It is very disturbing that Israel needed the approval of both the US and the EU for this operation. Permission granted providing no bloodshed. Even moreso approval will be needed to destroy Hamas in Gaza. Lets hope we get it. One more thing. Israel should start assassinating leading Hamas figures in Gaza until such time as the boys are returned. No doubt the US and the EU will have something to say about that. Ted Belman
Analysis: While Islamic organization scores points on Palestinian street for kidnapping three Israeli teens, Israel’s operation weakens Hamas’ presence in the West Bank, thwarting its goal of taking over territories.
Monitoring entrance to Hebron (Photo: Barel Efraim)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon are now doing to Hamas what Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been doing to the Muslim Brotherhood since July 2013.
Just as al-Sisi worked systematically to prevent a “political revival” of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, so has the Israeli government been working – using the IDF and Shin Bet – to thwart the possibility that Hamas, who is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, takes over the Palestinian street in the West Bank.
Except there’s one obvious difference: While Israel is acting systematically and thoroughly against Hamas, it is not doing so with the same brutality and violence al-Sisi used. His style is different, but the objective is the same.
The first to warn against this threat was the research division of Military Intelligence. The Shin Bet wasn’t as worried.
But the fear increased when Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh, until recently Hamas’ prime minister in Gaza, announced the signing of a reconciliation agreement.
This increased fear turned into near-panic when it turned out the threat was becoming a reality, when the reconciliation was starting to take shape in the form of a unity government.
The near-panic turned into full-blown hysteria when the ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), which was inspired by Osama bin Laden’s teachings, took over northern Iraq.
One could say that Jerusalem today views the danger Israel faces from jihadist radical Islam as almost equal to the danger posed by Iran’s military nuclear program.
The teens’ kidnapping allowed the leadership in Jerusalem do what they were thinking of doing anyway.
The kidnapping may have won Hamas some credit on the Palestinian street, but this is only a short-term achievement. In the long term, Hamas may lose the chance to achieve its strategic goal – a political and physical takeover of the Palestinian street, particularly in the West Bank, as it already has Gaza.
It should be clear to both the citizens of Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank that the operation against Hamas, which spread overnight to Nablus, the nearby refugee camps and the Bethlehem area, was not meant to bring the kidnapped teens’ release, but to thwart a Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority and the PLO.
Checking income and outgoing vehicles (Photo: Barel Efraim)
The Hamas computers that were seized in Bethlehem on Monday night don’t have even the faintest of links to the kidnapped boys, but they hold information that aides Israel, and indirectly the PA as well, in destroying the “Dawah” – the civic, social and economic activity that is the source of Hamas’ power, and the main tool used to recruit militants and bolster support on the Palestinian street.
Even so, this activity could also aide in finding the abducted teens, since it makes the Palestinian population anxious and puts the Hamas leadership in a dilemma: Should they favor the organization’s long-term political interests and give Israel what it wants, or continue hiding the kidnapped teens and possibly even negotiate for their release, knowing full well that every day that passes by takes them further and further away from the chance of becoming the dominant Palestinian faction? The kidnapping could bring an end to Hamas, exactly as ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi and his men’s zeal brought an end to the Muslim Brotherhood.
There’s one condition, however, to successfully stopping a Hamas takeover of the West Bank – Israel must not lose international support for its operations against Hamas in the territories.
This support has several sources. The world views the very nature of kidnapping teens as an act of terror. In addition, this support stems from the US and Europe’s anxiety and loathing of the cruelty of the ISIS in Iraq, Syria and recently in Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia and other places.
The Western world and Eastern Europe are starting to realize that jihadist Islam is soaring and endangering them, both physically and culturally, just as much as it endangers the regimes in Iraq and Syria.
Israel therefore has permission to act freely to suppress Hamas, so long as the operation doesn’t involve blunt violations of human rights – such as collective punishment – or bloodshed.
Another important aspect is that Israel is a member of a coalition of Middle Eastern states that fear radical Islam, suffer from its terrorism and are determined to thwart it. Egypt and Jordan lead the charge against radical Islam. That’s why Egypt is now demanding Israel to “show restraint” in its West Bank operation, but makes no demand to stop operations against Hamas. This isn’t a coincidence. It’s also not a coincidence that Jordan made a similar demand for restraint, but in more feeble language. The Jordanians know better than anyone how dangerous Hamas is, even for them.
But we, the Israelis, mustn’t create a situation that would lead Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to act against us. This might happen if, for example, Israel launches an extensive military operation in Gaza.
In the present situation, when the street dictates moves to the Arab regimes and not the other way around, an extensive operation in Gaza that would result in too many casualties could get Jordanians and Egyptians out on the streets, and then both King Abdullah and al-Sisi would have a hard time carrying on with this silent support for Israel’s actions.
Secondary aim – retrieving the kidnapped
After the larger, main operation meant to prevent Hamas’ political takeover of the Palestinian territories, the second operation is meant to find the kidnapped teens and bring them home safely.
This operation, it has become clearly evident, is mainly an intelligence operation. While there are large forces in the field, their activity is mostly aimed at collecting intelligence.
The arrests, the searches, the checkpoints and the closures, at the end of the day, are meant to bring forth the “golden intel” that would allow security forces to capture the kidnappers and force them to reveal where they are hiding the abducted teens.
Nahal soldiers search Hebron for missing teens (Photo: IDF Spokesman)
Sending large forces into the field is also meant as contingency for the possibility that the Palestinians take to the streets and start rioting on a large scale as a result of the security forces’ intense activity.
Experience from the first intifada shows that large presence of IDF troops on the ground both serves as deterrence and allows the dispersal of riots quickly and without bloodshed.
IDF troops in Hebron (Photo: AFP)
That’s why there are now three and a half IDF brigades on the ground, in addition to engineering and other forces, which are seemingly not directly related to the efforts of finding the kidnapped teens. But they will be called to action if and when the situation escalates for whatever reason. These brigades are also needed to suppress another danger – Jewish nationalistic crimes.
In finding the abducting teens, we must show patience. The kidnappers were skilled and learned the lessons of previously thwarted kidnapping attempts. They also know the hard terrain well and enjoy the support of the population. In addition, they enjoyed the advantage of time – eight hours that allowed them to hide the kidnapped teens – and themselves – well.
All of this gives them an advantage that can only be overcome with Sisyphean, stubborn work that yields results. When? It’s hard to tell. It could even take years; we must recognize that as well. We’ve been in this scenario before, when IDF soldiers Avi Sasportas and Ilan Saadon were kidnapped and murdered.
The kidnappers will be caught eventually, and they might have to confess where they hid the kidnapped teens. Meanwhile, they are being careful and have yet to even start bargaining, because they feel like the IDF is at their heels. A feeling that is probably justified.
@ bernard ross:
No!! Salon is a lefty rag like Huffington Post.
yamit82 Said:
is this site tarpley?
here is a footnote from it
http://www.salon.com/2004/03/12/unger_2/
yamit82 Said:
Are you saying that they know where the kids are and are just searching for show?
CuriousAmerican Said:
and bless your pointy little head !!!!!!!!!!! Precioso.
@ CuriousAmerican:
Well Bless your heart !!!!!!!!!!! Sugar
Be careful Yamit. The worst thing a Southerner can say to you is …”Well, bless your heart.”
It means they want to strangle you. I know Southerners.
Israel will win on that. The world is sympathetic to the 3 boys.
Israel should have acted against the Unity government two weeks ago. Obama was wrong to accept it but the US Congress wanted to block his approval.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/06/congress-cut-aid-palestine-reconciliation-hamas.html
Not gonna happen. Israel’s “heavy hand” is making the Palestinians look like heroes.
BUT YOU STILL HAVE NOT SHOWN ME WHERE I WAS WRONG.
Netanyahu mishandled this. He could have marched in and told the PA, no unity government on day 1. Even the US Congress had more guts than he had.
Now, after kids are kidnapped, the world sees him as over-reacting.
He mishandled this.
So where was I wrong?
@ yamit82:
As Texans say when they think of nothing else to say on difficult times “G-d Bless”. Glad your home safely.
Made Chicken al la King but I think I curdled the sauce . Rest up and We’ll post manana.
@ honeybee:
Hiya to you too!!!! Went to the cemetery as today was 1 year since my ex wife passed away. Had a family get together with my daughters and their kids. Got home exhausted.
I’m going to make some soup, it’s 3 am here 🙂
honeybee Said:
what a heartbreak for the parents.
@ dweller:
@ CuriousAmerican:
Israel knew where Shalit was being held in Gaza not long after he was captured but decided that there was no way they could extricate him alive and without putting IDF rescuers in a too dangerous position were they to attempt it. A big No win win for everybody concerned. The other reason is political. Failure to get shalit out alive in a rescue attempt and the loss of any of the rescuers would have dire political consequences both for our top politicians and the elite IDF units and their commanders military careers. So it was never attempted but we knew where he was not long after the kidnapping.
I assume the same with the three kids but here I believe they are no longer among the living and so do the IDF and BB not to mention the parents who expressed this possibility only today publicly.
Understand 2 things. Nothing moves in the West Bank that Israel and the PA security apparatuses don’t know about. The PA has been well trained by the CIA and have learned from their experiences with the Israeli Shin Bet and MI. They Know better than Israel what’s going on in their areas of control and beyond… Israel has tens of thousands of Palis snitches who report daily to their handlers even and including members of Abbas government. It’s a symbiotic relationship.
In the Past it was always Abbas who was pushing for a unity government with Hamas which Hamas rejected out of hand but this time it’s Hamas who pushed for a Unity government because of the economic mess they have to oversee in Gaza and no strong backer since Egypt has closed that part of the relationship down. Egypt is for now, it seems due to mutual common interests, working with Israel to blunt and limit the Hamas and more extreme Muslin Nuts from gaining a foothold in Sinai. This has worked in Egypt’s favor because the main military annexes of the Camp David Agreements re: re-militarization by Egypt in the Sinai is now out the window. Israel has allowed Egypt back into Sinai in Force, a myopic stupid move by BB but he has no guts so we will pay a heavy price down the road.
Abbas has not called elections for the past 5 years and his legal and official term has been up for as long. He has now called ffor elections in 6 mos. Israel believes Hamas will win as they did in Gaza and we will have a United Palis regime in Gaza and the west Bank run by Hamas. The goal is to weaken Hamas so much that there won’t be a repeat of the stupidity of the Condi Rice /Bush demand for democratic election in Gaza against the the advice and opposition of Israel.
Abbas probably was also being pushed by Kerry and Obama to make nice with Hamas as a direct assault on Israel using the Hamas ploy, legitimatizing them in the eyes of the world to use as a heavy club against BB and Israel. Like with Morsi Americans in General and Obama in particular use popular voting to support their puppets and thereby acting as popular peoples revolts in the eyes to the liberal and leftist media.
Part of BB’s reasons for going after Hamas is because it’s his way of pushing back using the same coin, at Obama, America and the EU.
If in the end the kids are found dead there will not be a single voice raised against BB in Israel for anything he does that can hurt the PA and Hamas by Israelis across political divides Here!!!!!
@ yamit82:
Howdy stranger.
@ dweller:
@ CuriousAmerican:
Israel treads a fine line with West Bank operation
While the world has been backing the search for the kidnapped youths, that support has its limits
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-treads-a-fine-line-with-west-bank-operation/#ixzz358IFv3qM
Israel is also waging an international diplomatic campaign with two goals: delegitimizing the Palestinian unity government, and validating the IDF’s actions in the West Bank.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seizing every opportunity to call on world leaders to condemn the kidnapping, which Israel blames on Hamas, and in the same breath, to pressure Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to break up his deal with the Gaza-based Islamic extremist group.
@ dweller:
@ CuriousAmerican:
As IDF sweeps West Bank, Gaza residents prepare for war
Coastal enclave widely accepts that Hamas was involved in the kidnapping and braces for a harsh Israeli response; Shin Bet said to threaten Gaza man allegedly linked to abduction with a missile strike
http://www.timesofisrael.com/as-idf-sweeps-west-bank-gaza-residents-prepare-for-war/#ixzz358G5xjup
I have friends in the Jewish Defence Organization and B’nai Elim in New York. What a coincidence.
Does anyone really agree with the following statement from the above article?
“The EU and the US couldn’t care less that 150,000 have been killed in Syria but should Israel kill a couple of Palis who deserved it and they go nuts.”
I agree. Totally bizarre.
So which of my facts did I get wrong?
Hamas was at war with Israel. Once a unity goverment was formed Israel would have been WITHIN her rights to shut everything down.
So why didn’t he go after Hamas then, a few weeks ago? Why did he even tolerate a unity government?
————
Hamas had just gotten an invite from Fatah into co-administration of “the West Bank” – and by extension – a foot in the door to prevent Israel from separating “the West Bank” from Gaza.
I do not see Hamas screwing that up for a kidnapping.
————-
As of this moment, Netanyahu has delivered no proof that it is Hamas.
The boys were in a heavily patrolled outpost.
I suspect this is a renegade group, using a stolen Israeli vehicle.
————-
Now Netanyahu is going after every Hamas officer, and lots of released prisoner. Why didn’t he do this before? The Unity government was sufficient causus belli.
Why does he seem more interested in rounding up Fatah and Hamas than finding the boys?
————–
I have no doubt that the boys were kidnapped by Arabs; but I suspect a small renegrade group.
It is now Wednesday evening New York Time.
Which of my facts are wrong?
@ CuriousAmerican:
What was to wait for?
He’s had NUMEROUS opportunities to crush Hamas for years now.
But if he’d finished them in Gaza 5 yrs ago [Cast Lead] that would’ve arguably left him in a position where the ‘world community’ would eventually get round to saying ‘ok now there’s no reason to not give up the heartland provinces to the moderate Fatah.’
Arguably Hamas — in its way — has been handy to have around.
NOW however — maybe he HAS to go after them. . . .
Irrelevant even if were true — because Hamas was strong enough to have stopped it if they’d wanted to.
An interesting turn-of-phrase.
Perhaps.
But that doesn’t of itself make the failing NECESSARILY ‘intentional.’
First principle of trouble-shooting:
Never begin by attributing to chicanery or skullduggery what can as easily be explained by human stupidity or inadvertence or other overtly less weighty factors.
AFTER you’ve ruled out the small stuff — THEN it may be time for looking into the heavy-duty explanations.
Yes there is; SOMETHING seems cockeyed.
But I’m not at all sure we know as yet WHAT that oddness consists of.
bernard ross Said:
He is a traditional socialist as best I can figure, not a Libertarian, not a capitalist, not a commie as anti Democrats as he anti republican, very anti war and one of the biggist and brightest conspiracy theorists on the web.
Everything you suggest or at least most of them were his positions and exposes’ 3 years ago or more. I don’t follow him religiously but have gleaned quite a bit of insight from him. I don’t necessarily agree with his conclusions but his facts are usually correct based on current hindsight.
he is much better informed than klein and way ahead of Klein in his analysis.
Re-post from previous thread:
The War on Terror is a Fraud: How the West has Fostered Radical Islam and Actively Keeps it Alive.
yamit82 Said:
I was about to send a thank you comment to the american for that comment, which prompted me to look it up… Suffice it to say that there was no shortage of articles supporting this claim… For instance:
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/pearl/www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html
I have no way of knowing who is right…
I’d be really interested to hear (learn) more from you both.
Mikol M’lamdayi hiskalty
😉
Turkey positions itself with Kurds for oilbernard ross Said:
Not so fast!!!
Tanker Carrying Kurdish Oil Zigzags Mediterranean Amid Iraqi Threats
Tanker With Kurdish Oil Calls at Moroccan Port
Nearly 24 Hours After Arrival, Tanker Hasn’t Unloaded Any Cargo
Baghdad’s Threats of Legal Action Deepen Mystery Over the Cargo’s Buyer and Destination
yamit82 Said:
LAS VEGAS ?????????????
@ CuriousAmerican:
If you are now going to be a credible conspiracy advocate at least get some of your facts right. So far you are batting 00000!!!!!
CuriousAmerican Said:
B.S. !!!! [did I spell it correctly]
bernard ross Said:
yamit82 Said:
I already read this and discounted it as obfuscation. why:
ISIS is selling its oil to turkey, ISIS was introduced and trained by turkey and saudi, I already told you my view that all the funders and supporters of ISIS have distanced them selves so as to avoid terrorist connections. this process began after bengahzi and includes US,saudi,turkey and jordan….jordan and turkey most recently. they knew that they were gong emply terror groups and had to distance themselves well beforehand because of the bengazi exposure.
yamit82 Said:
turkey just made a 50 year oil deal with iraqi kurdistan and kurdistan pipelines all go to turkey, Turkey made a peace agreement a while back with Ocalan. this is all BS. Turkey wants the breakup offically because it has been buying direct from kurdistan without going through iraq central gov.
they are all distancing themselves from their proxy because of the “terror”. this distancing has been going on for a while and indicates that they were expecting this very event because they planned it. Right now we all are asked to believe that the US, turkey,jordan, saudi, are all against sunni jihadi terrorists that they armed and trained and who are operating successfully to achieve their original goals..
I have the bklyn bridge for sale…interested?
bernard ross Said:
Bernie Darlin, You’re funny.
@ yamit82:
Isn’t webster tarpley the iranian shill from press tv?
@ bernard ross:
The Syrian Arab army has taken back the town of Kassab, which was occupied by mercenaries attached to the Al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda) and the Army of Islam (pro-Saudi).
The Jihadists, who had entered Syria escorted by the Turkish army were prevented – for the first time in three years – from retreating back into Turkey by the same Turkish Army which has closed the border. They dispersed around the countryside neighboring Idleb.
Everything seems to indicate that the Turkish army has changed its strategy and withdrew its support to the Contras following the foray of the Islamic Emirate of Iraq and the Levant (IEIL) into Iraq. A victory of the mercenaries in Iraq would lead to the partition of the country into three independent states, including a Kurdistan which will inevitable extend into the current Turkey.
@ bernard ross:
Degenerate US Ruling Class Seething with Rage Over Syria, Iran, Ukraine Rebuffs; Neocon, Islamophobia, Humanitarian Bombing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtAXGOfgvZg
Why didn’t Netanyahu go after Hamas as soon as the UNITY government was formed? Hamas is in a state of war with Israel, so legally, he had no reason to allow a UNITY government.
Instead Netanyahu waited for a cover excuse to go after Hamas. He is afraid to buck world opinion, so he waits for a crisis.
I am wondering if he is like FDR, who set up Pearl Harbor to be bombed. FDR lied America into war, because he could not lead America into war.
I have to wonder if Netanyahu sets up these crises, because he will not act without an excuse.
If a crisis does not occur, Netanyahu creates one by letting Israel’s guard down.
The kids were kidnapped in a tightly controlled IDF patrolled area. How could this happen, unless Netanyahu told the IDF to relax?
Now he has his “excuse” to go after Hamas.
But he had sufficient reason two weeks earlier. Why didn’t he go after Hamas then?
My view:
1) A renegade Islamic sect did this, NOT HAMAS
2) Netanyahu allowed the boys to be taken by deliberate incompetance. He did not exercise due discretion,
3) Now he has the excuse to go after Hamas, even though Hamas may not have done the kidnapping
4) He did not need the excuse to go after Hamas, but since he was afraid to buck opinion, he created the crisis to let him go after Hamas
5) Hamas and the kidnapping are probably unrelated. But why didn’t Netanyahu go after Hamas weeks ago?
6) These boys are pawns.
There is something odd to that kidnapping. I have no doubt that Arabs did it. I doubt Hamas did it; but Netanyahu seems more interesting in getting Hamas than getting back the boys.
If Netanyahu went after Hamas three weeks ago, none of this would have happened.
Eric R. Said:
did you check the wind direction first?
I did not read where approval is required. However, I beleive that the the deposing of hamas is being done for Abbas and the cementing of GCC hegemony over the sunni arab world. the pal issue is to be kept quiet for the sunni war to continue its focus on irans proxies. Israel has deemed this to be in her interest. therefore it is presented as an action agains a terror act that Abbas will be in agreement with, as are the other GCC allies against Iran. I believe the 9 mos talks going nowhere were for the same reason. Part of abbas payment is probably the deposing of hamas or its subordination to him. I beleive tha Meshaal will take qatars instructions and accept the wests terms. those hamas against will be got rid of.
the purge of hamas from the west bank is very advantageous to Abbas and also the west’s grand plan. If and when they deliver gaza to abbas also, the “unity” gov will be irrelevant. Talk of deposing hamas in gaza has been mooted since tamerod began after sisi took over.
I would not be surprised if the teens are found OK with their kidnappers having run away, leaving evidence of a hamas link.
yamit82 Said:
The american public still does not know that the US was sending arms to syria from bengahazi. They still beleive it was a consulate. Even those media which appear to be breaking news are usually breaking news which throws everyone of the main scent. (remember even FOX is part owned and influenced by sauds) Bengazi is made to look like a series of innocent errors, for all we know, since we know they lie about arming and training the jihadis, it could even be a false flag intended to be a hostage crisis for the blind sheik where stevens should have been kidnapped rather than killed(just one of those stories with as much credibility as the WH narratives.
the most obvious exposure at bengazi is that if he US were aiding AQ now and aiding their jihadi predecessors in 1980’s afghan then why assume that the narrative of AQ being a US enemy in between those dates is true? The indication is that the US was ALWAYS collaborating with saudi using their jihadi network. what would that say about 9-11 and the boston marathon? No one considers the implication of this smoking gun.
Ted Belman Said:
I take these narratives with a grain of salt. the same reporting networks said that the IDF massacred hundreds of thousands at Jenin which turned out to be 56. I am also not sure about ISIS terror either. spreading terror on the media gets everyone to run away.
Comment in moderation again??
@ Ted Belman:
Secret Saudi Document Shows Kingdom Linked with Al-Qaeda Terror
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137691
Wow. Seriously?
The Saudis are involved in terror? They fund Al Queda?
I thought they were just a bunch of rich guys who like to walk around in dresses! 😉
I’m shocked! (NOT)
(By the way, can you call something “secret” when the whole world already knows it?)
The scariest part of this story is the fact that even the Saudis aren’t denying it. Instead, they are trying to arrest the people who leaked the document.
OK, so when is the next official Saudi delegation expected in Washington? Which of our “representatives” have taken money from them, and can we charge those representatives under the laws against material support of terrorism?
It’s all smoke and mirrors the dots have all been out there for years but few seem to Connect them. It’s always easier simpler to chase latest daily headlines feeds and forget what was common knowledge a day ago or a week ago.
I never believe the trope we are fed on a daily basis but always try to dig deeper and wider. The information isn’t even secret. It’s usually all in the public domain and not all buried.
The EU and the US couldn’t care less that 150,000 have been killed in Syria but should Israel kill a couple of Palis who deserved it and they go nuts.
A quicker way to weaken Hamas would be to evacuate Sderot and Ashkelon for 72 hours, then drop a 10kt nuke over Gaza.