29 July 2014 - OPE Day 22/Ground War Day 12: According to more recent info, PM Netanyahu has not yet issued an order for the IDF to go all out in the destruction HAMAS, the PIJ and other terrorist groups in Gaza. That's why the above image is so appropriate - it is an IDF Merkava MBT (Main Battle Tank) in a freeze frame of full maneuver warfare action in Gaza. The Times of Israel today has another Op-Ed by David Horovitz on why PM Netanyahu doesn't want to "go all the way" even though he has a full understanding of the danger posed the the Gaza terrorists and the costs that will be borne by Israel and, primarily, the IDF if and when that order is given.
My opinion is that Netanyahu's reluctance is playing right into the hands of the Gaza terrorists and their allies in Iran, Syria and Lebanon who perceive such reluctance as an acute weakness in Israel's Prime Minister that begs to be exploited at a time and place of their choosing. Hence, the rapidity, frequency and willingness of HAMAS to ignore their own ceasefire offers. They are playing PM Netanyahu for the fool. In the minds of many, both in Israel and the US, this begs the question of whether or not Netanyahu is the right PM for Israel at this time.
War fighting is not operated as if it were a light switch: on-off, on-off, on-off. War is not an intermittent engagement. War is engaged in until objectives are achieved, the enemy vanquished and his war making capability thoroughly destroyed. This is known in any army as being "mission complete." This is where Netanyahu should issue an execute order and have the IDF go until the mission is completed. In point of fact, the ONLY reason that HAMAS and the other terrorists are still in Gaza firing rockets and mortars into Israel on the 22nd day of Operation Protective Edge is because PM Bibi Netanyahu has thus far refused to order the IDF to complete its mission. Period.
Final Update - OPE Day 22: Israel has no option, that is to say, PM Netanyahu and his security cabinet have no options when it comes to the destruction of HAMAS in the current war. The current Israeli intelligence assessment holds that HAMAS understood before firing its first rocket in July that it could not win militarily against the IDF, but that it merely needed to withstand the IDFs onslaught. Then when the next "hudna" or temporary ceasefire occurred it would simply rebuild again with new vigor and a buffed-up credibility in the Islamic world for having gone toe-to-toe with Israel. The difference is that after this war HAMAS would not only rebuild in Gaza, but it would create very similar warfighting capabilities within PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria (i.e. the so-called West Bank). Therefore, Israel has no choice in the matter, HAMAS cannot survive this war intact.
30 July 2014 - OPE Day 23/ Ground War Day 13: HAMAS nominal chief of jihad against Israel, the limbless Mohammed Deif, said last night, just prior to the start of OPE Day 23, that his soldiers are "eager for death." The question to be posed to Israel's PM Netanyahu is, Do you require a more formal invitation than this to accept Mohammed Deif's offer? This is without question an Islamic call to jihad and all that such a purely Quranic** declaration implies.
**NOTE: For those who do not understand this critical issue, here is a link to a .pdf in which the subject The Quranic Concept of War, a rare book by Pakistani Brigadier General S.K. Malik that is reviewed in an essay by LTC (US Army Ret.) Joseph C. Meyers in the 2006-07 issue of Parameters, the quarterly US Army War College Professional Journal. This is important for us to understand, but at the moment it is an absolute imperative for PM Netanyahu and the security cabinet to understand and act accordingly following their ongoing meeting and debate on Wednesday, 30 June.
Most Americans, by a wide margin in fact, are solidly on Israel's side in this war against Islamic terrorists. The same cannot be said for our President and his administration whose views are diametrically opposed to those of the majority of the American people regarding this war. Proof of this came in the form of a leaked audio recording by an American source to Israel's Channel One TV station of the Sunday night telephone call between PM Netanyahu and Barack Hussein Obama.. The transcript of that conversation, translated from Hebrew to English, was published today by Channel One. Here is an excerpt of that transcript that was posted by Israel National News (Arutz Sheva) a short time ago:
War fighting is not operated as if it were a light switch: on-off, on-off, on-off. War is not an intermittent engagement. War is engaged in until objectives are achieved, the enemy vanquished and his war making capability thoroughly destroyed. This is known in any army as being "mission complete." This is where Netanyahu should issue an execute order and have the IDF go until the mission is completed. In point of fact, the ONLY reason that HAMAS and the other terrorists are still in Gaza firing rockets and mortars into Israel on the 22nd day of Operation Protective Edge is because PM Bibi Netanyahu has thus far refused to order the IDF to complete its mission. Period.
Final Update - OPE Day 22: Israel has no option, that is to say, PM Netanyahu and his security cabinet have no options when it comes to the destruction of HAMAS in the current war. The current Israeli intelligence assessment holds that HAMAS understood before firing its first rocket in July that it could not win militarily against the IDF, but that it merely needed to withstand the IDFs onslaught. Then when the next "hudna" or temporary ceasefire occurred it would simply rebuild again with new vigor and a buffed-up credibility in the Islamic world for having gone toe-to-toe with Israel. The difference is that after this war HAMAS would not only rebuild in Gaza, but it would create very similar warfighting capabilities within PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria (i.e. the so-called West Bank). Therefore, Israel has no choice in the matter, HAMAS cannot survive this war intact.
30 July 2014 - OPE Day 23/ Ground War Day 13: HAMAS nominal chief of jihad against Israel, the limbless Mohammed Deif, said last night, just prior to the start of OPE Day 23, that his soldiers are "eager for death." The question to be posed to Israel's PM Netanyahu is, Do you require a more formal invitation than this to accept Mohammed Deif's offer? This is without question an Islamic call to jihad and all that such a purely Quranic** declaration implies.
**NOTE: For those who do not understand this critical issue, here is a link to a .pdf in which the subject The Quranic Concept of War, a rare book by Pakistani Brigadier General S.K. Malik that is reviewed in an essay by LTC (US Army Ret.) Joseph C. Meyers in the 2006-07 issue of Parameters, the quarterly US Army War College Professional Journal. This is important for us to understand, but at the moment it is an absolute imperative for PM Netanyahu and the security cabinet to understand and act accordingly following their ongoing meeting and debate on Wednesday, 30 June.
Most Americans, by a wide margin in fact, are solidly on Israel's side in this war against Islamic terrorists. The same cannot be said for our President and his administration whose views are diametrically opposed to those of the majority of the American people regarding this war. Proof of this came in the form of a leaked audio recording by an American source to Israel's Channel One TV station of the Sunday night telephone call between PM Netanyahu and Barack Hussein Obama.. The transcript of that conversation, translated from Hebrew to English, was published today by Channel One. Here is an excerpt of that transcript that was posted by Israel National News (Arutz Sheva) a short time ago:
"Obama: I demand that Israel agrees to an immediate, unilateral ceasefire and halt all offensive activities - particularly airstrikes.
Netanyahu: What will Israel receive in return for a ceasefire?
Obama: I believe that Hamas will stop firing rockets - silence will be met with silence.
Netanyahu: Hamas violated all five previous ceasefires, it is a terrorist organization which is dedicated to the destruction of Israel.
Obama: I repeat and expect Israel to unilaterally stop all its military activity. The pictures of destruction from Gaza distance the world from Israel's position.
Netanyahu: Kerry's proposal was completely unrealistic and gives Hamas the military and diplomatic advantage.
Obama: Within a week of the end of Israel's military activities, Qatar and Turkey will begin negotiations with Hamas on the basis of the 2012 understanding [following the end of Operation Pillar of Defense - ed.], including Israel's commitment to removing the siege and restrictions on Gaza,
Netanyahu: Qatar and Turkey are the biggest supporters of Hamas. It is impossible to rely on them to be fair mediators.
Obama: I trust Qatar and Turkey, and Israel is in no position to choose its mediators.
Netanyahu: I object, because Hamas is able to continue and to fire rockets and to use tunnels for terror attacks...
Obama - interrupts Netanyahu mid-sentence: The ball is in Israel's court - it is obligated to end all military activities."
This transcript proves the points I made in my posts of 27 and 28 July regarding "clearly something larger at play." That statement was followed in a subsequent update in the details in the Final Update for OPE Day 20 as well as the initial post of OPE Day 21 to the effect that Barack Hussein Obama was attempting to dictate to PM Netanyahu specific conditions which were, and always will be, inherently suicidal for the State of Israel in the face of Islamic jihadism. President Obama has clearly shown himself to be on the side of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorists of HAMAS in this war. My next question for PM Netanyahu: What more do you need to know about the current American President to convince you that he is no ally; that he is no friend of the State of Israel?
First Update - OPE Day 23: As we wait for word from the Israeli security cabinet meeting, the latest information (via JNS) is that HAMAS has publicly requested Hezbollah to open up a second front in northern Israel. Details at the embedded link.
Final Update - OPE Day 23: Israel's security cabinet has announced its decision to continue with the expanded Operation Protective Edge mission objectives, continuing an overwhelming offensive against Hamas, PIJ, PFLP-GC, Fatah and other terrorist groups in Gaza and to complete the destruction of all tunnels. There may be occasional local ceasefires declared so long that that they do not endanger IDF forces in the relieving certain conditions of civilians in acute distress or medical emergencies. In continuing this authorized battle rhythm there will come a point at which the survival or existence of HAMAS becomes apparent if not a real-world fact. This also makes the potential for external intervention by Iran and its other proxies that much more likely.
First Update - OPE Day 23: As we wait for word from the Israeli security cabinet meeting, the latest information (via JNS) is that HAMAS has publicly requested Hezbollah to open up a second front in northern Israel. Details at the embedded link.
Final Update - OPE Day 23: Israel's security cabinet has announced its decision to continue with the expanded Operation Protective Edge mission objectives, continuing an overwhelming offensive against Hamas, PIJ, PFLP-GC, Fatah and other terrorist groups in Gaza and to complete the destruction of all tunnels. There may be occasional local ceasefires declared so long that that they do not endanger IDF forces in the relieving certain conditions of civilians in acute distress or medical emergencies. In continuing this authorized battle rhythm there will come a point at which the survival or existence of HAMAS becomes apparent if not a real-world fact. This also makes the potential for external intervention by Iran and its other proxies that much more likely.
I agree Sean! If you are NOT going to go all out when engaging an enemy in warfare, then the only winning tactic is NOT to engage! Yisra'el is already hated by the world, so they should finish what they started! Netanyahu is blinking and this will cost them dearly later on! Not only does this embolden their enemies in Islam, but also embolden fools like Kerry!
ReplyDeleteSean,
ReplyDeleteAll of us want badly for this not to be a repeat of the Israeli wars in the last decade.
I've never believed that going slowly step by step and begging for ceasefires enhances Israel's international standing.
To the contrary I believe the past wars show that with every day that goes by the international pressure increases against Israel. A UN resolution could well be in the offing in the next week. That makes it all the more incumbent for quick, decisive action.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteI see the news that the hostile Obama phone call to Netanyahu lasted 35 minutes!
Hard for me to imagine how Netanyahu can tolerate his hostility for so long!
If I were Netanyahu, I would have hung up on the Kenyan, I mean the Hawaiian, I mean the Indonesian right after pleasantries were exchanged.
ReplyDelete"Hi, how ya doin'? Buh-bye."
Brother Sean, your blog is a great blessing. What indication do we have that the current conflict between Israel and Hamas is fulfillment of the Psalm 83 prophecy in the Bible? Right now, Hamas is the only belligerent party in the conflict. I think Psalm 83 speaks of a coalition of belligerents who attack Israel.
ReplyDeleteThey have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4)
In your opinion, is it too early to say right now? Thanks.
- Brian
Brian,
ReplyDeleteYou will find numerous posts on Eschatology Today presenting the Scripture of psalm 83 as a prophecy in the process of fulfillment from 1948 to the present.
The leading edge of those posts can be found in my "The Prophetic Road to Revelation" series pinned to the right-hand column of the mainpage. Part II: Arab Israeli War = the Psalm 83 War is where I would suggest that you start. With Part II your will find the following among other well-researched points that will answer the question you pose (emphasis has been added):
"The Arab-Israeli War is the Psalm 83 War. The initial 1947-49 phase of this war was the bedrock basis of all future Arab-Israel wars through to the present. It is a war which will not be decisively concluded until the final phase as described by the prophet Asaph is fulfilled in the near future.
...
The ALA (Arab Liberation Army/Jaysh al-Inqadh al-Arabi)) originally consisted of approximately 6,100 irregular volunteer troops recruited from Arab League nations via the Arab League Military Committee. Most secular histories state that the purpose behind the establishment of the ALA was as a counter-weight to the AHC’s Army of the Jihad. This is pretty much an irrelevancy due to the fact that the military objectives of both Arab armies were to seize territory and preempt the establishment of the State of Israel prior to the termination of the British Mandate. The creation of this army was the direct result of the neighboring Arab governments consulting with each other and their plotting to ensure that no part of Palestine would become an independent Jewish state. Jamil Mardam Bey, the Syrian Prime Minister in November 1947, wrote of this plotting among the Arab leaders: “So long as the position of the Kings and Amirs is one of caution and plots, this is the only sound policy.” What plotting was Bey referring to? He was referring to the clearly stated political objective of the Arab League Secretary Azzam Pasha as given in Damascus on 11 October 1947 for the imminent war against the emergent State of Israel. The stated political objective was for "a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades."
"Part III:Back to the Future - The Psalm 83 Endgame" picks up where Part II leaves off.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, that exchange between PM Netanyahu and O is an absolute disgrace to the people of both nations. It is infuriating to be an American and watch the shear stupidity come out of DC from that office. I have felt all along that PM Netanyahu's reluctance has been that he is trying to appease the US leadership…and probably dodge all kinds of threats from O and his sidekick, Kerry the Incompetent. Israel would have been better off to just lay waste to Gaza over a week's span and be done with it. The world get's over it, and we move on. However, our arrogant "leader" who thinks he is so important to the world (just read the transcript), has been and is nothing but a sock puppet for our Lord doing the things that have to be done to bring about fulfillment of the end time prophesies (i.e.. Ps 83 Jer 49:34-39,and ultimately Ezek 38-39). As your website states so clearly, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse". God help our nation.
Sean:
ReplyDeleteI pray that PM Netanyahu will be illuminated by the Holy Spirit with a "AHA" moment and "Get R Done".
I do understand and think all do that this will be costly in Israeli lives. Freedom is Not Free and he knows it.