Althouse: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally gave the order for a land invasion of the Gaza strip [yesterday]."

July 18, 2014

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally gave the order for a land invasion of the Gaza strip [yesterday]."

"The decision—fraught with moral, strategic, and political uncertainties—came after over a week of hesitation and perseveration. But after this morning’s U.N.-brokered ceasefire ended with a volley of Hamas rockets, Netanyahu simply ran out of alternatives."

25 comments:

Hagar said...: Ariel Sharon might have had the smarts and the stature to also lead his people out of the mess he had led them into. Netanyahu is just stuck with it.; 7/18/14, 8:45 AM
Matt Sablan said...: It wasn't just a volley of rockets; someone actually died. I think Israel was willing to pussyfoot around and hope for the best. But, people started dying [and not just people supporting shooting rockets into civilian centers.] Rockets were getting dangerously close to power plants.

Israel TRIED for appeasement; it tried for limited, constrained action.

And people died.; 7/18/14, 8:54 AM
Anonymous said...: One thing that does seem to have changed is a more leftward tilt in media coverage of the situation and in American foreign policy.

A pretty intractable situation remains.

Instead of joining the more European Left liberal bien pensant worldview, wouldn't it be just as useful for American media to point out the dangerous anti-Semitism finding voice in Europe right now under that same worldview, qnd/or just the strategic realities both sides face and that Israel now faces during the destabilization of the region?

This might help in describing what might actually happen...and the kinds of choices being made...; 7/18/14, 9:03 AM
Jon Burack said...: Hamas forces its people to be hostages and get killed so a compliant world media will blame Israel for killing them. Hence, it makes sense and is vastly more humane for Israel to go in on the ground. Hopefully, they can disrupt Hamas substantially and, at the same time, save hundreds of innocent lives by doing it up close and personal. I think this also shows that Israel is more confident that world opinion is NOT helping Hamas as much as it has in the past. Even the liberal media is having trouble avoiding the idea that when one side puts its children in the line of fire, it is that side that wants them dead, not those doing the firing.; 7/18/14, 9:51 AM
garage mahal said...: If you can think of one thing - JUST ONE THING - more threatening than 9 year old kids playing soccer on a beach, I'd love to hear it.; 7/18/14, 10:01 AM
richard mcenroe said...: Now, see, unlike the Palestinians, I would not be surprised if I was dancing in the streets to celebrate launching missiles (or knocking down skyscrapers) and suddenly saw a salvo of missiles coming back.; 7/18/14, 10:03 AM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Peace talks cause war. Secretary Kerry should have stayed home. The most peaceful times in Israel and Gaza are when no one is talking.

So stop talking. No more peace talks. Just peace.; 7/18/14, 11:01 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: As has been pointed out before, Israel uses missiles to protect its civilians, while Hamas uses civilians to protect its missiles. I don't think that there is any rational way to support Hamas in this fight. They are the ones who started the fight, they are the ones who broke the cease fire. I do feel sorry for the Palestinian civilians who are caught in the cross fire, but they picked living there, and didn't throw the terrorists out when Israel gave up Gaza. And, they are living in a density far, far, above what the land can support, without the sort of infrastructure and technology that the Jews brought to the area, and that the Palestinians destroyed when Israel pulled out.; 7/18/14, 11:09 AM
Michael said...: Garage Mahal

If you can think of one thing more vile than putting weapons caches in schools and mosques, in urging people to stay in their homes when they have been warned they will be shelled, I would like to hear it. Your snark is all the more appalling because it is marinated in ignorance of the facts and of history.; 7/18/14, 12:05 PM
traditionalguy said...: Timing is everything when you are in a situation the Jews have been in for 60+ years. They are living in a territory the size of New Jersey and surrounded by enemies that must to kill them to please a god that vows to kill them if they don't do it.

Since the brief Morsi reign over Egypt arranged by a well known community organizer that only ended Egypt's alliance with the USA, Hamas is no longer supported by Saudi Arabia, that despises Obama. Saudi Arabia is the 800 lbs gorilla and they are committed to saving Egypt from the Brotherhood that is also a big threat to the Kingdom of Saud.; 7/18/14, 12:37 PM
garage mahal said...: If you can think of one thing more vile than putting weapons caches in schools and mosques, in urging people to stay in their homes when they have been warned they will be shelled, I would like to hear it.

Killing 9 year old kids playing soccer on a beach? I think that's more appalling.

Either Israel's weapons are not accurate, they don't know who they are targeting, or they are targeting civilians. Which is it, smart guy?; 7/18/14, 12:40 PM
Richard Dolan said...: A surprisingly sensible article given TNR's usual take on things.

But the focus of the article's analysis is the (very) short term. The Israeli operation in Gaza will not last long, a few weeks or perhaps a month. Some tunnels will be destroyed, some Hamas infrastructure degraded. But then, it's back to status quo ante. Hamas will start up with the rockets (or something else to the same end) again whenever having video of dead Palestinians suits their purposes. That will continue for as long as Hamas' enablers (mostly the Iranians) find it useful.

It's the middle and longer term that is so worrisome. Everywhere around Israel the lunatics are either in control or close to grabbing control. It's hard to see a plausible path to less craziness in the neighborhood. ISIS and Iran are on the rise; Egypt is one step away from becoming Syria writ large; the Saudis are looking to partner with the Pakistanis to offset the Iranians; Turkey becomes ever less secular, ever more Islamist; reciprocal rounds of massacres by Sunni and Shia radicals cycle back and forth ever more rapidly; the Americans have checked out and intend to stay out; and the Europeans only want to make sure that the madness stays far from them.

To talk of achieving a last peace in that setting is surreal. So, as the TNR author says, what option other than attending to the short term problem and then waiting to see what develops does Netanyahu have?; 7/18/14, 1:16 PM
Pookie Number 2 said...: Either Israel's weapons are not accurate, they don't know who they are targeting, or they are targeting civilians. Which is it, smart guy?

Or they're doing the best they can in a situation that's never as crystal-clear as one would hope. They're trying their best to avoid civilian casualties while they eliminate as much evil as possible, but they occasionally make mistakes.

Of course, you've demonstrated repeatedly that you lack both intelligence and integrity, so I fully expect another thoughtless simplistic response that demonstrates your allegiance to the political left. Have at it.; 7/18/14, 1:19 PM
mccullough said...: Israel has to go in and kill Hamas' leaders and seize their weaponry.; 7/18/14, 1:20 PM
Rusty said...: Yes. War is appalling.
What was your first clue?; 7/18/14, 2:01 PM
Hagar said...: "I am become mine enemy."

Sounds Biblical, or is it Shakespeare?
Or did I just think it up myself?; 7/18/14, 2:52 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: Either Israel's weapons are not accurate, they don't know who they are targeting, or they are targeting civilians. Which is it, smart guy?

Garbage apparently missed the fact that Hamas is using children as human shields. And, putting their missiles in mosques, apartment buildings, and I think even hospitals. While they target civilians, the Israelis try to protect them. Prior to this offensive, they dumped a high number of paper messages, and made over 100,000 calls to the people in Gaza to evacuate. And, most apparently did not. Don't know if it is fatalistic Muslim thing, or the fact that they were told by Hamas, et al., not to. Still, the standard that the Israelis can't accidentally kill a small number of innocent civilians without international repercussions, and people like Garbage condemning them, is patently absurd, when they are responding to thousands of rockets being shot at civilians in their own country (along with a blatant violation of the cease fire). Somehow Muslim civilians are sacrosanct, but Israeli civilians are collateral damage.; 7/18/14, 4:09 PM
Drago said...: Field Marshall garage mahal: "Either Israel's weapons are not accurate, they don't know who they are targeting, or they are targeting civilians. Which is it, smart guy?"

Garage draws upon his deep deep experience in military planning, operations management leadership and middle east understanding to pose another "garage-y" quality question.; 7/18/14, 4:44 PM
Drago said...: Bruce: "Garbage apparently missed the fact that Hamas is using children as human shields."

No.

The lefties aren't missing it.

They all know it.

And they are using the inevitable outcomes of Hamas' tactical decisions in precisely the way anyone with a brain could predict.

Those darn Israelis simply won't allow themselves to be overrun and marched into the sea fast enough for our resident stalinists.; 7/18/14, 4:46 PM
garage mahal said...: ...and I think even hospitals.

That's the problem with you. You don't think. You're a simpleton without a shred of intellectual curiosity.; 7/18/14, 4:51 PM
Curious George said...: Why do you hate the Jew garage?; 7/18/14, 5:37 PM
Michael said...: Garage:

If you are an advisor to Palestine or Hamas you might pass on this tip. Do not let your kids go to the beach during the war. Make them stay in the bomb shelters like the Israeli kids are made to do. The articles all indicate that the kids decided it would be safer on the beach than in their homes. Tip two. Don't let your kids make these kinds of decisions for themselves. As a parent you are responsible for their safety.

These are ideas that might not resonate with Hamas but then you know what to do.; 7/18/14, 6:10 PM
ken in tx said...: GM said, "Either Israel's weapons are not accurate, they don't know who they are targeting, or they are targeting civilians. Which is it, smart guy?"

Which one convinces you that the Israelis are more evil than the Arabs. That's the one you should choose. To be consistent, I mean. BTW, they are both semitic. You are anti-semitic no matter which you hate.; 7/18/14, 8:15 PM
Curious George said...: gargae lefty blogs have taught him to hate the Jew. Do not ask him to explain it, he will never get past the talking points.

I think we should fire 1100 rockets into Monona, WI and ask his dumb ass to "show restraint."; 7/19/14, 7:38 AM
garage mahal said...: Predicatively stupid takes from predictably stupid people. Nuther day at Althouse.; 7/19/14, 10:29 AM