July 9, 2006
MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFOREHAND:
Israel's mixed messages in Gaza: Prime Minister Olmert rejected a cease-fire offer, but some Israeli officials take a softer line (Ilene R. Prusher, 7/10/06, The Christian Science Monitor)
[T]his weekend, Israeli officials appeared to break ranks; one official suggested that it might release Palestinian prisoners as part of an Egyptian-brokered deal.The mixed messages, say analysts, are the product of a deep uncertainty about the goals of the operation. Is the goal primarily to get the captured Israeli soldier returned home alive - or is the aim to undermine Hamas, the Palestinian party in power?
The problem for Israel is that Palestine is a democracy and invading has probably only strengthened the popular appeal of a Hamas government that was floundering. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 9, 2006 6:30 PM
Quite the contrary - it has awakened many Palis to the fact that neither Fatah nor Hamas really wants to help them. And having the Hamas guy pulling strings all the way from Damascus doesn't help, either. The Palis are more fragmented than ever, but this may be the time when a true voice (an independent voice) can emerge. Presuming he (she) can stay alive. The Iranians and the Syrians won't take kindly to a Palestinian Bolivar.
Posted by: ratbert at July 9, 2006 8:18 PMPalestinian Bolivar? Ha! More Like Palestinian Holiwar.
Posted by: obc at July 9, 2006 8:32 PMYes, they'd be perfectly happy to have Israel whack the extremists who are hiding in Syria and get back to establishing a functioning Palestinian state.
Posted by: oj at July 9, 2006 8:32 PMMr. Judd;
But as you said, that wouldn't be decent to whack those extremists, as there's no difference between that and genocide. So that's right out.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at July 9, 2006 11:14 PMNo, the enemy is in Syria. Israel is in Palestine.
Posted by: oj at July 10, 2006 12:10 AMDear Mr. Fantasy, play us a tune....
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Zionist-controlled MSM is deceiving the world by refusing to divulge the REAL reason for the latest flare-up in the Holy Land; that is, the only reason why Hamas apparatchiks dug that tunnel, killed those two soldiers and kidnapped the third, the only reason why all those hundreds of Qassam missiles have been fired into southern Israel, the only reason why Hamas has been threatening Israel with extinction, is because Israel has been unwilling to share with the Palestinians the secrets of how to pave decent roads, build infrastructure, generate jobs and create (more or less) reliable civic institutions.
We're talking root causes.
Posted by: Barry Meislin at July 10, 2006 2:53 AMBut, in direct response to PJ's suggestion of exactly this (to "whack the extremists who are hiding in Syria") vs. "extermination", you wrote "what's the difference?". So, then, what is the difference?
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at July 10, 2006 10:30 AM