All Is Not Quiet in Israel/Gaza: Presidents Keep Working

Nadene Goldfoot
We may not be reading articles about what's happening in Israel right now, but Ashdod just saw and felt a rocket fall in their neighborhood on Tuesday morning.  The IDF air force responded overnight by hitting 2 rocket launching sites and an arms storage facility.

That makes 858 rockets and mortars that have been shot into Israel this year so far.  119 of them were shot in the latest round that fell into Israel.  The Iron Dome also intercepted 110.  Dozens fell inside the Palestinian territory.

Besides this one rocket shot during the new ceasefire, Gazans were rioting near the border fence trying to damage it.  The IDF were forced to shoot at them and injured 7.  So the IDF must remain alert to problems that keep happening.  Jerusalem Post has an article saying that Hamas is counting on Jews leaving the country because they feel they have scared them enough to leave if another round of shooting starts up again.  They don't know the resistance these people have to their adversity.

In the meantime, Fatah, living in Judea and Samaria territory have Abbas who is going to the UN to become a state of sorts.  There already are 48 Muslim majority states, and this would make 49.    The United States will not be able to veto this as it'll take place in the General Assembly, but not surprising, France said they will go along with it.  What do they care?  They're not neighbors.  They're not involved.  What the USA has done is threaten Abbas that they will cut off  the annual $500 million aid if they make the bid without any negotiations and peace terms with Israel.

Why I"m against it is that it gives Fatah clout that they will use against Israel, making a solution even farther away; definitely in the time of the Messiah, no doubt.  Abbas is intent on retiring with this accomplishment, as he'll be 78 years old on March 26, 2013. If he gets this bid, it'll also mean his political survival if he wants it, as he took over leadership from Arafat when he died 8 years ago.    Only someone like Israel's President Shimon Peres, who'll be  90 years old on August 2, 2013, has the stamina and intelligence to keep working for the public.  This Polish-born dynamo is the grandson of a Rabbi in a line of Rabbis.  He seems to know how to live with stress, and is in good shape.

Resource:  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4304605,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimon_Peres
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-28/abbas-tries-to-outflank-hamas-with-return-to-un-statehood-bid

Rockets and Mortars Rained into Israel-The Count

624 rockets and 392 mortar shells have been shot at Israel since Operation Cast Lead.  The shooting was supposed to stop.   Just since December 8th to the 10th, 18 rockets with the range of 25 miles and 11 mortars have hit southern Israel.  Ashdod would have been hit by a 122 mm Grad rocket but was stopped by the Iron Dome.  Unfortunately, it cannot get all of them.  It is the Palestinian Arabs who are violating the cease fire negotiations. 

With all this, our American government insists it must be Israel's fault that Abbas won't come to the table.  Who better than Israel would like some peace? 

http://http//www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Palestinian_ceasefire_violations_since_end_Operation_Cast_Lead.htm

Hamas Rockets Fly Again

Hamas has attacked Israel with over 40 rockets since they hit the yellow school bus on purpose, and Israel pounded back in return.    On Sunday Egyptian and UN mediators were able to achieve an informal truce
but it only lasted a few days.  Friday in Israel saw the return of  the attack again.

The southern Israel cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon were targeted with no injuries incurred.  People heard the warning siren and then felt the attack. 

"We will not stand for fire on buses or on our children. We will not abide a situation where Israeli citizens are sleeping in shelters - anywhere," said Netanyahu. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110415/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_violence
http://www.jpost.com/
Ynet. 

Gaza's Continuing Attack On Israel-Thursday

10 rockets and mortars rained on Israel today with 2 of them being the long distance kind that can reach Tel Aviv from Gaza. They probably procured them in the lull since Operation Cast Lead.   As it was, 2 exploded north of Ashdod.  US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates was visiting at the time, and said that no sovereign state could tolerate rockets fired at its people, and Israel certainly is not tolerating it. 

In the meantime, Obama gave his condolences to Netanyahu, and Abbas condemned it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110324/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

Ashdod, Ashkelon: Grad Rockets and Mortars Hitting Israel: Nine Palestinians Killed
Nadene Goldfoot
A Grad rocket rocket was shot into Israel landing near Ashdod today.    A rocket slamed into Ashkelon. 

All this happened in retaliation to Israel's retaliation for the 54 rockets that fell into Israel the day before.  Israel in turn killed 5 terrorists and accidently hit 4 civilians  of which 3 were under age 18.  Tuesday when they came across a  terror cell in Gaza preparing to launch a long range rocket into Israel.  The problem is that Hamas stations the attacks among civilian areas, in this case a house in Gaza. 

France is worried and has called on both Hamas and Israel to  show restraint.  This is after Hamas pummeled Israel with 54 rockets, mortars and missles, the most in a long time.  I suppose France would just take the beating or wait for the USA to come to their rescue.  It amazes me that these countries never think to tell Hamas to lay off. 

Resource: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=213329
http://www.jpost.com/
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=213293

Aftermath of Gaza Flotilla

Nadene Goldfoot

I wrote on the 27th about the Gaza flotilla that was coming with 9 ships and about 800 people supposedly with supplies for the Gazans that they really were not in need of. The people on the ships were supposed to be pacifists. It was actually coming to cause media damage to Israel in some way, and Israel was aware of that.

Yesterday the media certainly did go against Israel in a way they had not expected. I tried to think of how I would have handled this, and feel that Israel did what they had to do.

Gaza is controlled by Hamas terrorists, though the newspapers now call them a group. They most likely terrorized their people to vote them into power and certainly have terrorized Israel for over 3 years now by shooting missiles into Israel and constantly saying that they will not make peace with Israel but intend to destoy Israel.

Because of this, Israel has had to stop all ships from going into Gaza with supplies as they usually carry weapons for them. Gaza has more goods in it than most USA towns. They are well supplied. All sorts of relief agencies have been servicing Gaza. The only shortages there are would be in the line of cement for tunnels for receiving contraband like missiles and other weapons.

Every ambassador of the many countries represented on the flotilla were notified of Israel's ruling and what would happen if they disregarded their expectations. They were all warned of the reprocussions. The flotilla people were warned and told that they could bring in the goods but that they had to go to Ashdod's port first for a security check. Israel even had a tourist guide book about Gaza ready to give to them. I have a copy of it, and it is humorous but appropo. Israel had tents ready in Ashdod ready to receive these people. They knew that about 350 of them were Turkish. If I could know about this flotilla and all the problems surrounding it here in Oregon, certainly the ones involved knew as much as I did.

The flotilla was expected to arrive on Saturday, on the Jewish Sabbath, but was held up in Cyprus. From 9 ships it was pared down to 6. Yesterday, on the 31st, they were outside of Gaza in international waters when Israeli soldiers were dropped from a helicopter on the ship with all the people.

Now Turkey is acting so surprised, and of course condemning Israel, which was the original intention. Truly, they were not surprised at all, except they may have been surprised at how successful they had been. They got the negative publicity about Israel that they wanted.

Israelis are shocked and wonder about their defense minister and if he did the right thing. I say he did. Israel could not let such a ship or flotilla come in with so many supplies without being checked for weapons. They are still being shot at with missiles and they're coming in somehow. After this incident another one was shot into Israel. A week before this they were shot at. They have continued to be shot at by missiles ever since the end of Operation Cast Lead. The only difference is that they have lesssened as they were coming in fast and furious before.

The question is how to stop a flotilla to check it. They had been told to go to Ashdod and before they even started, they had replied that they would not. In American movies we would have seen our Coast Guard out chasing the ships and board from their own ship. I suppose that would have had its own problems, so they chose a helicopter. These soldiers really were not prepared for this type of resistence. They were not armed for it at all. Paint ball guns were what they boarded with and a hand pistol. They were attacked, one thrown overboard, and they got scared when their own pistols were taken from them and they were shot, so they managed to fight back with their pistols. I believe it was 15 soldiers who had boarded and were attacked. One soldier was very seriously wounded and about 3 or 4 more were wounded in the attack. They feared they would be killed! That's not what they boarded for. So they shot back in order to live. They didn't shoot first. There was no reason to board and start shooting. Remember, the odds were 800 to 15.

It was a bad scene, somewhat like Mrs. O'Leary's cow that kicked over the lantern in the barn. I imagine there were some very naive people amidst that 800 who thought they were doing a good deed and also had no idea what was going to happen, but they should have. The Turkish organizers of this group knew what they were going to do and why. Turkey hasn't been friendly with Israel lately. They're going along with their Muslim neighbors in regards to Israel. I suppose this was their contribution to the cause.

What happened in Portland? Muslims demonstrated in our square downtown. I know they demonstrated in Turkey, and probably in other cities as well. They got what was most important to them. Again, Israel tries to protect its citizens and gets shot down for doing so. You know, all this wouldn't have happened if Gaza would make nice with Israel.

Operation Cast Lead

Stopping Hamas

So far Israel's retaliation on Iran backed Hamas has killed 324 terrorists and 51 civilians who were close to the sites where rockets and missiles fire upon Israel.

Though the IDF hit so many missile sites, the terrorists managed to strike with about 150 rockets and mortars since Israel began on December 27. Ashdod, Israel was hit for the first time where a woman was killed at a bus stop by shrapnel wounds. Ashdod is home to 200,000 Israelis and Israel's largest port. It is 43 miles from Jerusalem.

40 missiles struck just today in Southern Israel. Since the "cease-fire" ended on December 19th, more than 200 missiles have hit Israel. In this year alone, over 3,000 rockets, missiles and mortars have hit southern Israel. These terrorists have also attacked the border crossings from Gaza into Israel 17 times.

Dore Gold, former ambassador to the U.N.,said, "We want to restore the quiet and the tranquility and give the residents of the south the ability to live the normal lives that every country provides its citizens." Southern Israel has not had quiet and tranquility for years. Sderot has constantly been under attack.

Though a war is actually raging on, 63 trucks full of goods went from Israel to Gaza on December 27th and 120 trucks were rolling today through the Kerem Shalom and Kami crossings. On Sunday Israel brought 160 tons of food and medicine into Gaza. The IDF coordinated with with UN, UNSCO, UNRWA, Red Cross and WHO. By Friday December 26, Israel sent more than 90 trucks full of vital goods to Gaza civilians. During the 6 month truce, Israel delivered 17,000 trucks full of goods to Gaza.

Reference: "The Israel Project" http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.672581/k.9AD8/For_freedom_security_and_peace_in_Israel_and_the_Middle_East.htm?sid=147891194&auid=4369669

Ashkelon Hit Again Today

Portland's Sister City Attacked

Hamas has said today that Ashkelon, which is 15 kilometers from Gaza, will now be hit by grad rockets from Iran which have a range of 25-kilometers. They are encouraged to attack since Israel is not fighting back after the pummelting Ashkelon took yesterday with 6 Palestinian Grads and Sderot hit with 11 Qassam missles. Ashkelon's town hall opened the public bomb shelters. Ashdod, which is north of Ashkelon ordered shelters prepared.

An 82 year old woman in Sderot suffered shrapnel wounds and 22 people were in the hospital in shock. People were told to stay in shelters. they don't know what will happen on Sunday, which is a work day in Israel.

Community leaders and ministers want an effective military campaign against the terrorists before more rockets rain down on the southern part of Israel. They also agree with me in that the truce is no more. It's a farce.

Reference: Debkafile: Special Report

Israel At Age 17

Israel in May 1965 saw many challenges. She looked about at her population of sad refugees living in an eroded and bleak land with hostile and threatening neighbors.

Long ago, it was prophesied that the desert would blossom like the rose, and the prophecy has been fulfilled.

The land had no lumber, so they imported timber from Africa and then proceeded to export plywood.

Devoid of diamond mines, she developed great centers of diamond polishing and exporting.

The surrounding Arab neighbors boycotted her, so Israel had to build a merchant marine which grew from 22,000 tons to over a million tons.

There was no water, so she built a huge national water carrier to irrigate the Negev. Her scientists developed desalination of sea water. So impressed was President Johnson, that he proposed a partnership of America and Israel in joint experiments in exploring the aid of nuclear energy in desalination.

Israel produced tires in the amount of about 15,000 tons in 1964, of which half were exported.

Israel was growing was more than 11% a year. She continued to deal with hostile neighbors, so prepared for the worst while developing the port of Ashdod, giving Israel its largest harbor.

They planned to develop the Negev with industry in the next decade.

Its Prime Minister Levi Eshkol said that while he was interested in the Arab-Israel peace plan proposed by Tunisia's President Bourguiba, he felt there was not much left for us to trade in his kind of peace plan. He went on to say that Israel paid in territory time and again and would not give up 1/3 of the territory for resettlement of the Arab refugees. Bourguiba wanted a readjustment of the boundaries and return of one million Arab refugees.

Golda Meir told that the Arab threat to divert the Jordan river was serious and that Israel cannot wait until the Arabs complete the diversion scheme. This river was the source of their life's blood.

USA sent Israel Hawk missles. Israeli crews to use them were trained in the states. Eshkol said that they would increase the Israeli army's deterrent force. Other branches of the army had to be strengthened.

Today, Israel has reached her 60th birthday, and still has the problem of hostile neighbors to deal with. Like a miracle, she has been able to continue her growth and development despite this handicap. To Life! L'chaim!

Reference: Portland Jewish Review, May 1965