The Conundrum, Part 31

Fatah and Islamic Jihad issue an ultimatum to continue doing what they've been doing for years - seeking to inflict maximum carnage on Israel - unless Israel ceases its operations in Gaza.

Fatah is the terrorist group headed by Abbas. At its end, the terrorists seek destruction of Israel and they aren't even going through the motions of trying to throw out the diplomatic codewords. Abbas wants the UN to get involved to force Israel to stop its operations in Gaza.

Egypt wants Israel to cease its operations in Gaza as well. Still trying to play peacemaker, though even Mubarak must know that there can be no peace unless either Israel is destroyed or the Palestinians come to their senses and recognize Israel's right to exist (not simply the existence of Israel). Oh, and the Egyptians found yet another cache of explosives in the Sinai.

Again with the comments about proportionality? What is it with this nonsensical belief in proportionality - and from the Brits? Would they brook any attack on their sovereign island from across the Channel, let alone a daily barrage of rockets? Israel's government has been holding back on the Palestinian terrorists for far too long because they believe that they can get away with it - they've simply recognized that the Israelis can tolerate a certain level of violence, and will continue probing and increasing it to a point where either Israel will tire of defending, or give up. The Palestinians, like Hizbullah before them, have not calculated on Israel actually taking significant military action (albeit a limited one at that), and thus we see yet another major Israeli operation in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Arab countries are racing to develop their own nuclear programs, not to offset Israel's capabilities mind you, but to balance the threat posed by Iran. And the IAEA sees no problem in any of this. They're helping - for civilian nuclear purposes that is. Never mind that you can be assured that secret nuclear weapons research is in the backs of the minds of all in the region.

And did you know that Iran still rejoices on the anniversary of the takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran?

UPDATE:
How can there be a peace process if one side does not even recognize the other side's right to exist. Palestinian terrorists who comprise the Palestinian Authority have enshrined their views in their respective charters - the destruction of Israel is a core tenet. Everything that they say and do is in furtherance of their mission to destroy Israel, and yet we hear of peace processes? Fatah plays the diplomatic games, but does not stay the hands of terrorists - they've created the fiction of a separate terror organization, the al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade to conduct terror attacks, and engage in a trilateral terror game (along with Islamic Jihad and Hamas), so that the terror attacks can continue.

Hamas doesn't even bother with the diplomatic niceties. They continue to hold Gilad Shalit until such time that Israel caves to the demands of prisoner exchanges for their soldier.

The town that Israel has directed much of its firepower of late in Gaza would not have been attacked had the terrorists not used it as a base of operations to fire rockets daily into Israel. That it is the scene of much violence and carnage is unfortunate, but lies at the feet of the Palestinians themselves. Had the Palestinian Authority actually stopped the violence, there would be real progress, but that is not to be. The PA can't even figure out its own government since Hamas wants to dominate - and engage in open war with Israel, which Fatah realizes is a folly at this time.

UPDATE:
If you've been paying attention by now, Hizbullah and Hamas are preparing for the next round with Israel. They're preparing for war, and Israel best be prepared itself. Indeed, its best defense is to take the offensive - because it should not let the terrorist groups dictate the pace and place of battle.

There will soon be another war in the Middle East, this time a renewal of the conflict between the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and Hizbollah. The conflict is inevitable and unavoidable. It will come about because Israel cannot tolerate the rebuilding of Hizbollah's fortified zone in south Lebanon, from which last year it launched its missile bombardment of northern Israel.

Hizbollah has now reconstructed the fortified zone and is replenishing its stocks of missiles there. Hamas is also creating a fortified zone in the Gaza Strip and building up its stocks of missiles. Israel, therefore, faces missile attack on two fronts. When the Israel general staff decides the threat has become intolerable, it will strike.

Snoopy the Goon, posting at Yourish's place, notes a few more uses for women that the Palestinian terrorist groups have identified. Not exactly what most rational folks would have in mind, but the Palestinians are expressing their rationality in a different fashion - namely they believe that no matter how many casualties they take, the ultimate goal is worth the body count.

Technorati: terrorism, nasrallah, fatah, Gilad, Shalit, Olmert, Eliyahu, Asheri, Ashri, Abbas, Regev, Goldwasser, PRC, Hamas, Gaza, palestinian, Israel, hizbullah, hezbullah, hezbollah, lebanon, syria.