Friday, June 06, 2008

Middle East Quick Hits

Palestinian terrorists continue firing barrages of rockets and mortars against Israel. Some of those rockets slammed into Sapir College, causing some damage and injuring several people.

It must be Friday, since Palestinians are marching on Rafah Crossing. I'd suggest that the Palestinians would be better served marching on Hamas headquarters and demanding that they stop the rocket and mortar attacks by the Hamas and other terror thugs, which are the sole reason why the borders have been sealed. The failure to stop the rockets rests not with Israel, but with the terrorists who have started and continued a war against Israel since 2005. No ceasefire can or should be agreed upon by Israel under these circumstances, much to the consternation of Egypt, who's trying to mediate just that.

The US is considering lifting the ban on selling Israel F-22 Raptors. That's a move designed to make Iran reconsider its current designs on the region. In fact, it could provide Israel with the means to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, which is probably why this idea is being floated in the first place. It doesn't affect the Palestinian war against Israel since the Palestinians don't have an air force to contend with.

Israel is considering a more substantial Gaza operation, but with Olmert at the helm, don't expect much.

UPDATE:
So, Olmert's comments raise specter of Israeli operation against the Palestinian terrorists in Gaza. Right, let's just ignore the reason that Israel has to conduct those operations in the first place - the ongoing barrages of mortars and rockets that make Southern Israel a very dangerous place to live, and where your life could be turned inside out in less than 15 seconds.

Responsibility for anything that happens in Gaza rests firmly on the heads of Hamas - they wanted war; they declared war on Israel; and Israel might finally (at long last) return the favor, though I worry that Olmert will still prevaricate and waffle his way into a mess.

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