In an agitated region, Israel-Gaza conflict has dangerous potential; U.S. leadership needed
While we sort out who in our national security and defense hierarchy has been sleeping with whom, it appears Israel and terrorists in the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip are heading into a full-fledged war. As night falls in the region, Israeli officials have confirmed the first rocket attacks on Tel Aviv since the 1991 Gulf War. The Times of Israel has a running live blog of the action.
Those attacks followed yesterday’s Israeli strikes on terrorist targets in Gaza, including one that killed the leader of the military arm of Hamas. Both Hamas and another group called Islamic Jihad previously had ramped up their sporadic firing of rockets into southern Israel; as of mid-October, Israeli officials said there had been more than 800 rocket attacks on their country from Gaza this year.
Given the civil war in Syria, to Israel’s east; the new Egyptian government’s support of its fellow Muslim Brotherhood affiliate, Hamas; and Iran’s ties to both the Syrian government and the Gaza-based terrorist groups, it doesn’t seem likely that this conflict will be as contained as in previous flare-ups in recent years.
One thing is certain: The various actors in this conflict will be looking to see what the U.S. response is. President Obama’s initial engagement — voicing support for Israel’s right to self-defense, and urging the Egyptian government to work to de-escalate matters from the Palestinian side — was good. He’ll need to hold that line in the days to come and give stronger measures of support for Israel. I very much hope that stops short of involving our own military, but anything less than absolute support for Israel could trigger a war that engulfs the entire region.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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351 comments Add your comment
md
November 15th, 2012
10:21 pm
You need to brush up on your history Mike….the Kingdom of Israel dates back to 100BC…..and the battle for that same bit of land has been ongoing ever since.
You are one of those I point to when picking an arbitrary point in time……
As for Jordan…..it is now where Transjordan used to be, which is also part of the Palestinain “homeland”…….
cc
November 15th, 2012
10:24 pm
mike, I think you’re missing the point Don is making. Don L is speaking to the historical significance of Israel’s claim to the land it occupies.
Rush Limbaugh
November 15th, 2012
10:24 pm
That commie Obama thinks that giving Israel funds for some kind of high tech missle defense system will solve their problems :
“”"This week, The Heritage Foundation hosted “Iron Dome: An Examination of the Important Strategic Partnership on Missile Defense Between Israel and the United States.”
The event focused on the future of the successful U.S.–Israeli missile defense cooperation—especially in the context of the Iron Dome missile defense system—following President Obama’s signature of the United States–Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act into law. The Iron Dome system is designed to counter short-range ballistic missiles and is a part of the Israeli multi-tier missile defense system.
Lieutenant Colonel Merav Davidovits of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization delivered opening remarks. She focused on the threat environment and the benefits of the Iron Dome system. These include protecting the lives of citizens, national assets, and giving the leadership more time to decide on the most appropriate next course of action.
Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, focused on the increasingly complex and changing capabilities that Israeli adversaries (especially Hamas and Hezbollah) are acquiring, the scope of their arsenals, and sophistication of their technology.
Randy Jennings, a defense and media consultant with P-51 Consulting, commented on Capitol Hill’s significantly boosting funding for the program in the latest yet-to-be-signed National Defense Authorization Act. The United States–Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act contains strong language supporting the Iron Dome system. It is one of eight bills Congress has produced supporting Iron Dome.
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/10/17/israeli-iron-dome-missile-defense-program-a-model-to-be-followed/
Bootsy
November 15th, 2012
10:27 pm
Linda
You using the general term “conservative” came from you, not me. I am just pointing out bloggers and their comments.
If you can find a post were I used the general terms conservatives in a negative way, please post it.
Thanks and have a great night.
mike
November 15th, 2012
10:27 pm
md: I have a great Jewish History book. It’s called the Bible. Tell me this, who owned that land before the Jews left Egypt? Who owned that land after the Jews were taken to Persia by Cyrus? Who owned that land before the Crusaders came and after they were defeated? What if a super power (let’s say Russia) declared a “mandate” that Israel become an Arab state. And that the Jewish majority be herded into a small enclave on the Egyptian border. And that this super power furnish arms and unlimited support to this new Arab state. How would that be?
Hiram
November 15th, 2012
10:30 pm
cc/td
You’re a world renowned historian, who buys the 2000 year old fairy tale about the 4 1/2 billion year old rock you live on. How do you explain away the other 498,000 years of our existence?
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/11/15/human-ancestors-made-deadly-stone-tipped-spears-500000-years-ago/
Banderson
November 15th, 2012
10:33 pm
Hillbilly, I’d say that Jordan was supposed to go to the Palestinians (mainly), not that the Palestinians were to go to Jordan. Arabs who stayed in Israel became, and are now, Israeli citizens. They serve in the army and even get elected to the Knesset (parliment). Some of the Arab citizens may not like their government’s support of certain policies, but that would be true for Jewish Israelis as well. As to why some Palestinians left in 1948 and why Palestinians living in areas which have changed hands after wars, that’s a long, complicated story and you’d get different answers from different groups, with the truth prob somewhere in between.
cc
November 15th, 2012
10:37 pm
Hiram/double:
The Bible goes back just a bit more than 2,000 years. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I do not subscribe to the school of thought that places man here only within the past few thousand years.
Try again later, Hiram/double . . .
Banderson
November 15th, 2012
10:37 pm
Mike – If the Palestinians were driven off their land, then why are they still in Israel? By the way, when the war broke out in 1948, Jews were forced out of Arab countries – yet, many still have Jewish communities, albeit small. The world is shades of gray (not 50, though).
mike
November 15th, 2012
10:42 pm
Banderson: your ignorance is showing. Please, for all us here tonight, explain to me where the Palestinians live in Israel. A map would be nice, but I will settle for a simple narrative. Oh, and BTW, please provide a link if you don’t mind.
It’s futile to try to discuss this with ignorant people who can only see one side. I’m out. Goodnight.
Hiram
November 15th, 2012
10:42 pm
cc/td
In your parallel universe, about how old is the earth, and man?
md
November 15th, 2012
10:43 pm
“What if a super power (let’s say Russia) declared a “mandate” that Israel become an Arab state. And that the Jewish majority be herded into a small enclave on the Egyptian border. And that this super power furnish arms and unlimited support to this new Arab state. How would that be?”
Hmmm…..you just outlined what I did in my first post……you are describing the American Indian….right?
Super power herds group into small plots of land……..so do the Indians have the right to take your property now Mike? I do believe they were there first……so I’ll ask again, which arbitrary point in time do you want to use? Seems you are stuck on 1947……so I guess we need to go back to the 1700’s……
It’s a fluid situation over there much more than it is here…..the battle with the Indians lasted a few decades, the battle over there has lasted a few hundred decades…..
md
November 15th, 2012
10:46 pm
“Please, for all us here tonight, explain to me where the Palestinians live in Israel.”
Palestinians make up 17% of the Israelis population Mike……maybe it is best that you run off……
Hillbilly D
November 15th, 2012
10:48 pm
Banderson @ 10:33
That’s a fair point.
Banderson
November 15th, 2012
10:49 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arab_members_of_the_Knesset#Current_members_.2817.29
mike – this was an easy find, but let me know if you don’t know how to use Google and I’ll get you some more.
Hillbilly D
November 15th, 2012
10:52 pm
Israeli Census Data
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/17043/israeli-census-stats-released
Banderson
November 15th, 2012
10:53 pm
Oh, and Mike, while you’re Googling to verify what I’ve given you, look and see how many Jews are in the governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, etc. Thanks.. I’ll check back tomorrow for your reply.
Hillbilly D
November 15th, 2012
10:58 pm
People have been fighting over land as long as there have been people and it’ll go right on until Gabriel blows his horn.
cc
November 15th, 2012
11:00 pm
Hiram/double:
4.55 billion years, +/-1%
md
November 15th, 2012
11:07 pm
Nice little update on the great state of our economy:
“The Federal Housing Administration will exhaust its capital reserves and faced a deficit of $13.5 billion at the end of September, according to the agency?s independent annual audit set for release on Friday.
The report shows that the agency’s reserves aren’t adequate to pay for expected losses on the $1.1 trillion in loans that it guarantees, which means the agency is likely to require taxpayer funding for the first time in its 78-year history.”
Joel Edge
November 16th, 2012
6:30 am
“but anything less than absolute support for Israel could trigger a war”
Good luck on that. We haven’t had any leadership of any kind for four years.
jezel
November 16th, 2012
6:41 am
For some two thousand years the world has observed these two groups fight and argue over whose land is whose. Since this territory continues to be a source of conflict to this day…it is apparent that the two sides will never agree and get along over this matter.
So…The world leaders and the United Nations should take the land in question..and.turn the property into an international park, Neither side wins.
Is the never ending argument between these two groups… SO IMPORTANT…that it has the potential to drag the world to the brink of war? This situation should have been resolved long ago by someone other than the two groups.
3d
November 16th, 2012
7:28 am
Seeing celebrations in Gaza on Sept 11th and “America, “we’ve got your back” posters being sold in Jerusalem tells me all I need to know. I’d like to visit again.
Believe it or not, there are those in Gaza that actually believe in our Lord and Savior.
Too bad they are surrounded by terrorists.
Nice to see the UN ambassador for Israel basically tell Gaza to stick it on Piers Morgan.
fair and balanced
November 16th, 2012
7:31 am
Joe Edge–”"”"”"”"”"”"but anything less than absolute support for Israel could trigger a war”
Good luck on that. We haven’t had any leadership of any kind for four years.”"”"”"”"”"”"
And the cons are bewildered why they got a butt whooping on Nov. 6!
Your sorry candidate agreed with everything Obama did in the third debate on foreign affairs. Would you prefer another war with US invovement in the Middle east?
Mitt- I am middle class-
fair and balanced
November 16th, 2012
7:43 am
Mitt aqnd all you cons-I am middle class, and my entire family voted for Obama- WHERE ARE MY GIFTS?
no $10,0000 of Obamacre benefits- Is it in the mail?
No reduction in student loans-when do I get that?
No government bailout money so I can buy Delphi stock for pennies on the dollar and make 2000% return like you did
WHERE ARE MY GIFTS?
No food stamps- nothing for our four lousy votes
bluecoat
November 16th, 2012
7:52 am
Romney a poor loser.Saying Obama gave gifts to certain people.Well he(Romney) went all over promising more jobs etc.He’s just a big cry baby.Thought he was better man.Hillary 2016 best bet.Says the Oracle of Omaha.Think Obama did buy one vote with an Obamaphone.
bluecoat
November 16th, 2012
7:52 am
Romney a poor loser.Saying Obama gave gifts to certain people.Well he(Romney) went all over promising more jobs etc.He’s just a big cry baby.Thought he was better man.Hillary 2016 best bet.Says the Oracle of Omaha.Think Obama did buy one vote with an Obamaphone.
Hiram
November 16th, 2012
8:07 am
jezel
November 16th, 2012
6:41 am
“For some two thousand years the world has observed these two groups fight and argue over whose land is whose…”
Two thousand years is a mere blink of an eye in our history. The question is whether or not our species can survive people with a 500,000 year old mentality in possession of 21st century weaponry. Our advances in technology have far outpaced our social advances.
curious
November 16th, 2012
8:10 am
What did Romney promise the Super Pacs, Adelson, Kochs, Rove, etc?
The only leadership going to solve the Arab-Israeli situation is the leader that drives one or the other out. Numbers and history suggest it won’t be the Jews.
Anyway, who was there before the Jews?
cc
November 16th, 2012
8:11 am
General Petraeus will testify this morning. This will be very interesting.
cc
November 16th, 2012
8:14 am
Hiram:
I posted my response to your question last evening. I assume you read it?
JDW
November 16th, 2012
8:16 am
@Kyle…you and a lot of the folks here should listen to Barbara Bush…she always was the smartest one in that family…
“I am tired now of the elections,” the wife of former president George H. W. Bush said at an event at Lyndon Johnson’s presidential library, according to Reuters. “People spoke. Move on, get on with it. I want to do other things and not to be ugly.”
Barbara Bush also weighed in firmly on the side of working with President Barack Obama: “They are going to have to compromise. It’s not a dirty word.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83961.html#ixzz2COJ1NYGh
Del
November 16th, 2012
8:19 am
It’s being reported that Petraeus will testify that within 24 hours of the attack he was aware that it was a terrorist attack carried out by AQ. If true how will he reconcile his comment on September 14th that it was related to the ant-Islamic video protest resulting in a flash mob attack on the Benghazi consulate. Essentially repeating the administrations talking points.
Hiram
November 16th, 2012
8:26 am
cc/td
What happened the other 4.549999 billion years before adam and eve, and talking trees, easter bunnies, and etc.?
Sarah
November 16th, 2012
8:28 am
With all the criticism of Israel, how many are fully aware.
The Gaza Strip: The humanitarian lifeline
Despite attacks by Hamas, Israel maintains an ongoing humanitarian corridor for the transfer of perishable and staple food items to Gaza. This conduit is used by internationally recognized organizations including the United Nations and the Red Cross. The Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration works together with international organizations to respond to the needs of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
Obviously, not many.
Shalom
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
November 16th, 2012
8:30 am
Obozo’s increased annual spending by about $500 billion since taking office. And most of that is, in fact, gifts to his loser parasite base.
md
November 16th, 2012
8:34 am
And the unions “help” their rank and file once again:
http://www.wlbz2.com/news/article/222184/3/Hostess-goes-out-of-business
Ignorance is as ignorance does……believe me, I too was ignorant enough to listen to the union masters as they helped us lose our jobs…….
md
November 16th, 2012
8:35 am
The upside to losing Hostess? Bloomberg doesn’t have to worry about banning the Twinkie in NYC….
carlosgvv
November 16th, 2012
8:37 am
cc – 11:00 pm
Fully modern humans appeared about 50,000 years ago, NOT 4.5 billion years ago. Looks like home schooling just isn’t working out very well for you.
cc
November 16th, 2012
8:40 am
Hiram@8:26 am:
“cc/td What happened the other 4.549999 billion years before adam and eve, and talking trees, easter bunnies, and etc.?”
As you can’t seem to address or refer to me by the name I use, I’ll no longer show you the courtesy of a response. Your use of this tactic is to irritate and certainly does nothing to further discourse.
carlosgvv
November 16th, 2012
8:41 am
@@ – 7:53 pm
It’s no suprise that the deer community is NOT in mourning.
Stephenson Billings
November 16th, 2012
8:48 am
“David Petraeus is going to tell members of Congress that he “knew almost immediately after the September 11th attack, that the group Ansar al Sharia, the al Qaeda sympathizing group in Libya was responsible for the attacks,” CNN reports.
In his closed door meeting on the Hill, “[Petraeus] will also say he had his own talking points separate from U.N. ambassador Susan Rice. [Hers] came from somewhere other in the administration than his direct talking points,” Barbara Starr of CNN reports, referencing a source close to Petraeus.
The former CIA director will move to further himself from comments that didn’t accurately characterize the terror attack that Rice made 5 days after on national television shows.
“When he looks at what Susan Rice said,” CNN reports, “here is what Petraeus’s take is, according to my source. Petraeus developed some talking points laying it all out. those talking points as always were approved by the intelligence community. But then he sees Susan Rice make her statements and he sees input from other areas of the administration. Petraeus — it is believed — will tell the committee he is not certain where Susan Rice got all of her information.” ”
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/petraeus-knew-almost-immediately-al-qaeda-linked-group-responsible-benghazi_663458.html
Stephenson Billings
November 16th, 2012
8:50 am
md @ 8:34 – Eastern Airlines anyone? The thought process of die-hard union members continues to amaze me.
curious
November 16th, 2012
8:51 am
All you Obama bashers are in for a long 4 years.
You would be better served figuring out who are the best Republican candidates for President in 2016.
It’s not Trump.
Stephenson Billings
November 16th, 2012
8:53 am
OBAMA BEGINS PUSH FOR NEW NATIONAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM
“A recent hearing sponsored by the Treasury and Labor Departments marked the beginning of the Obama Administration’s effort to nationalize the nation’s pension system and to eliminate private retirement accounts including IRA’s and 401k plans, NSC is warning.
The hearing, held in the Labor Department’s main auditorium, was monitored by NSC staff and featured a line up of left-wing activists including one representative of the AFL-CIO who advocated for more government regulation over private retirement accounts and even the establishment of government-sponsored annuities that would take the place of 401k plans.
“This hearing was set up to explore why Americans are not saving as much for their retirement as they could,” explains National Seniors Council National Director Robert Crone, “However, it is clear that this is the first step towards a government takeover. It feels just like the beginning of the debate over health care and we all know how that ended up.” ”
http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/obama-begins-push-for-new-national-retirement-system/
md
November 16th, 2012
8:56 am
2016?
My guess would be Rubio…..when the Latino group votes 75%+ for Obama, it isn’t a stretch to think that group is no different than any other if “one of their own” was on the ticket…….
Bye Bye Cheesy Grits
November 16th, 2012
8:58 am
Has the war on Christmas started yet ?
It usually comes earlier every year.
curious
November 16th, 2012
9:00 am
md
November 16th, 2012
8:56 am
2016?
“My guess would be Rubio”
Latino, yes, but Cuban. That will be a negative with other Latinos unless he proposes some real immigration relief.
Hiram
November 16th, 2012
9:03 am
curious,
They will quit bashing Obama when the Rush and Fox creative writers move on to the Clintons. There’s no need to transition, as long as they can keep the ditto heads attention between snapple commercials. There’s a good chance that Rush won’t live through the Clinton regime, especially if Chelsea follows Hillary’s 8 years with 8 more. Not even Lloyds of London would insure Rush for 24 years…
you dont say
November 16th, 2012
9:07 am
cc
You are a riot. Your post about I will no longer respond to “you” (whichever blogger it is at the time) cracks me up.
Thanks for the laughs, little guy.
Enjoy your weekend.