islam is a human cancer infecting all those that believe.
All religions are cancers, not just Islam. Don't be a discriminatory tool.
Hmmm. About 70 years ago there was a certain European country that felt that way about Jews. Want to rethink that?
Some history to be remembered not by one but by all.
Yeah. Who gave Hitler the idea that the world is about race, and survival is one to eliminate another? I think it was a case of one thing begetting another same thing so that it would` be hard to tell which came first the hen or the egg.
But maybe we can set aside the issue of the hen and the egg, and try to De-escalate. To the point where there is no such kind of hen and there is no such kind of egg.
So you're saying that they couldn't possibly have realized that killing civilians would backfire a little bit? Awesome logic.
Israelis and their supporters are yet to see members of Hammas as humans. That alone will increase Hammas' standing among Arabs.
No one will see them as human as long as they keep strapping bombs to their children and send them to their deaths in the name of their faith. I know I won't.
Theresa, I'm past hoping to see humanity in people like you. In fact, I'm past seeing any human tendency among most Zionists. Strapping bombs to their children? You are so a decade ago, but you might still get what you wish for. In the meantime, make sure you count how many bombs Israel straps to planes and drops them among civilians. People like you make me sick.
The problem which Hamas has is that its governing charter states that Israel should be destroyed. It has codified the destruction of the Jewish state as well as all Jews living anywhere on the Earth. In the end, this kind of genocidal philosophy will be rejected because even the Arab community as a whole is more realistic and less unhinged than the leaders of Hamas. They know that this continual state of hostility between Israel and Hamas is hurting Palestinians the most. They also know that Hamas has been firing thousands of rockets into populated areas of Israel over the last 3 years. I don't think you're going to be seeing a lot of enthusiastic support for Hamas throughout the Arab states, despite some of their bellicose public statements.
JohnRJohnson, you lie. Hammas and most Palestinians would rather see their own state; but, given Israel's long-standing practice of lying, stealing, and blaming the victim, what benefit do Hammas and the Palestinians have in taking their claims to land that Israel has annexed inside Israel proper off the table. There is nothing in the Hammas charter or any other Palestinian charter that addresses Jews outside Israel.
As for support of Hammas, I doubt too many people support Hammas' political charter (internal charter), but seeing how Israel has demonstrated humanity for Palestinians, support for Hammas will come in the form of empathy. Israel has demonstrated lack of respect and value for any non-Jewish Arab life. All of Israel's bluster about how it avoids non-combattant lives has been a lie, like your comment about Hammas codifying the killing of Jews worldwide.
Curious. You say "you lie", then say nothing relevant at all to my comment. "You confused".
No, apparently you don't understand English. You lie, and I specified the lie. You want me to draw pictures too?
A significant percentage of the population in Israel is Muslim, which is why Israel has routinely opposed the "right of return" in negotiations with Palestinians. It was founded to be the Jewish State in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust. Agreeing to the Right of Return for Palestinians would make Jews a minority in their own country. Would any Muslim country permit that? Doubtful.
Someone once said that if you put a deck of playing cards in the middle of a football field, that it would represent Israel surrounded by hostile countries, all of which have waged existential wars against Israel in the past. If any country has an excuse to be highly militarized and aggressive in its own defense, it is Israel. That said, I know that many Israelis themselves are unhappy with the way the settlements have spread, because those settlements have fomented many of the conflicts with Palestinians.
I know of the Zionist claim for a Jewish state, but that has evolved from the time colonial powers could disregard the rights of indigenes. Israel, plain and simple, is a remnant of a rejected and unsustainable past. Israeli talk about the so-called demographic bomb alone points to a dismal future for Zionism. It's unsustainable, and time will put an end to this experiment. My wish is that an end to a regressive system of governance equates a better beginning than Israel's.
Whatever is going on there, please don't listen to John McCain, he's not speaking for the good he's speaking for himself and hate of Obama.
How come with all the money pouring into Hamas from every rich arab sheikh,every muslim country and the European community, hamas didn't spend one dime on shelters or bomb sirens? If I had a charter that calls for continuous war (and destruction) against another country, I would consider investing in methods to keep my population safe. For hamas, the population and media are the shield.
Take solace, you have no monopoly on stupid comments.
History has shown that people with your point of view have been left in the dust.
.....reply was to "lets be frank"
Awe chucks. Left in the dust. Stupid is what stupid does, and, if you continue, you might get your monopoly on stupidity.
Do not you worry, you are the undisputed leader on stupid comments. You've been brainwashed well.
Gee, I haven't been undisputed leader of anything. I can now run for Prime Minister of Israel.
You are deluded let's be frank. So let us be "frank". You are following a "prophet" that was a warmonger, as well as a pedophile, that hated Jews and would go to any length to inflict suffering upon them. Islam cannot even get along with itself, let alone anyone else in the world. To Islam, we are all infidels and have no value other than as slaves or corpses, corpses as an example to other non-Islamic people. You greatly desire to rid the world, not just Israel, from the Jewish people. If that is ever done you will not stop there. Every other non-Islamic person of the face of the earth is your target, all of us so called infidels are on your list. Bad news for you is that we refuse to be dragged back into the stone age that you so faithfully worship. You can pretend, you can try to justify, you can call names, stomp your little feet and act out in any way that you want, but as soon as you start tossing munitions at someone don't start crying when they move prevent you from doing it again.
Andy, Muhammad was okay with Jews and Christians. Look up the word "dhimma."
Excellent point. The civilian population merely serves as a shield. If thousands are lost, there are thousands more.
There is an Israeli blockade of Gaza, which is one of the reasons that Hamas has been shooting rockets into Israel. There are lots of things that the people of Gaza would like, but are unable to get them—not only weapons, or materials for bomb shelters, but all kinds of consumer goods, medicine and food—thanks to Israel's blockade. While I understand that Israel has a right to defend itself, if they treated the Palestinians as human beings in the first place maybe there wouldn't be the rockets being shot at them. If there were ever a people that should understand and fight against oppression, it should be Jews. Instead, I'm afraid they learned too well from their oppressors.
Pete, I could not agree more! I have a hard time with Isral on a personal level. I have a dear friend who's children simply went to spend the summer in Gaza with their grandpartents a few years ago. They made it home, but it was weeks of hiding and crazy check points – and a trip by boat to Greece.
These children are American citizens and were not allowed back into Isral to catch their flight home once on the Gaza side.
I always thought that you should be surrounded to be considered in the blockade. Gaza has longer border with Egypt than it has with Israel.
They have built bomb shelters, for their caches of weapons, just not for their people. They want to destroy Israel, and when they are done with that you are next on their list, sympathetic or not. They can find a way to import Iranian made rockets, but cannot find a way to import medicine or food? They smuggle arms and rockets daily and you buy into the BS that the Israelis are the ones that are responsible for their plight? If you had a neighbor that took daily pot shots at your house with a pellet gun, I'm pretty sure you would call people that had far greater fire power than a pellet gun to deal with the issue. If you say otherwise you are a liar. You would do everything that you could do to prevent them from getting their hands on more powerful arms because you know that they would only start firing them at you as well. They hate you and want only to see you dead, as is the case for all of us so called infidels.
How does firing rockets into Israel help the Palestinian cause and situation and the retaliation that follows from Israel?
Nicole, Hamas spent a lot of time and money simply rebuilding/repairing what had already been distroyed – hosptials, schools, electircal grids, water stations etc. I know logic would say build shelters first – but... *shrugs*
For the most part, we in the US don't know what having the fabric of our lives ripped apart feels like. Maybe the closest is hearing people talk about the distruction of a major hurricane and just wanting to be back to normal.
Nor, did they spend the money improving the lot of Palestinians. If they can smuggle arms and ammunition, surely they can get in food and supplies for their people and get to the negotiating table to resolve the issue once and for all. The world is tired of the status-quo, which is why they have ignored the two parties involved since they don't want to talk or negotiate lasting peace.
It's true to form that Israel killed the top Hammas military leader while negotiating terms for a cease-fire. Cowardly comes to mind, but that's not something Israeli supporters will accept. Jaabari might have been convinced he was dealing with upstanding human beings who value humanity outside their ethnicity. Either way, Jaabari was in negotiations with Israelis when murdered.
Negotiating on how to get more powerful weapons that can bring the greatest amount of deaths..lets be frank, they aim at civilian targets ONLY, while Israel makes as targeted a shot as possible. Israel cares about this terrorist's "people" more than he does. Hatred does that to a person.
I like the Zionist refrain: "they aim at civilian targets only." How do you know that? Isn't every Israeli a conscript, an active duty soldier, or a reservist? Then again, this has been Zionists' refrain for decades, while thousands of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israelis. Your hypocrisy is showing, but don't fret, all's fair in love and war.
Israel is using weapons which can accurately target Hamas rocket launcher sites. Hamas is simply lobbing rockets in the general direction of certain targets in Israel. One side cares about hitting offensive targets while the other doesn't really care what it hits.
JohnRJohnson, what are you besides a source of misinformation? You think if Hammas had smart bombs they wouldn't use them to attack the Israeli military? You might as well drink that Kool Aid, as you are far gone.
"Kool Aid"? I thought that was only served by Obama.
I've been reading through your comments here. You're nothing more than an internet bully, picking fights with anybody who doesn't agree with you. It is bellicose, belligerent people like you that fuel conflict in the world. You see everything through "us vs them" prism. In other words, you're paranoid, and your puerile insults do nothing but make you sound like a recalcitrant 10-year-old. Since you are obviously looking for attention here, the best way to deal with you is to stop giving it to you.
Have a nice day, sonny.
So, I live in a country that finances the death of Palestinians and propagates their state, and where the defense of humanity as it pertains to the Palestinians is twisted as support for terrorists, and you take my rhetoric as insults? I'm the bully now? The moral bankruptsy that support of Israel demonstrates obviously makes a bully out of me.
Israel is a cancer in the Middle East. If you remove it you may die with... You gonna die anyway. Live in pain till yo die!
It is truly a dilemma. On the one hand, Israelis have much to offer. On the other, Israelis' cancerous existence inflicts so much death and wastes any goodwill Israelis could produce for the region.
"Israel's cancerous existence"? Why so subtle?
I'm as subtle as a 1,000 pound Israeli bomb. What good has Israel been to any of its neighbors?
Israel is the only healthy piece of land in the entire sick area! The arab nations cant stand to see how a small nation can succeed so well and treat their people with respect. If you live with peace with Israel, you will prosper too...no matter who you are. Raise a hand to Israel and you forfeit that right.
Yeah, it's all about Arab envy! Yuck.
They're kind of like a 51st state. I wonder how they would do without US assistance.
How about also removing muslims from non-muslim countries. Muslims are cancer too.
Not just cancer. They are completely useless. I have no idea what one billion muslims do except eat and breed. Compare that to how much the Jews have contributed.
Unintended-consequences OF HAMAS LAUNCHING an attack that they will have no chance of winning? Is that what your trying to say?
you're
The Judeo-Christian world is finally turning the other cheek: the Palestinians; and with a good, hard, slap of something a little more meaningful than a mere shoe.
The strengthening of Hamas is not only a consequence of the Israeli attack but also a result of the capturer-captive situation that has been created since the Hamas took charge over the Gaza strip. Despite the fact that the Palestinian rockets are not effective, the Palestinian TV is constantly lying to it's viewer and reporting on hits that never happened. letting the palestinians believe that there is success in hamas actions. The biggest example is the rocket that was aimed to hit Jerusalem and fell in the fields of a Palestinian village in the west bank. another is the simultaneous translation that the Palestinian TV is giving of the Israeli news that takes things out of context to give the Palestinian people the feeling that Israel is caving to Hamas's demands. Reality is that Iron Dome is working well and the Hamas is grasping with it's finger nails to show success and by that showing the people in gaza strip a distorted reality that can explode in Hamas's leaders faces at the end of the current round.
What the author of the article fails to recognize is that it does not matter whether it is Hamas, Islamic led Egypt, Al-Queda, Saudi Arabia or Iran, none will acknowledge the right of Israel to exist and that this is a "Clash of Civilizations". Fareed is clueless as well.
Former AIPAC Board Member
Clash of civilizations, like the western modernity, represented by enlightened secular Israelis against the Palestinians, wrongly perceived as backward peoples. Or, perhpas, more accurately the clash of civilizations with the secular Israelis against the trully backward religious zealots that settle the West Bank and control Israeli coalitions.
Israel has the right to defend itself....I hope they bomb those Palestinian w. h o res and their filthy john's back to B f *u*ck*ing C (That means Before Christ).
There's the Zionist spirit.
Yeah the zionist fascist spirit, Hitler would be proud of them!
Muslims = problem. No matter where they are. I hope Israel, the only civilized country in the middle east, keeps these thugs under control.
This article reminds me of the cold war propaganda of the eighties. "those soviets are irrational dangerous people". The difference of course was russia had nukes and a stong military so u couldn't just decide to start bombing them.
what happend in 1948???? out of the blue they came accupying and kiilling people who have been there for many many years...what happned in 1948???
Fascism, that's what happened
When Britts left, they suggested 2 states, neither with Jerusalem as a capitol. Jews agreed and Israel was created with capitol Tel-Aviv. Arabs refused and started fighting the next day. Jews retaliated and occupied part of territory suggested as a Palestinian state. It all went downhill from there
Neither Britain nor the UN had any right to create nations in the Middle East.
Maybe if Israel stopped its apartheid policy against the Palestinians, the fighting would stop.
Wow, the Palestinians can't even get the basics for daily living past Israel's blockade but they can get all those Iranian Rockets, what a joke this whole psy-op is. If only it was funny!!
I sharre your amazement. How much penicillin or morphine in plce of a single rocket could be smuggled into Gaza? But then I think why should medicine NEED to be smuggled past an Israeli blockade?
And the rockets are being launched, I am sure, to practice for an endgame. Hamas is an Iranian proxy and so this way Iran is close to intended target, practicing. Scary sh#$.
I used to work with Palestinians inside Israel, nicest people, hard-working and humble. But when the intifada started, they were first forbidden to stay in Israel overnight, then to come in Israel altogether. As much as I sympathise with them I can't help asking – why don't they do something about it? It's the poor, working men and their substantial families who suffer when militants shower Israel with rockets. They do not benefit from being denied access to jobs in Israel. Their government/authority does not provide jobs inside Gaza. They should change the people in charge to someone who is going to care about them more than killing their neighbors.
Israel now exists in lands formerly of the British Empire. They were take by the British from the arab populace living there, and given over to non-natives at the conclusion of the second world war. Much like India, the British took control of the nation – but unlike India, instead of giving it back over to their people that lived there when Britain took over, the United Nations voted to give it to foreigners. It would be like Britain leaving India, but not before giving it to the Chinese.
And people wonder why the Palestinians have a problem. In modern history (after colonization and country stealing was frowned upon by the international community), their country was taken by the Brits and then given to what would become known as the Israelis.
There was not a state when Britts took it from Ottoman empire. There were Arabs, Jews, Bedouins living there. The 2 states were suggested and voted for by UN. Jews took what was offered, Arabs – didn't.
Only the people in the Middle East had no representation in the UN, thus the UN had no right to make any unilateral decisions about that land.
Study the British Empire and Michael Collins and you'll realize that the Palestinians will eventually win back their country. The British Empire's power vs Collins band of woefully armed rebels looked like a no brainer but history has it's own agenda!
Islamic Jihad deputy chief Ziyad Nahala said on Sunday in an interview with Egyptian television that all of the organization's weapons came from Iran.
“I want to note that all our weapons are from Iran. The rockets fired into Israel until now have a range of 70 to 80 kilometers," he said, according to a report on Channel 10 News.
Isn't it amazing that the poor 'Jordanian' ex-patriots we are now calling 'Palestinians' can somehow smuggle in rockets but not food and supplies. In fact, if they were not smuggling in weapons, there would be no need for the embargo anyway. We need to remember that they were firing rockets at Israel KNOWING that eventually Israel would have to retaliate. Therefore, they place the rockets in places that will receive the most collateral civilian casualties. They KNOW they cannot win a direct conflict, so they are hoping to gander support from the rest of the world by indirectly killing their own people. AND by giving them that support, some in the USA are also indirectly responsible for the civilians deaths as well.
Iran is practicing from Gaza. Hamas is a front. Rockets not so good yet. Give it a couple of more years. Maybe then with a bit of enriched Uranium.
Who the F let this plagiarizing fa&&ot sand ni&&er back on CNN?
Fareed Zakaria is a tool
You are a freak.
Because I like to give animals bj's? Or because of the Fareed thing?
What Hamas has done is terrorism at its finest, but Israel is no innocent victim here. They have had checkpoints throughout Palestine for years, and torment Palestinians for fun. A client of mine is Palestinian, and was once detained at a checkpoint for a week. A punishment for having a US passport. He went back to bring his children back to the US, and the Israeli government toyed with him in a way that was cruel and childish. They required that both parents travel to Israel to obtain the visa for their daughter. In order to do that they had to be granted permission to enter Israel. He was given that permission, but his wife was not. No explanation, just a refusal. When he explained the situation to immigration they simply said "both parents must be present." His response, "but you won't let my wife be present." Israel's response was, "oh well." In order to leave the country through Jordan they have to get permission from Israel. They control Pslestinians from a distance and treat them like dogs. Then they blame the Palestinians when they react. It's a joke that we support them the way we do. Do you realize the reason we give Israel the support that we do is because its the holy land? We give them ultimate freedom to act like they do with no consequence because of a made up story. It pathetically ignorant.
Intended consequences: large numbers of dead and injured on the other side. Mission accomplished.
"The organization apparently determined it could build up long-range rockets in Gaza and allow its truce with Israel to erode without incurring a significant price."
I have trouble believing that Hamas is that naive. They knew that this would bring war like in 2008. They knew they would lose top commanders, that their weapons systems would be decimated and innocent Gazans would die. They're doing it anyway, and its an early Hannukah present for Israel's leaders who are more than happy to play their game, because either way Netanyahu's Likud and Hamas win, while peace loses.
Read the Genesis account of Abraham. Don't expect peace without the Prince of Peace.
JESUS
JOHN 3:16-21
Read.....
Follow instructions....
Saves lives....
Your life....
Love, GOD
god or alla is apparently blessing muslim, jews so much ha. Look at the destruction.
GOD concept is a one big lie. Ignorants killing each other for this.
@freesoul
Be a student first, then teach.
Read Genesis, then study history, then use understanding and then test your heart.
If you lack knowledge or wisdom, ask GOD to help you.
god what god ? I feel sorry for you, really,to believe in a jew folklore without thinking about what's happening around the world but yourself.
Open your eyes, there are blind,deft,dumb,poor, and children without limbs etc. Why your beloved god created them like that? ( you believe everything happen according to his will right? ) o yes because of adam's sins, now i wonder why these things happen to some people while some kids born with everything.
Why your god treating two kids in two different ways.
Who created god?
What a spin to justify men's inhumanity to men !!!
Just keep fighting over your mithology, you'll eventually exterminate each other, and when few remaining wake up from stone age everything is going to be in China.
The world does not revolve over Jews or Palestinians. The center of the world has moved to Asia.
Good night middle East. Very, very long dark night.
Indians will rule the world
ITS NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING. NOBODY IS GOING TO CHANGE POINTS OF VIEW AND REALLY IT IS TIME FOR HAMAS TO BE ROUNDED UP. THEY ARE WAR CRIMINALS USING CIVILIANS AS HUMAN SHIELDS AND THEY NEED TO GO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE AND JAIL
READ THROUGH TWICE- DIDNT SEE A SOLUTION TO ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED ROCKETS LANDING ON ON MY PEOPLE. HMM MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST LIE DOWN AND BE SACRIFICED INCA FASHION . WE DID IT BEFORE.!
The conflict has no resolution other than a military one.
There is only one way to settle this conflict:
DANCE OFF!