Yep. Its phony. If Israel meant business it would have flattened Gaza from the air like Sir Arthur Harris flattened Dresden from the air in the 1940s. This is just a campaign commercial for the Israeli Left. Its not a real war and its not being fought like one and the Israeli government gives absolutely no indication it wants to annihilate Hamas. It just wants it to stop firing rockets. My guess is some way will be found to return to the phony status ante quo. And Israel will continue to be in danger. When we see Israel actually fighting a war as opposed to the current make pretend bombing of a few targets, we’ll know it. It bears repeating again for emphasis that right now Israel is not fighting a real war.

NormanF on December 28, 2008 at 3:49 pm

Debbie why is HAMAS spelled in all caps?
[K: BECAUSE IT’S AN ACRONYM FOR HARAKAT AL-MUKAWAMA AL-ISLAMIYAH–“ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT.” DS]

Ken_K on December 28, 2008 at 3:51 pm

I was telling my friends exactly this last night. In fact I am not spending anytime keeping up with the details of what is going on. I will only care if one of these three things happens:
1) A ground offensive. Since this will involve massive Israeli casualties I can’t see Barak ordering this unless he means business and wants to win.
2) Hezbullah does something to open a second front. I don’t think this will happen because I believe Iran is waiting for the right time to massively attack Israel and the current activity was started by Israel and is not part of Iran’s timetable. However, I am not completely ruling this out.
3) Israel starts carpet bombing Gaza. This is what should happen, but I can only dream about it since I know it never will.

i_am_me on December 28, 2008 at 4:06 pm

B”H
You’re absolutely right, of course, about the election ploy.
With regards to why they attacked at all,…we must not forget that Israel is doing Fatah’s dirty work for them.
Without Fatah as a [pseudo] “piece partner” {misspelling on purpose}, Kadima and Labor are out of a job.
[BY: THAT’S RIGHT. FORGOT TO PUT THAT IN. ADDED. DS]

Ben-Yehudah on December 28, 2008 at 4:34 pm

Debbie, your analysis is right on the money. All of this is merely a costly public relations exercise for the feckless Israeli government. There is no ultimate goal here, which should be the unconditional surrender of the Hamas “government” followed by the release of the kidnapped soldiers Shalit et al. Immediate plans should then follow for the permanent annexation of Gaza to Israel, with the speedy and necessary expulsion of virtually all Gaza’s population. Let them go to Jordan, Egypt…anywhere in dar al-Islam, but barred from entry into non-Muslim lands. The Israelis will, simply, not do what they must do – show the Gazans a degree of ruthlessness which far exceeds what the Gazans (and the rest of the Muslim barbarians) have come to expect. Such a display of force, power, and ruthlessness is the one thing that will serve as a deterrent to Arab/Muslim attacks. And not one such display, but repeated displays, will be necessary, as it must be made clear to Israel’s vast and fanatical enemy that Israel has changed, and has changed permanently – that it is no longer hesitant to retaliate, and to inflict merciless ruin upon its implacable adversary. And this is not just incumbent upon Israel, but upon all infidel societies, including our own. We need to be ruthless, as well. We need to understand that we are fighting to preserve our civilization, and that the precepts and imperatives of Islam are antithetical to this.

commonsense on December 28, 2008 at 6:43 pm

I’m hoping against hope that Israel has absorbed a little steel into its backbone (but I won’t hold my breath).

G M Roper on December 28, 2008 at 6:55 pm

The sooner Israel bombs Gaza into the world’s biggest parking lot, the better. Send any muslim survivors to a arab country.

mplumb on December 28, 2008 at 7:20 pm

This is not 2006, and the Bush-Abdullah-Rice triumvirate now find themselves holding very little in the way of credible leverage to be used against the Jewish State.
The weather in the tzafon is cool and pleasant, and blessed with cloud cover, ………….a very good environment for killing off the barbarians.

Miluimnik on December 28, 2008 at 8:27 pm

I’m hoping that at the very least, Israel will mount a rescue attempt for Gilad Schalit. If they don’t, it will double-emphasize the point you’re making here.

There is NO Santa Claus on December 28, 2008 at 9:19 pm

I agree with your assessment. I understand that Sarkozy, the great friend of Israel has already criticized Israel’s ‘disproportionate’ response. How long before Bush/Obama do the same?
While I agree that the war is opportunist, I also think that a war like this has its own dynamic, which is, at least in part, independent of Olmert, Livni, et al. So there is always a chance it could go beyond the bounds they are projecting. Because of this, there is always a chance that Israel might flatten Hamas.
Unfortunately, Netanyahu has given indications in his campaign of what he would be like if he wins. He has made concessions to the liberal media during the campaign, and blunted his attacks on the left and center. While he would be better than Livni, I am not terribly optomistic.

c f on December 28, 2008 at 9:36 pm

Debbie You are spot on about this sham offensive.
It reminds me of the many on and off LBJ bombings of North Vietnam that led to our disastrous defeat
over there.
I sincerely hope that if and when Israel decides to win this war, it does not follow the criminal policies of Bomber Harris in bombing Dresden to rubble, a city with no military value and the war
almost at an end. Civilian casualties in war are
inevitable, but deliberate bombing of innocent civilians ( as in Dresden ) is despicable.

Hawkins on December 28, 2008 at 10:22 pm

Sadly the problem appears to be that Israel has, over the years, failed to kill a sufficient number of Palestinians.
The evidence of this? The obvious lack of deterrence of the relatively merciful policies followed by the Israeli governments over the last 60 years. Until Israel responds in a manner that is sufficiently ruthless to lead the Palestinians to fear Israel more than they hate Israel ó thereby leading them to reject terrorism as the only means of preserving their lives and those of their children and grandchildren ó then the Palestinians will continue to make the rational choice to continue to engage in aggression against Israel because they do not view the cost (a relative handful of dead compared to what they desire to inflict upon Israel) to be sufficiently low to continue to practice terrorism.

Rhymes With Right on December 28, 2008 at 10:53 pm

Israel will be sending food and medicine to gaza in less than a week. I don’t understand how Israel can give aid to its enemies. It is insane.

free on December 28, 2008 at 11:15 pm

Debbie, I can’t believe you party pooped like that. I was just telling someone today that even though I didn’t get any Hanukkah presents this year, and can’t remember the last one I got, that the new Gaza raid was all the present I needed. And then you say it was just a campaign stunt. Internal politics aside, I think it’s been a good couple of days for our side. I say: three cheers for Israel.

Anonymous1 on December 28, 2008 at 11:26 pm

Who woulda knew that there are actually politicians who would doctor up a tragedy in order to win political favoritism? I mean, I love your work and all Debbie, but do you actually think that a politician would cause death and destruction just to get a political advantage over a popular opponent and push an agenda? Preposterous, I say! That would be like saying that 9/11 was an inside job in order to drive thru stalled anti-terrorist legislation! And who would ever believe that could actually happen?
No wonder Jerusalem has been reluctant to attack HAMAS. They are in a no win situation. Not only can they not get support from the world community, they can’t even get good press from their own compatriots!
I guess Jerusalem could have continued to do nothing to their antagonists, but they would have just gotten bolder (I see where they are now planning to kidnap and torture female soldiers), as time went on, but 270 bodies thus far sends a pretty powerful message about their resolve!
In my humble opinion, someone had to do something to slow the attacks. It may be too little too late, but at least it is something, and nothing comes from nothing…
[M: TERRIBLE ANALOGY. DID YOU ACTUALLY READ THIS ENTRY BEFORE YOU WROTE THIS COMMENT? THERE IS NO PROOF 9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB AND ALL THE PROOF IN THE WORLD THAT IT WAS COMMITTED BY ISLAMIC TERRORISTS, INCLUDING BIN LADEN BRAGGING ABOUT IT ON VIDEOTAPE TO A SAUDI PRINCE.
THERE IS EVERY BIT OF PROOF–AND IT’S WELL ESTABLISHED FACT–THAT HAMAS HAS BEEN SENDING ROCKETS TO ATTACK ISRAELIS FOR YEARS AND THAT ISRAEL RARELY DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT, UNTIL NOW, WHEN THERE ARE ONLY TWO MONTHS TO AN ELECTION THAT LIVNI AND COMPANY ARE LOSING IN THE POLLS TO THE FAR TOUGHER NETANYAHU. NOT A CONSPIRACY, JUST THE TRUTH THAT ANYONE WHO FOLLOWS ISRAEL KNOWS. SORRY, BUT FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS. ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING LONG AGO ABOUT THIS, BUT DICKERED AROUND, CLOSING OFF SUPPLIES AND FUNDS TO GAZA ON ONE DAY, LETTING ‘EM IN ON THE NEXT AND RELEASING MORE PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS FROM PRISON (INCLUDING SAMIR KUNTAR–DID I MAKE THAT UP, TOO?) THIS TOO SHALL PASS, AND HAMAS WILL BE ALL THE STRONGER FOR IT, JUST LIKE OLMERT STRENGTHENED HEZBOLLAH BY REFUSING TO CARRY OUT AN EFFECTIVE GROUND WAR AND WASTING LIVES OF RELIGIOUS JEWISH SETTLERS (WHO WERE MOST OF THOSE ISRAELI SOLDIERS KILLED IN LEBANON).
THIS IS HISTORY, NOT CONSPIRACY THEORY. WAKE UP. THEY PLAY POLITICS IN ISRAEL EVEN BETTER THAN THEY DO IT HERE. DS]

Mewize on December 28, 2008 at 11:29 pm

You’re absolutely right, Deb, but I can’t help but be a little proud when I see mighty Israel strike back and exact revenge on the awful and evil Muslims terrorists (redundant, I know.)
G-d help Israel and her people when Imam-elect Thugbama takes over our government.

ObamaSlammaJamma on December 28, 2008 at 11:33 pm

Before anyone claims that Olmert would not launch a military offensive for anything other than legitimate military reasons, one needs to know (I would say remember but the press never reported this so it may never have been known by most people) that in the last few days of the Lebanon war in 2006, Olmert sent Israeli soldiers in to Lebanon for no valid reason knowing those that were not killed would have to withdraw in a couple of days anyway.
I also happen to believe there may be one more reason besides the election for this. Olmert-Livni-Barak may have decided not to take out Iran’s nuke sites, and they can use this as an excuse (The missiles from Gaza were out first priority, and then it was too late to go into Iran …).

i_am_me on December 29, 2008 at 12:49 am

When terrorist like Hammas do what they do…it’s an act of war, plain and simple. And like Debbie articulated, you don’t fight it when it’s convenient. Here cancer analogy was spot on. When an organization or nation declares a war on another. You respond by fighting back and you stay in it till it’s over…whether your side wins or loses. Israel should have resolved this problem when it was a thorn in their side. Opposed to letting Hammas gain strength. When you’re at war, the objective is to literally crush your adversary untill they give up or all dead and gone. If Israel is relentless and ruthless in fighting you can be assured they might not have to kick out the Gazans. They will volunteerily leave if true fear is instilled in them. Israel is going in this perpetual circle which is getting them no where. There either have to fight hammas and continue it for the long haul. Or else they’ll continue to keep going in circles with no end in sight. At some point Israel has to say enough is enough. And just get it over with and begin an all our war, that could take years for an outcome. And you can be assured that NO Muslim Nation is going to help Hammas with their ground support. Because they actually do fear America would get involved. Israels allies might say “show restraint” in the media, but they’re just being politically correct. Whereas, behind closed doors would be supporting Israel. And even if Israels allies weren’t so supportive of any “real military action.” It’s not like they would stop being allies. America’s war with Iraq isn’t so popular and our allies are still friends with us. Essentially, Israel needs to grow some balls, get a back bone. And just get this over with once and for all. When things settle down, more than likely muslims will be motivated to not conduct as much terrorism due to fear which…is a good motivator when it comes things like this. Muslims will do not have the resolve to sustain a long term war. They talk the talk but when it comes to real action. They never follow through.

Tenn Scholar on December 29, 2008 at 3:37 am

Problem is our “hawk,” Benjamin Netanyahu, is moving left just as fast as Livni is moving right. Netanyahu purges the party list of anything that looks too hardline, he vows to continue negotiating with the jihadists and looks forward to working with Barack H. Obama.
Remember, Likud stayed with Sharon until Sharon finally abandoned Likud.

Wild Jew on December 29, 2008 at 3:57 am

Let’s wait and see.
Hopefully Israel will apologize for unintentionally offending Hamas and hurting the feelings of the rocket launchers.
Let us pray.

Independent Conservative on December 29, 2008 at 4:51 am

i do’t think that Israel backs down as much as they’re FORCED to back down.
Israel is the only country in history that goes to war and the LOSERS get the spoils. Shouldn’t have give back anything they WON in ’67 and ’73!!!

EminemsRevenge on December 29, 2008 at 8:16 am

Mrs. TINSC noted this morning (after reading this column) that the timing may have also coincided with the transition of the U.S. government. The theory is that diplomatic opposition in the State Dept. might be muted during the transition.
Whadda ya think?

There is NO Santa Claus on December 29, 2008 at 8:32 am

I’m not saying you are wrong Debbie but as CF noted above, war has its own dynamic. The world perception of this attack is decidedly different than Lebanon 2006. There’s nothing like soaring opinion polls to prejudice a politician in favor of what ever made them soar – in this case well -planned and executed and well-explained military operations against an enemy that will make itself uglier (rockets against civilians, suicide terror)as it hangs on.
Who knows what will happen. Just one devastating long range rocket on a nursery school or such in Ashkelon and the whole sell-out you described above would be untenable.

poetcomic1 on December 29, 2008 at 10:03 am

I had a really bad feeling about Israel when that
pitiful eunuch Olmert failed to follow up on the
attack on Hezbollah and allowed them to “win” the
war. In my gut I felt it was another Vietnam. Can
Israel ever recover ?? Can this “limited”
offensive make up for that blunder ? How many
blunders is Israel allowed before it is too late ?

Hawkins on December 29, 2008 at 10:48 am

So are you saying this is another Clintonesque “Wag The Dog?”
Hmmmm … I always thought HAMAS stood for:
Hhooligan Asshole Maggot Alarmist Subversives
Jimmy Lewis
SCS, Michigan
Blog: http://rougerevival.blogspot.com/

Jimmy on December 29, 2008 at 11:26 am

Just heard the White House defending Israel’s right to defend itself against HAMAS !!
It has been a pitiful administration, but W. has
been Israel’s best friend ! And how do American
Jews reward him for this unpopular stand ?? Why,
they vote for Democrats, of course ! Go figure !

Hawkins on December 29, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Hawkins (Re: Your comment concerning the destruction of Dresden):
Dresden was bombed for several reasons. Firstly, it was a railway and communication hub, and had significant strategic value to the Nazi military. War materiel was shipped out and distributed to the Wehrmacht from Dresden. Dresden was also a manufacturing center of some importance, producing cameras, lenses, radios and other electronic equipment, fuses, etc. which were all needed for the Nazi war effort. The factories which produced these items were not “smokestack factories,” but their products led to lethal results for the Allies. Dresden, contrary to popular belief (and even Churchill was apparently misled here), was not merely a place whence were crafted delicate porcelain figurines and dishes.
Another important reason why the British (aided by the Americans) decided to bomb Dresden was the British command’s desire to show the Soviets the full extent of British firepower, as the British – with good reason – did not trust Stalin fully as a partner. Lastly – and this has relevance for Israel, and for the rest of the non-Muslim world, today, under threat or attack from Islam – the Allies wanted to reinforce to the German citizenry that their total defeat was inevitable, and that further thoughts of aggression and retaliation were useless. In other words, another reason for Dresden’s destruction was to utterly demoralize the Nazified German populace. Keep in mind that the Nazis, of course, had no compunctions about killing millions of civilians, including countless Russians (we already know, of course about the Jews, the Rom, et al.). Yes, there was a quid pro quo element involved here, but it was not unjustified. Look – war is collective punishment. The punishment meted out to the Germans and Japanese was so tremendous that a profound change was wrought in both countries. Any dreams of world domination and notions of racial superiority were abandoned. Imperial Japan and the Third Reich were utterly destroyed, and the world, at least for a short period, could heave a sigh of relief and attempt to rebuild.
I regret the bombing of Dresden, however, primarily because of the loss of works of art and musical manuscripts, many of the latter being unique. Many magnificent unpublished musical compositions (including Daphne, the earliest known opera to be written in German, by the great composer Heinrich Schuetz, circa 1620) are irretrievably lost as a result of the bombing. But what’s done is done.

commonsense on December 29, 2008 at 2:30 pm

Re: Dresden
The destruction of Dresden was an act of utter
stupidity. At the time most of Germany was already in ruins and the Wehrmacht totally
defeated. To imply that all Germans were NAZIS
and therefore deserved to be fire-bombed exhibits
a rather calloused soul. Do we include 1 year olds
in that category ?? Not to mention that Germany
was overrun by millions of non-German refugees
trying to get away from the Russians, including
me ! Did we all desreve to get fire-bombed ? Just
to show the Russians that the British had balls !

Hawkins on December 29, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Watching the media pee its pants because KING HUSSEIN COBRAMA will have to deal with this “mideast war” on day 1 was pathetic. Who cares about people warring but how dare Israel defend itself while the KING gets coronated? The media protecting their “messiah” wont question KING HUSSEIN COBRAMA about what side he is on. Just he “wants peace.” He wont say anything until Jan. 20th because there is “only one president at a time.” Is he with Israel or with the Muslims?
Hopefully for Israel they can win any war by themselves in the next four years because I believe they will unfortunately be on their own. Maybe HUSSEIN COBRAMA will prove us wrong but I wouldn’t bet on it.

californiascreaming on December 29, 2008 at 7:06 pm

Hawkins’s comment deserves a reply. Members of my family were Polish Jews, and were killed, including my mother’s younger cousin who came to America alone but returned to Poland to be with her family because she had difficulty adjusting here. This was in the 1930s. She and other members of her family who stayed in Poland were never heard from again. So, yes. I’m callous. Frankly, I don’t give a damn about the Germans who were killed in the firebombing, just as they didn’t give a damn about my relatives who were killed, mostly by their relatives in the SS. So sue me.

commonsense on December 29, 2008 at 7:11 pm

Dear Debbie;
As a gentile who thinks Israel is grand, and should last forever, and that the people of Israel deserve to live in peace forever, I hope that you are dead wrong. I am following the goings on over there, and I am hoping the IDF wipes HAMAS completely off the map. No. I won’t be holding my breath. Because I fear you might be right. But I can imagine how wonderful it would be if you were wrong.
Sincerely;
EJO

EJO on December 29, 2008 at 7:34 pm

Debbie, I have to agree with your analysis that this is politically motivated–STILL, the fact that Israel IS fighting right now and getting ready to go in with ground troops is a positive.
First question, are you fearful that Netanyahu could lose the election? I don’t think that is likely–but perhaps you know the Israelis better than I do. We watched this cycle play out in the 90’s when Bibi came in last time and then turned to a Bush–talking big but doing all kinds of appeasing instead. You have said yourself, that Bibi has serious problems.
Second question, isn’t it a positive if when Bibi comes in to being PM that Israel has already been fighting the war? Then it becomes a bi-partisan thing, it would seem.
I think this thing will continue to escalate until there is some international intervention to appease the Iranians et al (translated — interference, coercion). Many more terrorists will be killed, and that ain’t all bad. I say “G-d bless it,” everyone!

BB on December 29, 2008 at 9:30 pm

RE : Commonsense = soul perverted by vengeance !
Why would I want to sue you ? I knew I could
smoke out your real motives ! Many nationalities
suffered holocausts in the 20th Century : for
instance the artificial Ukraine famine killed 7 million in the 30’s. Do we then condemn whole peoples ( born and unborn ) for the actions of
their leaders ? There would be no one left !
Dresden was senseless slaughter – 3 waves of bombers on ( at that point in the war ) defenseless people. Anyone who takes pleasure in
that is rather deranged.
As long as Israel takes all necessary precautions
to avoid senseless slaughter, I support them. Otherwise they would be no different from HAMAS !

Hawkins on December 29, 2008 at 9:35 pm

Hawkins asks: “Do we..condemn whole peoples… for the actions of their leaders?” In the case of the German people during the Third Reich, I would say yes. Support and enthusiasm for Hitler was overwhelming. Watching newsreels of the numberless throngs of fanatical Hitler supporters during Nazi rallies never fails to sicken me. Hitler was not like Mugabe, Stalin, or possibly Saddam Hussein, more feared than idolized by their terrified subjects.
Hawkins wrongly assumes that I take pleasure in the fact that German noncombatants were killed during the Dresden firebombing. I never said that. I said I didn’t give a damn. If the Nazis won the war, I wouldn’t be sitting here typing this. My parents would have been killed and incinerated, and I would never have been born, or if I had, I would have had my brains dashed out, or gassed – the fate of countless Jewish babies. It is extremely sanctimonious to expect any other reaction from me other than indifference to the fate of those who perished in Dresden. I said indifference, not pleasure.

commonsense on December 30, 2008 at 2:26 am

RE : commonsense ( I am not sure that someone as
consumed by hate to be indifferent to the suffering of innocents as you are should use this moniker )
Have you read ” The ODESSA File ” or seen the movie. There is an interesting comment by Solomon
Tauber “Peoples are not evil, individuals are evil !” That phrase always stuck with me ( even if
it probably is fiction ). Attitudes like yours are
very destructive even to the victors. You should
read the latest book on the assasination of General George Patton Target : Patton by Robert Wilcox on the differences between his and FDR’s
policies on the treatment of Germans and non-Germans in post war Germany ( while you are at it
you might want to Google “Operation Keelhaul” !
The Jewish Holocaust was not the only one – you
don’t have exclusive rights to suffering. I visited Dachau when I was in the Army – even tho
the place was sanitized I was not indifferent.

Hawkins on December 30, 2008 at 10:07 am

Good news! The Israelis are winning.
Bad news! Once Israel wins, they’re just going to give the land back to the same clods (Fatah) that they gave it to begin with.
People forget! Two things led to this war:
1. The Bush Administration insisting on elections in the PA
2. The Bush Administration insisting the Israelis pull out of Gaza.
While the War Against Israel isn’t the Bush Administration’s fault, I think it’s fair to say that the present fighting (regardless of whose side you are on) represents a failure of Bush Administration foreign policy toward the War Against Israel.
Deb, I’d like to think that Israel would be more aggressive in fighting Muslim terror if successive American administrations would stop pressuring them to do otherwise.

There is NO Santa Claus on January 3, 2009 at 8:15 pm