Israel Reminds Foes That It Has Teeth

[groovedaddy]

JERUSALEM — Israel’s military operation in Gaza is aimed primarily at forcing Hamas to end its rocket barrages and military buildup. But it has another goal as well: to expunge the ghost of its flawed 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon and re-establish Israeli deterrence.

On the second day of the offensive, which has already killed hundreds and is devastating Hamas’s resources, Israeli commanders on Sunday were lining up tanks and troops at the border. But they were also insisting that they did not intend to reoccupy the coastal strip of 1.5 million Palestinians or to overthrow the Hamas government there.

This is because whatever might replace Hamas — anarchy, for example — could in fact be worse for Israel’s security. So the goal, as stated by a senior military official, is “to stop the firing against our civilians in the south and shape a different and new security situation there.”

This means another peace treaty with Hamas, but one that has more specific terms than the one that ended 10 days ago. Such a concrete goal, however, should not obscure the fact that Israel has a larger concern — it worries that its enemies are less afraid of it than they once were, or should be. Israeli leaders are calculating that a display of power in Gaza could fix that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/world/middleeast/29assess.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

[Horselover Fat]

1. and that it doesn't mind biting the heads off civilians...

[groovedaddy]

3. Hamas doesn't seem to mind doing the same either. n.t

[azurnoir]

4. Yes sireee

it has killed an average of 2 a year since the first kassam was fired in 2001

[Joe the Revelator]

12. Yes I am sure thats because of the mercy Hamas shows the Israelie people

and not things like the blockade,and Israel's security operations.

[Better Believe It]

9. Two Israeli's dead. You think Israel should nuke the Palestinians in retaliation?

That'll show them!

Collective punishment in the extreme.

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. i'm sure this will work out just fine

and this bombing campaign will in no way encourage future attacks on Israel.

[wurzel]

5. Makes you kind of proud. Doesn't it?

[Better Believe It]

6. It also has Atomic bombs. Their nuclear arsenal needs to be disarmed

What do they need nuclear bombs for? Their massive and highly advanced military forces can easily defeat any invasion of the fatherland.

Israel could at some point trigger a world nuclear war.

They are the greatest nuclear danger humankind faces so long as Israel remains an extreme right-wing regime.

Their nuclear arsenal needs to be disarmed.

[Horselover Fat]

7. and they don't even have to report them. why is that?

[Crunchy Frog]

8. I don't think anyone has doubted their capacity to kill lots of people

and wreak lots of destruction. It's just that these abilities aren't necessarily translating into political gains anymore.

[bunnies]

10. Israel reminds foes that it has the US in its pocket.

Therefore they (like US) can do whateverthefuck they want.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. Once again the NYT projects American media style angst on to others

The IDF does not care about "the ghost of its flawed 2006 war against Hezbollah". The did their after action analysis and moved on. The current actions in Gaza clearly show some lessons learned. To bring up. Hand wringing is not something Sabras do.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

13. Guess those 5 dead sisters in Jebalya got bit pretty hard.

How utterly obscene.

[HeraldSquare212]

14. Foes remind Israel it doesn't have the stomach for mass killings of civilians. I hope.