Israel to keep troops in Gaza following ceasefire announcement

[IndianaGreen]

Israel to keep troops in Gaza following ceasefire announcement

By David Walsh
19 January 2009

The timing of the Israeli ceasefire and the US-Israeli deal coincides with the eve of the inauguration. It seems clear that the Israelis intended to halt the assault on Gaza, at least temporarily, before Obama took up residence in the White House. It is also clear that the plans being worked out between Israel, the US, Egypt and the European Union to strangle Palestinian resistance and undermine the Hamas government in Gaza have the full support of the incoming US administration.

Olmert also issued a clear threat to Iran and Syria in his ceasefire announcement, declaring that the military operation “proved again the power of Israel and improved its deterrence against those who threaten it.” One of the motives of the brutal offensive was to send a message to Iran in particular, which Israeli officials continually refer to as Hamas’s sponsor.

The international diplomatic effort as a whole is aimed at further isolating and disarming the Gazan population and toppling the Hamas administration, installing in its stead the US-backed and Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. This, however, seems an unlikely outcome given the widespread hatred and disgust among Gazans for the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas. The PA acted throughout the onslaught as the stooge of the Israelis and Americans, violently suppressing demonstrations and protests in the West Bank against the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

European Union officials also play their role in this cynical game. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the British, Italian and Spanish prime ministers Gordon Brown, Silvio Berlusconi and Jose Luis Zapatero and Czech premier Mirek Topolanek met with Egyptian officials first on Sunday and then traveled to Jerusalem for a summit with Olmert.

The European politicians spilled crocodile tears over the deaths of hundreds of Gazan children, without indicting Israel as the guilty party, and spoke strongly in defense of “Israel’s right to protect its citizens from Hamas rockets.” (Reuters)

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/gaza-j19.shtml

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. This is somewhat OBE. Israel has announced it plans to get its troops out in a couple of days

[Alamuti Lotus]

2. Bizarre concepts in play

Israel intends to continue committing all of the blatent acts of war it seems fit (maintaining an economic blockade, occupying territory, firing on anyone whom they please, etc), but the opposing side is not permitted any response aside from total surrender. Granted that the world is run largely by rogues and thieves in their own right, I find it hard to imagine how this entity is still taken seriously by anyone aside from the true-believers. 'Surreal' as a new(?) benchmark of (un-)reality, I suppose.

[Alamuti Lotus]

3. another random entry from the 'surreal file'

When viewing the site before logging in, I see an advertisement asking: "Is Israel being too compassionate in Gaza?" :wow:

[azurnoir]

4. par for the course is more like it n/t