05 August 2014

What was all that for, Bibi?

They worked us to the bone for a month. If they release us now and pull out, this will all have been for nothing, and we'll go back for another war under a different name," a reservist called up for duty said angrily.
Indeed. This is the only result, apparently:

Israeli delegation bound for Cairo to negotiate long-term ceasefire


1,900 dead in Gaza - for the rest to fall back under Hamas' "protection"?

64 soldiers died - for the rest of us to wait for another round of rockets?

The list of failures could continue indefinitely, but most of us could write it, so there is no real incentive to do it.


Never start anything you don't know how to finish, is the only thing in my mind right now.

29 comments:

Noga Contentious said...

I'm looking forward to the day when the same Spanish whatever will seek to buy technology from Israel. Too vengeful a thought? They deserve to be spat upon. I wish I had the literary knack to do it elegantly with words.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

The problem is that I am unsure what it is Spain provide to Israel. Or to the other side, possibly?

SnoopyTheGoon said...

There doesn't seem to be an alternative to the next time.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

That must be it!

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yep.

LouiseShah said...

Explain please. There is an alternative but you Israelis are too damned civilized to opt for it.

fred lapides said...

I am a firm believer that if you do not like a policy or idea or proposal, you need to more than be critical of it. You need to tell us what YOU would do.

LouiseShah said...

There's still capes.

BHCh said...

I am not in a position to argue... But I will:

1. Bibi did not start this. No way did he want this. What choice did he have?

2. He wanted to finish earlier. Much, much earlier. He couldn't. Hamas carried on till they ran out of rockets.

3. The tunnels. Might not all be destroyed. Yes, they may build the new ones. Still, the immediate threat of a massive nightmare terror attack is - as a minimum - postponed.

4. I am not sure there are any options other than to cease fire. Hamas does not want to fight any more - they don't have anything to shoot with. Israel would be framed as a villain even more than it already is. I can't think of any government other than Canada that hasn't condemned Israel. Canada does not have a veto in the UN.

Dick Stanley said...

Agreed, what they do in Cairo, especially in terms of strenghtening rather than weakening the blockade will determine the campaign's outcome. And maybe there is no more win-lose available to Israel, only fighting to the next ceasefire. Are they really out of missiles? I hope you're right.

Dick Stanley said...

I would definitely stop worrying about world condemnation which is so predictable and just get on with it. If a ceasefire is the best Bibi et al think they can get, so be it. Maybe the Long War is the best they can hope for. Just better hope Hamas doesn't get more rockets with bigger warheads and aiming devices and take out a department store in Tel Aviv next time.

Dick Stanley said...

It's easy to talk about carpet bombing, harder to live with the appalling result. Dresden was not covered live. Nor Hiroshima. But it may come to that some day. I guess Bibi just figured this was not the day.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

That is true.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

There were two options: 1) to continue the response to rockers as it was "accepted", meaning bombing in response to rockets and taking out the terrorist groups or 2) declare war and finish it by re-occupying Gaza for some time and passing control to, for instance, PA or an international peace force.

Bibi has chosen some strange middle way, effectively promising the next round all too soon.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Capes indeed, I completely forgot the capes.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

"Won" or "lost" are not very applicable terms to the situation at hand. So we agree that it will be repeated after some time.

The rest of my answer in my previous comment.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

"worthless American M-113s" Some of them are German copies, not that it is important. Same aluminum frame.

As for Hamas getting newer and bigger rockets: why do you think they clamor for a seaport and an airport ;-)

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yeah. Carpet bombing is for superpowers...

Dick Stanley said...

Not to mention those things the picadors use to stick the bull in a very unPeta-like manner. I mean really, when your national sport is cruelty to animals, how can you get all worked up over someone else's alleged failings.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

These skewers, you mean. Yeah, I know. Might come hand to IDF, it is just that I can't imagine the situation ;-)

BHCh said...

Snoopy,

I take your point that WIN is not quite the right word here. Still, it has fewer letters than “achieved stated and unstated objectives".

SnoopyTheGoon said...

That true.

David All said...

Yep, Hamas has certainly made a new definition of chutzpha!

More seriously, I think Bibi has made the right call, the IDF has inflicted quite a bit of damage on Hamas with a better than 10 to 1 kill ratio concerning soldiers. It its time to transfer attention to the Cairo talks and consolidate Israel's gains on the battlefield at the peace table.

David All said...

Besides the capes, matador swords and lances, Spain provides Israel with daggers and garrotting wire; of course you can also get them from Italy.

David All said...

Carpet bombing and nuclear weapons being used on an enemy city are hopefully things of the past. For those who think such weapons are something that can be used except in retailation, please read descriptions of what the fire bombing of Tokyo and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was like.

David All said...

BHCh, I agree with your analysis.
Israel has done as much as it can do on the battlefield, not it is time for peace talks.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I wonder whether its' possible, seeing as Hamas keeps beating self in the chest and sounding warlike...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I see. Garrotting wire of high quality is not that easy to get.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yes, it is in the realm of wet dreams of some generals, I guess.