“The army said the aim of the operation is to protect Israeli lives and crush Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.” Good. Let’s hope that Obama doesn’t stop them before they have achieved these objectives.
“Israel launches ground operation in Gaza,” AFP, July 17, 2014:
Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza late Thursday on the 10th day of an offensive to stamp out rocket attacks from the Palestinian enclave, the army said.
“Following 10 days of Hamas attacks by land, air and sea, and after repeated rejections of offers to deescalate the situation, the Israel Defence Forces (army) has initiated a ground operation within the Gaza Strip,” it said in a statement.
The army said the aim of the operation is to protect Israeli lives and crush Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
“The IDF’s objective as defined by the Israeli government is to establish a reality in which Israeli residents can live in safety and security without continued indiscriminate terror, while striking a significant blow to Hamas’s terror infrastructure,” the statement said.
Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 to stamp out rocket attacks from Gaza and the army said the new operation will include ground and air assaults.
“This stage of operation ‘Protective Edge’, led by the IDF’s Southern Command, will include close coordination between IDF units including infantry, armoured corps, engineer corps, artillery, and intelligence combined with aerial and naval support,” it said.
“This effort will also be supported by the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) and other intelligence organisations,” the army added.
“In the face of Hamas’ tactics to leverage civilian casualties in pursuit of its terrorist goals, the IDF will continue in its unprecedented efforts to limit civilian harm,” it said.
At least 240 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes since July 8, many of them children, medics in Gaza said, with a NGO based in the coastal enclave saying 80 percent of the deaths are civilians.
Joseph says
About time. And this time, don’t stop until the job is finished. Wipe Hamas “off the map”, to borrow their phrase. Moshe Arens, former Israeli Defense Minister, is quoted as having said, after a particularly strong Israeli military response: “There’s life after public opinion”. Exactly right.
Go ahead, Bibi. Do what you know you must do and public opinion be damned.
medina says
“Public Opinion” in the liberal quarters I operate in have been strange; the liberals are quiet, the many Jews who work for my also Jewish broker are cautiously supporting Israel, and the conservatives are having honest discussions about what is really going on. Been very difficult for anyone to refute the facts regarding Hamas using human shields and firing from a school. Yes!
dumbledoresarmy says
WAtch and listen very carefully, and slip in little itchy, prickly nuggets of hard-to-forget information every chance to get. Play it cool.
*I* suspect that a paradigm shift is under way. A tipping point approaches.
From a purely sociological point of view, it’s fascinating to watch.
dumbledoresarmy says
Oops. Not sure how I came to write “every chance to get” when I *meant* to write “every chance you get”.
devonoagon says
About time. Send a message to HAMAS and any other entity that Israel is not about to play games anymore.
Milton says
The only message worth sending to Hamas is “Time’s up – forever.”
Beagle says
What does civilian even mean when dealing with non-uniformed illegal combatants who train children in jihad Summer camps, employ human shields, and only disseminate disinformation?
Why not claim 100% civilian and get it over with?
Bro. Nick says
AMEN – “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”
(Psalm 122:6 – KJV)
–
Bro. Nick – a CHRISTian supporter of many years for the Jewish people and their “LORD GOD” given promised land of Israel.
mariam rove says
Israel launches ground operation against Hamas in Gaza…
Hallelujah!!!!!!!!! finish those bastards once for all…m
45charleston says
Long over due ! No cease fires which just prolong the problem. This was inevitable . A 2 state solution is a left wing myth & only a one state under Israel will succeed . Kill all the militants, destroy their weapons, offer temporary Israeli citizenship until the Pals show loyalty to Israel.
Joseph says
“…until the PALS show loyalty to Israel.”
Dude, really? You had me right up till this last line.
Do you honestly believe these savages could ever be ‘converted’ to being human again? And, no, I’m not kidding, even a little bit. Islam is the “religion” of Anti-Christ and these devils have subscribed to his ideology. They HATE the Jews like the demons in hell hate every human person.
Do you honestly believe that they could somehow convert and begin [truly] being loyal to Israel?
Unfortunately, that attitude (and the ignorance that it belies, forgive me) ARE HALF THE PROBLEM. The West doesn’t wake up to the reality that Islam is the “spirit of Anti-Christ” (1John 2) because people like you quixotically hold out hope that the [fake nationality] “Palestinians” could somehow, en masse, be converted to the Israeli cause.
For real? In 2014? The “Palestinians” will someday/somehow show “loyalty to Israel”? What are you smoking?
This is the beginning of the End Times, make no mistake about it. The Chosen People have been reunited in the land of Israel after 2000 years. And now they are surrounded on all sides by their enemies. Got Ezekiel? Let me break it down for you: the Jews are the good guys; the Muslims are the bad guys; and ‘so it goes’ till Jehovah, the Living God, brings justice on those who have cursed His people. The “Pals” will NEVER (en masse) “show loyalty to Israel”. Please.
Or maybe I’m wrong. It has certainly happened before. I dunno. But that’s how I see it.
mariam rove says
and crush Hamas….
Loving every minute of it…m
Jovial Joe says
It is staggering that the IDF actually leafleted the area they are now attacking to forewarn civilians of their assault. What other conflict on earth involves one or other of the belligerents telling their enemy where they will strike, enabling said enemy to lay boobytraps, mines and god knows what else directly in the path of the assault? I tell you, that is a sign of the most moral military force that has ever joined battle. I salute all the brave men and women of the IDF; stay safe and give them hell!
Mo says
@ Jovial Joe
“It is staggering that the IDF actually leafleted the area they are now attacking to forewarn civilians of their assault.”
I can’t believe they actually do something this stupid. I thought it was a joke when I first heard it.
Why bother fighting a war if you’re going to warn your murderous opponent in advance?! An opponent, by the way, who has ZERO scruples and has no problem hiding behind civilians, even children? It’s ridiculous!
See? THAT’S why I’m so cynical. You cannot win a war this way!
Jovial Joe says
On the face of it it’s insane yes, but there’s something magnificent and fearless about it too; informing your enemy of the time and place knowing you’ll smash them to pieces regardless. Of course it’s also a humanitarian gesture in forewarning those among the civilian population with a sense of self-preservation to evacuate.
Mo says
@ Jovial Joe
” informing your enemy of the time and place knowing you’ll smash them to pieces regardless. ”
Well, it may be effective, assuming you will do exactly that. But I no longer have confidence that they will. All it takes is the world whining and next thing you know, Israel backs down. AGAIN.
It enrages me.
John C. Barile says
HAMAS would have anticipated an Israeli assault on these objectives in most any case, and they already made their preparations–this is what HAMAS wants, and they’ll get their fill of it. HAMAS is thinks that they can stymie Israel; it overlooks the fact that Israel learns from past inconclusive engagements–HAMAS is desperate and deluded.
John C. Barile says
“HAMAS thinks . . . ,” rather (editing mistake, above).
islamisdeath says
Go Israel go!!! God is with you!
Mirren10 says
“The army said the aim of the operation is to protect Israeli lives and crush Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.”
**Excellent** !!
Long live Israel !
Islam_Macht_Frei says
God Bless the IDF, especially their snipers.
God Bless the IAF, especially their smart bombs.
Wellington says
This is as pure an example of civilization versus anti-civilization as one can find in our age. No quarter to the barbarians who make up Hamas.
Long live Israel and this time I hope Israel wins rather than just accepting another damn hudna. This too: One knows or should know that Israel is not fighting for itself alone but for the best which all of Western Civilization stands for. Contrast what Islam stands for and the clarity of this dichotomy and only fools or the malevolent will not be with Israel in this hour.
mary_gonzales says
Don’t negotiate with terrorist. Even this world oppose you, but God is in your side Israel..
– I pray for u, from the lost world-
jihad3tracker says
THIS IS TO OUR TWO MUSLIM CONGRESSPERSONS — KEITH ELLISON AND ANDRE CARSON — who read every post here at JW…
Hamas has again pushed innocent men / women / children into slaughter — humans who know only that they are in Gaza and Muhammad is supposed quote “Allah”.
BY NOT EVER RENOUNCING ISLAM’S VIOLENT GANG STRUCTURE — BOTH OF YOU — HAVE BLOOD SPLATTERED ALL OVER THOSE EXPENSIVE CAPITOL HILL SUITS.
I am telling you RIGHT IN THE FACE : enabling ( by silence ) a 7th century desert pathology to appear OK for district constituents is clearly evidential of a hope MY country — not yours, obviously — will fall to treasonous enemies.
All readers here should take a few minutes to search for pictures of Keith Ellison and Andre Carson. Look closely into their eyes and expressions. What is there, ultimately ???
Cherish Freedom says
Who voted for those people? Isn’t that like sleeping with the enemy?
And to your point… why haven’t they spoken up? Why won’t any “moderate” muslim speak up?
vickie says
The HUGE population of African American Blacks in the 7th district.
What is so absolutely stupid on the part of Black Muslims is the Islamic ideal of slavery and inequality! I just don’t get it.
mortimer says
Agree. Muslims approve this depraved pathology.
dumbledoresarmy says
Right now, all of us have to write to our assorted governments, all over the West. Encourage them all to follow Canada’s lead and refuse to morally equate the IDF and the Hamas death/ murder cultists.
We must let our governments know, loud and clear, that we are fed up with hearing people bleating at Israel about “restraint” when what Israel is going up against are genocidally-Jewhating death cultists who would like nothing so much as to murder every Jew in Israel…and not onlly that, but every Jew in the whole wide world.
The job of the Australian government and all other western governments, right now, if they had even a gram of sense and moral intelligence, would be to just shut up – except to repeat, over and over, that they unconditionally support Israel’s right to defend itself against genocidal Jihad – and let Israel get on with doing what they have to do…**flattening Jihad Armed Camp / Military Base Gaza** and rooting out and destroying every last jihad gang boss.
The entire Western world – and many nations beyond the West – should be standing *with* Israel right now and cheering them on, instead of squawking and wailing and trying to force Israel to fight with one hand tied behind their back.
Mo says
IT’S ABOUT TIME! Long past time!
Unfortunately, I don’t have much hope in these things anymore. It’s always the same pattern:
Israel will start off strong.
Then the jihadists will stage a few photo-ops of dead children. (Real or faked, it makes no difference to them.)
Muslims, liberals and the rest of the world will shout, “Israel is so mean!”
The jihadists will claim to want peace/cease-fire.
Israel will cave to the world’s bullying.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
I hate to be so cynical. I would love to be wrong. But I’ve never seen it be anything other than that.
jihad3tracker says
Hello Mo —
Yes, I also have seen Israel’s respect for innocent “Palestinian” residents and its commitment to finding a peaceful solution lead to ending defensive action too soon.
But this time the outcome, I believe, will be different. Mahmoud Abbas has seriously overplayed aggression in this final series of maneuvers — probably due to a descent into what can accurately be described as years of failed strategy — and consequential insanity.
Snapping completely out of rational action because there is no way for Hamas to prevail. What we are seeing is an intentional political suicide, like a bridge jumper who knows death is a step away, but takes that leap anyway.
Mo says
@ jihad3tracker
“But this time the outcome, I believe, will be different.”
Hey, I hope you’re right!
Ted Davidson says
KICK ASS. boys!!! Long time overdue!!!
Buraq says
Looking forward to a Hamassacre! Go Israel!
Transmaster says
Until Obama, actually Valerie Garrett, tells them to stop, har-de-har-har; the voice of the Sultan of Stupid in Israel is akin to a fart in polite company you just ignore it, and the smell. His visage has the same impact as a dog planting a fresh turd on an newly installed White Karistan Wool carpet.
Just think the Egyptian Army is sitting on the western border of the Gaza strip waiting for who ever the IDF flushes out. Hamas is caught between a rock and a hard place. What is the Egyptian Army’s rule of engagement? If one 30 round magazine isn’t enough load up another one.
dumbledoresarmy says
What I’m waiting for?
The secondary, tertiary, quaternary explosions. And counting.
For the last few years especially, the mohammedan mobsters have been simply *stuffing* Gaza with weaponry and explosives, and probably flammable liquids, and fuel for the jihadis. Every tunnel, basement, attic, cupboard and broom closet in the place, just about, is packed full of military materiel. And then there are the backyard/ downtown/ mosque/ school, wherever-based arms factories…and I severely doubt that *any* of this stuff is either manufactured or stored with any particular regard to Occupational Health and Safety standards such as we pesky infidels try to observe. Inshallah….!
Well.
Sooner or later either the Gazans will do it to themselves, or the IAF – without even knowing or intending it – will “get lucky”.
Something will blow up and then it will set off something else and something else…like dropping a lighted cigarette on the floor, or lobbing a grenade into, a magazine…
And then a very large part of Gaza will ascend skyward in the mother of all Work Accidents, or in the mother of all Secondary Explosions.
PS My advice to the IDF and the IAF would be to take out *all* the known mosques, first. Obliterate them. (And watch the booms as all the military materiel inside goes up).
Transmaster says
Oh the perfect fantasy: Hamas shoots hundreds of rockets into Israel, and one or more hit and demolish The Dome of The Rock mosque, oops.
dumbledoresarmy says
It might just happen.
The ultimate “own goal”.
sinantara says
Traditionaly, one side wins the war and consolidates its victory by winning the peace by applying a realistic grand strategy. Once this was simply annhihilation of the vanquished (kill the males, enslave and breed with the females). Integration in a caste systems (the Veddic Laws of Manu), or the Ottoman dhimma (in princple the accepted strategy of any empire, which always had an ethnic/caste/class/party elite at the top making everybody else into second class citizens), or dynastic integration (the UK, in an era where princessess were bred for politics and stupid princes could be assasinated), or ideological integration (post WW2 cold war politics and economics). Established empires could effort to be multicultural as long as they were wealthy enough to pay off the internal and external proletariat, and strong enough to stamp any rebellion in the ground, if necessary by lining the roads with crucified victims. But, the first step is, win the war. Israel now can never win the war alone because a) it can’t occupy Gaza, b) it can’t apply what the British did to the Boers and the Italians to the Libyans… Or Stalin to the hapless people of the Soviet Union. Vae victis is outdated, because being the victim is nowadays cool. So don’t blame the Pals for using human shields, blame the liberal media/liberals celebrating vicitimhood. Israel also can’t win because it is fighting not the Gazans but a supranational entitity called Islam, with extremists and moderates just different aspcets of said entity. In this ISIS is more aware of a global reality, it sees regional conflicts as part of a clash of civilizations. On the other hand, they only think they can subdue the world because of the ideological, social and policital of the west. Clausewitz said it, war is about the will to win, translated into willingness to pay for victory in blood. Deacadent empires start bribing the barbarians and end up by losing power to the barbarians. My point, Israel and the Palestinians will continue terrorize each other untill a receipt is found for a global solution which occur when: a) the west caves in, allowing the Arab World to sacrify a miilion lives and some nuked cities to overun Israel. Of course, don’t forget that Pakistan has the bomb too, and soon Iran. b) people in the west lose enough illusions to draw a line in the sand, begin to have cultural pride and start breeding again, without calling such developments racist, or becoming racist, c) Islam will reform. Now about c) I expect a cynical response. But we Indonesians are optimistic–there is such a thinig as liberal Islam, however, it is of course under threat by hardliners, who, ironically, have declared explicitly that pluralism and multiculturalism are un Islamic. So we need a sanctuary to grow stronger. We can lose, we can win. And we have ex terorists who are converted to the view that religious wars can not be won–not anymore. So we need people like Robert Spencer to start looking for positive interpretations, without losing his role as specialist on jihad ideology. Nobody needs apologists. But for the followers of jihad watch, cursing Islam is good for the nerves but useless politically. So can Islam be reformed? But my post is already to long for a blog. Ot make short of the long, it can, starting with, reforms can be only succesfull if backed up by political power. To conclude, Israel nor the Pals can win without political power for liberal Islam, whereever in the world this can start to happen, by what ever means, and this needs all the help it can get, not cynicism
dumbledoresarmy says
STOP with the moral equivalence, fool.
It is not that Israel and Hamas are “terrorising each other”.
Hamas is waging Jihad against Israel; Israel is attempting to defend itself.
And do not underestimate Israel, and the West, for we live under the sign of the Burning Bush, and of the Phoenix. Do not gloat too soon.
It is the Holy One of Israel, YHWH, He Who Will Be What He Will Be, who will have the last word.
Islam is evil. Not “the terrorists”. Islam. It is an evil system at its core, the Arab Imperial Cult, a religion or cult of blood and war – or, to cut to the chase, of slavery, rape and murder and de facto human sacrifice (or why else would the Muslim murderer of Sebastian Selam say to his mother, “I have killed my Jew, I shall go to Paradise, Allah made me do it”?); a transnational crime “family” and system of extortion and racketeering and enslavement, crossed with a death/ murder cult. Whatever of good exists or has existed in lands suffused with Islam exists in despite of Islam, not because of it.
Islam is, I think, at its core, more purely antihuman, more purely and wilfully evil, than just about anything else that humans have historically inflicted upon themselves out of the darkness in their own hearts. A system that attacks and suppresses art and music, and teaches people to hate and be cruel to *dogs*, is a system with its face turned toward the abyss. It cannot be reformed. It deserves to die and go down to the dust, unmourned, like the cult of Moloch, and the cult of Odin Glutter of the Crows, and the cult of the dark gods of the Aztecs.
Abandon it . Leave it behind. Apostasise. Choose Life.
thomas_h says
“Abandon it . Leave it behind. Apostasise. Choose Life.”
Choose Truth.
sinantara says
My point is, Islam is not only a book, it is the faith of a billion people that will not just go away. But since Islam is not a thing, but a belief living in the heart and minds of humans, it can be reformed. But if you look at the history of religion, reform is always called heresy and heretics always have been crucified or burned at the stake. Till they got political support after the political elite made a choice often because of political ends. Cults become world religion because of conquest, and disappear because of defeat on the battle field. The jewish tribes hardened in the Sinai could overcome the sedentary Kanaanits, not the Assyrians, Babylonians, Seleucids, Romans, or Hitler. They got Isreal because the collapse of the Ottoman empire and English confusion. If not they would have ended up in Ethiopia. Christianity was saved by Justinianus, using Christianity as a means to a political end. And Christians could overcome the blood cult of the Aztecs because these Aztecs were battering at the armoured conquistadors with obsidian tipped weapons. Because they didn’t know horses. The Saxons became Christian because the Franks beat them militarily. Etc etc. A king needs a religions opposed to the relgion of the people he wants to conquer to use as an ideology of conquest. The Normans needed to convince the pope that the Anglo Saxons were heretics because among others their cult of the female principe. So that they could attack their fellow Christians. The Persians needed Shiism to resist Arabization… And in the ideological struggle between Asyariah and Mutazillah, it was the political choice of the caliphs for political reasons that tipped the scales. Islam can be reformed because it has to be reformed, and if it can not be reformed, woe to us all, one billion people will make war upon another billion. So lets hope that the Chinese who will emerge as the ultimate winner will stay what they are, very practical and earthly capitalo communists keeping to the cult of the state with religion tolerated as long as it stay out of politics.
Mo says
@ sinantara
“My point is, Islam is not only a book, it is the faith of a billion people that will not just go away. But since Islam is not a thing, but a belief living in the heart and minds of humans, it can be reformed.”
It’s had 1400 years to “reform”.
Islam is a death cult that brings nothing but oppression, misery, backwardness and death wherever it is practiced in the world. It was begun by a warlord, child rapist.
It is also a supremacist ideology that seeks to enslave the entire world.
We will NOT submit.
sinantara says
a few corrections, On the other hand, they only think they can subdue the world because of the ideological, social and policital weakness of the west.
klute says
As a Tel Aviv Jew, we are all a little subdued now, we all have relatives and friends in the army. Even the idiot liberals…
The liberals have indeed been quiet, and yet I fear they will never learn. We have to see how this operation unfolds, we actually have to permanently occupy Gaza no matter what, no matter the opposition from the UN, the West, the anti-Semite Obama. But Bibi doesn’t have the nerve and that is what worries me.
As far as liberal TA Jews are concerned, they suffered more during the series of suicide bomb attacks in the 90s, and doubled down in their liberal know-nothingness, so I am not optimistic this time around. They will never change.
dumbledoresarmy says
I hope our Jewish posters and lurkers may forgive me for slightly adapting for present circumstances the beautiful prayer, the Krias Shema, that is reproduced in English translation in Chaim Potok’s “My Name is Asher Lev”.
I liked it so much that I learned it by heart. I will transpose it from the first to the second person, and I invite any religious non-Muslim here present to use it on behalf of those young, young Israeli soldiers – an army of Davids – who are going into the dark tunnels, the booby-trapped labyrinth that is Gaza, to try to winkle out the jackals of jihad and destroy the arsenals.
“In the Name of the Lord, the G-d of Israel:
“May Michael be at your right hand, Gabriel at your left;
before you, Uriel; behind you, Raphael;
and above your head the divine presence of G-d.
Amen and Amen”.
Visualise each of those young soldiers going out into the dark labyrinth with the four great archangels walking with drawn swords before and behind and beside him.
And the thing is: they are going up against Jihad. They are going up against the local manifestation of that which threatens *all* of us infidels, everywhere that we are. Every jihadi gang boss they take out, every moment of peace they buy for Israel is a win for *us*, too.
So here’s a link that will take you to a prayer that many, many in Israel will be reciting right now. I think the rest of us can join in with this one.
http://israelisoldiersmother.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/how-does-mother-sleep-when-her-son-is.html
“May God bless the men and women of the Israel Defense Forces – in the air, on the sea, on land. May He watch over them as only the Protector of Israel can.”
And for the Jews amongst us, the one that the *nation* of Israel is using, is at this link.
http://israelisoldiersmother.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/all-we-can-do-is-pray.html
Dumbledoresarmy says
Let us say Tehillim, Christians and Jews together.
Psalm 121.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fNpErJ_C5k&feature=related
And the same again, for the army of Israel.
Silvia says
Thanks for the well wishing, guys <<<>>>
Are you guys aware of what’s going on in Turkey?
The Hitler wannabe Erdogan is on another one of his Hitlerian rants, along with many of his politicians and newspapers.
They attacked the Israeli consulates/embassy In Istanbul and Ankara (in a similar manner to the Iranian attack on the US embassy in 79.
You can see pics here
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4545908,00.html
You don’t even need to understand the text.
I bet Europe is looking and patting itself on its back for not letting them join the EU.
Islofob IS-1 says
Hamas must leave, and Gaza must be made into a parking lot, with no people living there . All who now call Gaza home, can join the rest of their kin in the West Bank. Only unconditional surrender should be accepted at this point.
In this way, the rocket fire from Gaza will end. If this is made so, peace will be restored in this theatre.
Any other outcome, and Israel will taste the smoke and sting of rockets once again.
May God guide and protect Israel, and all who support her.