Explainer: Israel's attack on Gaza

[Karmadillo]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/explainer-israels-attack-on-gaza-1215044.html

Explainer: Israel's attack on Gaza

By Katherine Butler, Foreign Editor
Monday, 29 December 2008

Why has Israel launched the deadliest attacks on Palestinian territory since the 1967 Six Day War?

Israel's onslaught is a reprisal for a week-long barrage of rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza. Israel says it had to safeguard the lives in towns bordering the strip. Palestinians, and many others, believe the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also ordered the raids to achieve what his government had failed to achieve through other means: the removal from power of Hamas, the Islamist political movement elected to run Gaza in 2006, which it accuses of being controlled by Iran and Syria.

Was the timing a surprise?

The scale and ferocity of the attacks came as a shock to many but tensions had been building after the expiry on 18 December of a ceasefire.

Why did the ceasefire collapse?

Hamas had offered to renew the ceasefire if Israel reopened Gaza's border crossings. The strip had been sealed by Israel in an economic siege aimed at toppling Hamas. The blockade has brought the territory near economic collapse.

Are Israeli domestic politics a factor?

Very much so. Israel is preparing for general elections on 10 February. The prospect of a return to power by the hawk Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the right-wing Likud party, promising tough action against Hamas, has hardened the positions of Israel's more moderate political leaders.

more...

[Poll_Blind]

1. FYI, if you click on the link and get an ad, go back and load it again.

PB

[LynnTheDem]

2. How can it possibly be a "reprisal for a week-long barrage" when Israel has admitted

to planning for this attack for the past 6 months?

When will liberals who managed to see through the bushr egime bullshit manage to see through the olmert regime bullshit?

Ever?

[bstender]

3. interesting you say that

to "see through the bullshit", you have to have honest open discussion about it. That is the whole problem.

When a place like this very Democratic Underground censors all discussion of the issue, you know we are a long long way from that day.

(this thread will be disappeared within a few minutes by your freindly democratic minders)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. It may get moved to the I/P area

Why is that considered censorship?

[bstender]

9. thread gets killed

it doesn't get moved, the discussion is locked and moved off of the list of current discussions.

this one that i responded to this morning was killed in under two minutes: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8042348&mesg_id=8042348.

clearly it was an inane discussion that is better off gone. but this other one was perfectly legitimate and was locked for no legitimate reason that i can see, unusually cogent and fairminded for a DU discussion actually: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4729484&mesg_id=4729484

the point is that the I/P conflict is facilitated wholly by the USA, and the ignorance of the US populace about the conflict is the reason that it continues. DU officially supports that policy of keeping it in the closet. therefore , their policy is to facilitate the I/P conflict. it's a hot button all right, and lots of powerful people will make you pay for speaking the truth, ask Walt and Mearsheimer, but that doesnt excuse the policy at all.

(now we'll get locked down for sure;)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Because the article is wrong and the author incorrect

Israel has continually saying that the attacks that have gone on for years must stop. Those who claim its just about the attacks since the ceasefire ended are either being disingenuous or clueless.

Apparently Israel took 6 months to collect data on Hamas activities and then apparently have only struck sites being used by Hamas. Both Palestinian and Israeli media back this up. This is a major change in behavior for them. The IDF is infamous for a "run and gun" relying on tactics, doctrine, and real time innovation. This time they built a detailed plan upfront and are sticking to it. They look to have learned lessons from Lebanon.

[acmavm]

6. They lost in Lebanon and they showed the world what thugs

they are.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. I brought up Lebanon as a contrast to what is going on now

The IDF has learned and adapted. That does not bode well for irregular groups like Hamas.

Hezbollah is also watching this and must be looking at how a similar multilevel strike could be done against them. They should also be wondering how much Israelis know about their rebuilt facilities. It has to be causing some introspection on their parts. They also stopped their initial saber rattling.

[acmavm]

8. Oh right, Israeli barbarity has done so much good so far.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. If you are talking about the air strikes that still to be determined

Time has an article claiming that most of the Hamas senior leadership survived and so little damage was done. However, they did not mention the destruction of infrastructure, communications, and material, including heavy weapons. Then again, I don't expect anyone in the M$M to grasp real world logistics.

Israel has been very open about their goal to remove Hamas. If they do, then negotiations and dialog would resume, with some onus on Israel to compromise due to the killing and destruction they did. Is the blood price worth it? Only time will tell.

[acmavm]

11. How about the blockade of Gaza? How about the bulldozing of

Palestinian fruit and olive trees? How about bull dozing Palestinian homes? Confiscation of their lands? Ever hear the name Rachel Corrie?