Gaza on Hold
December 13, 2007
On Thursday morning, Palestinian terror groups fired three Kassam rockets into southern Israel. So far this year, groups like Islamic Jihad fired more than 2,000 Kassam rockets, an average of one rocket every four hours. Thousands of Israelis in towns like Sderot live in constant fear of these rocket attacks. More than 200 families -- about 1,200 people -- have fled Sderot because of the ongoing shelling.
For months, the IDF has advocated a major incursion into the Gaza Strip to eliminate this rocket threat. However, it was put on hold for weeks before the Annapolis summit to avert endangering "the peace process." The anticipated strike was expected post-Annapolis.
Now, despite a limited strike this week, a major incursion into Gaza seems to be on hold once again. This time, it's believed the reason is the scheduled visit next month of U.S. President George Bush. It's led some commentators here in Israel to ask, "Who is running the country: Bush or Olmert?" Here's a commentary by infolive.tv from Wednesday.
"The security cabinet's decision to reject a large-scale operation in the Gaza Strip, despite the ongoing barrages of Kassam rockets fired daily at the western Negev, is not only a symptom of the current government's inability to protect its citizens, but also emphasizes the restraints it is forced to work within until U.S. President George Bush's visit to the region. Officials believe that until Bush's arrival, the government will continue treading water to save its face, but will be unable to make any true progress, not only in halting the Kassam rockets, but also in peace talks with the Palestinians. The current situation has weakened Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's stand before the public and has perhaps placed Israel in an even harder position in advancing the peace process forward." infolive.tv: 12/12/2007
It's clear this is a political rather than a military decision. This comes despite Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter's assessment that "tens of thousands" more Israelis will soon be within range of rockets from the Gaza Strip. This threat comes from the introduction, Dichter warns, of more sophisticated and longer-range rockets.
One former senior Israeli official told us that until a kindergarten or school is hit, with many casualities, it's unlikely the IDF will go into Gaza.
On a personal level, it's hard to imagine another nation on earth that would allow its citizens to endure such a situation. It's unimaginable that a U.S. politician or government would allow its citizens to endure daily bombardment from enemy rockets, but that's exactly what residents of Sderot and southern Israeli towns and villages are being asked to do.
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