With All of the Commissions of Investigation and All of the Findings, The Lessons of Lebanon are Lost on Dumb and Dumber

They Would Not Listen, by Moshe Arens (Haaretz)

For context, click here.

“Rocket fire from Gaza occurs almost daily, endangering the civilian population in the south. It is a small-scale version of what happened in the north. Unless something is done about it soon, it will surely turn into a larger-scale version as time goes on. Yet our ground forces are not being ordered to put the Qassam rocket launchers out of range of our civilian population in the south.”

Full Text;

Now that we are beginning to learn what was said in the inner councils – at meetings with the prime minister, at meetings of the ministerial security committee and at sessions of the Israel Defense Forces General Staff – it is becoming clear that our leaders just would not listen to opinions that were contrary to theirs while discussions were being held on the conduct of the Second Lebanon War. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then chief of staff Dan Halutz stubbornly clung to their fantasy that the war could be won from the air, while Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni thought that we could get the UN Security Council to pull us out of this mess by calling for a cease-fire, leaving Hezbollah undefeated. read more

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Former Ambassador Ross Expresses Support for Pollard

Former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross Calls for Pollard Release

For context, click here.

Commentary;

As much support as former American ambassadors and officials can give toward Pollard’s release, such release will not come until Israel’s governmental leaders lobby and press honestly for that release. That means, totally frank, up-front and honest efforts made by Israel’s leaders, NO petitions left at home in secure, locked desk drawers, etc.

Until this occurs Jonathan Pollard continues to languish in prison in the US.
MB
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Wednesday War News

After Eilat Suicide Bombing: Olmert Instructs IDF to Maintain Current Policy

Full Text:

“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert instructed the IDF on Tuesday to maintain the existing cease-fire with the Palestinians, and not to alter its operations following Monday’s suicide bombing in Eilat, which killed three people. Israel Radio reported that in a meeting with several defense heads, Olmert rejected a number of anti-terror proposals.”

Kassam Rocket Lands Short in Gaza

Soldiers Discover Bombs near Shechem and Gaza read more

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Legal Charges Aside, Hypocritical Katsav Must Go!

Who is Moshe Katsav?, by Elyakim Haetzni (Ynet)

Commentary:

This author has kept the blog pretty much out of the Katsav episode. But one can’t help noticing that those complicit in the Expulsion from Gush Katif are falling, one-by-one; Sharon by way of debilitating stroke, Major-General Udi Adam, Chief-of-Staff Halutz and now the slow, painful fall of a hypocritical President who didn’t stand against the expulsion, didn’t stand against the police and Yassam attrocities in Amona, has been totally silent regarding the former Gush Katif residents who have NOT been compensated and are largely jobless and much more. He only bothered to raise a stur in his own defense. Divine retribution? MB read more

Dumb and Dumber Will Never Learn Lessons of Lebanon Action

Related Story:Peretz Orders IDF to Launch Operations Inside Gaza

Notice the wording in the report, as opposed to the banner headline;
“Defense Minister Amir Peretz… ordered the IDF to prepare to launch operations inside the Gaza Strip and against the infrastructure that enabled the suicide bomber who killed three people in Eilat earlier in the day to cross from Gaza into Israel.”

Related Story: PM, Peretz to Discuss Bombing Response

Excerpt;
“The identity of the terrorist organization responsible for Monday’s attack would help determine how Israel will respond.”
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Reinforcing Sinai Border Against Terrorists, Illegals On Hold for Lack of Funding

Sinai Border Wide Open to Illegal Workers, Terrorists, by Shelly Paz (Jerusalem Post)

Military Source: “It is clear to us that borders without fences cannot stop illegal aliens or terrorists. The vast majority of terror attempts are stopped and there has been an increase in overall effectiveness, but it is still a drop in the bucket.”

Excerpts;

“The border between Israel and Egypt is easy to cross, there is no real obstacle, just a low fence that is easy to cross,” Yossi Edelstein, supervisor of the Foreigners Enforcement Department in the Interior Ministry, said Monday. read more

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Tuesday War News

IAF Strikes Terror Tunnel in the Northern Gaza Strip

We’re Very Proud, [Eilat] Bomber’s Family Declares

Eilat Suicide Bomber’s Mother: “As he walked out of the house, he asked me to wish him good luck, I wished him good luck and I knew of his decision to become a martyr. Although I was aware of his intention, I did not know exactly when he was planning to carry out a martyrdom attack.”

4 Palestinians Arrested for Possessing Explosives [At Checkpoint East of Tulkarem]

IDF Arrests Twenty-Two Wanted [Tanzim] Terrorists [Near Shechem] read more

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Parsha Beshalach 5767: Being As One With Our Brother’s Difficulties

by, Moshe Burt

Our Parsha opens by stating; “It happened when Pharoh sent out the people that Hashem did not lead them by the way of the Philistines, because it was near, for Hashem said, ‘Perhaps the people will reconsider when they see a war, and they will return to Mitzriyim.'” (Sefer Sh’mos, Perek 13, posuk 17)

Torah Gems cites a vort from R’ Baruch Abba Rakowsky who says; “Perhaps the people will reconsider when they see a war, and they will return to Mitzriyim.” read more

Monday War News: Eilat Suicide Bombing and More

Suicide Terrorist Murders Two in Eilat, by Hillel Fendel (Israel National News 10:45 Jan 29, ’07 / 10 Shevat 5767)

Full Text;

For the first time, a suicide terrorist has detonated himself in the southern port city of Eilat. Two Jews are reported dead; no one was wounded.

Initial reports implied that the explosion inside a small bakery in Eilat around 9:45 AM was caused by a gas canister explosion. However, shortly after 10:30, the police abruptly issued an announcement saying that an Arab suicide terrorist had entered the bakery carrying a bag and detonated himself. read more

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Nobel Prize Winner Prof. Israel Aumann: “Panicked Longing for Peace… Endangers Our Very Existence”

Prof. Aumann: Post-Zionism Greater Threat Than Nukes, by Ezra HaLevi (Israel National News)

“Motivating ourselves is the most important thing, and the thing we are losing the most. Without motivation, we will not endure. What are we doing here? Why are we here? What are we aspiring to here? We are here because we are Jewish, we are Zionist, because of our ancient bond to this land; we aspire to realize our 2,000-year-old hope of becoming a free nation in our land, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem. Without this profound understanding, we will not endure. We will simply no longer be here; post-Zionism will finish us off.” read more