British Judge Accepts Defense Strategy of Accused Vandals That They Had To Wreck Military Equipment To Save Gazans from Israeli War Crimes

Okay, I know the title of this story is a bit unclear but I've tried for 10 minutes to clean it up and can't - the issue is this. A British judge heard a big vandalism trial in which a bunch of defendants were accused of damaging a facility that was making munitions for Israel to be used in Operation Cast Lead. The accused were nailed - caught red-handed but went forward with their defense that even though they DID commit the crime, it was only to help save Gazans from Israeli war efforts during Operation Cast Lead. What an insane defense, right? Well, it worked.

Look at what the Judge ruled in the case from this report at IPT:

Judge George Bathurst-Norman told jurors that Gaza's Palestinians suffered "hell on earth" as a result of Israel's actions. The lead defendant's actions might even merit the George Cross, England's highest civilian honor.
The jury followed the judge's advice, accepting the defendants' insistence that although they committed a crime, they did so in order to stop Israel from committing more serious ones against the Palestinians.
The Crown Prosecution Service's Board of Deputies wants the Office of Judicial Complaints to investigation Bathurst-Norman's remarks from the bench. "The press reports of Judge George Bathurst-Norman's comments… give rise to profound concerns about the appropriateness of his directions to the jury," said Board President Vivian Wineman.

Boy, you THINK you might need to investigate this judge???!!! Good grief. I wonder, was the judge waving a Pali flag while giving the jurors their instructions? Is the judge a relative of George Galloway?

This is insane and to think judicial officials MIGHT investigate him. If I was the owners of that facility that was vandalized, I would bring civil suit against all of the defendants and then I would bring a civil suit against the judge (probably can't do that but I'd try...lol).

It just substantiates my claim that men who have hyphenated last names aren't real men.

UK Court Accepts Vandals' "Israeli War Crimes" Defense


British judicial officials may investigate the actions of a presiding judge who directed a jury to acquit defendants accused of causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to an arms factory after the defense argued it was to stop Israeli "war crimes" in Gaza.

Judge George Bathurst-Norman told jurors that Gaza's Palestinians suffered "hell on earth" as a result of Israel's actions. The lead defendant's actions might even merit the George Cross, England's highest civilian honor.

The jury followed the judge's advice, accepting the defendants' insistence that although they committed a crime, they did so in order to stop Israel from committing more serious ones against the Palestinians.

The Crown Prosecution Service's Board of Deputies wants the Office of Judicial Complaints to investigation Bathurst-Norman's remarks from the bench. "The press reports of Judge George Bathurst-Norman's comments… give rise to profound concerns about the appropriateness of his directions to the jury," said Board President Vivian Wineman.

The seven defendants objected to the role of EDO MBM, a British company supplying military equipment used in Operation Cast Lead – the military campaign launched by Israel in December 2008 to destroy Hamas terror cells firing rockets into Israel. On January 16, 2009, the defendants broke into a manufacturing facility owned by the company and spent close to an hour damaging equipment with hammers, throwing cabinets and computers out of a top-floor window, and sabotaging machinery.

The seven were backed by a group calling itself smash EDO, which bragged openly about activists' success in destroying property and getting away with it.

The local Member of Parliament, Caroline Lucas of the Green Party, praised the court decision and said she was "absolutely delighted" the activists had been cleared.

Judge Bathurst-Norman's decision "takes the delegitimisation of Israel in the U.K. to new levels," a British blogger observed. "Not only can you freely trash Israeli goods in a supermarket, practice antisemitism at a British university and get an arrest warrant for an Israeli official visiting the UK" but "you can now break into a factory making exports to Israel and lay waste to the production machinery."

Hamas Submits To Israel, Closes Smuggling Tunnels After Israeli Hard Line

I've told you folks on several occasions that one of the worst reporting jobs of all time was how the fact that Hamas was nearly crushed, nearly annhilated by Operation Cast Lead was totally missed by all news media when it went down, and since that time, there have been nothing but significant signs of how Hamas has cowered in fear over ANY Israeli retaliation for aggressive actions coming out of Gaza. We have seen Hamas crack down on any rockets being fired into Israel, we have seen Hamas try to patrol other terrorist groups in its midst and now, today...we see how Hamas buckled its knees once again and actually closed off their smuggling tunnels out of fear of Israeli bombings and warnings.

From the article at Breitbart:

Hamas temporarily closed Gaza's smuggling tunnels in response to an Israeli warning of a plot to kidnap Israelis vacationing in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and drag them into Gaza through the underground passageways, officials said Wednesday.
The unprecedented step briefly cut off a key economic lifeline to the blockaded Palestinian territory, ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas since its violent takeover in 2007.

A senior Hamas government official said the cross-border tunnels were closed at the request of Egypt, which relayed the Israeli concerns. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss contacts with Egypt.
Another Hamas official said the decision was also partly prompted by concerns that Israel could bomb the tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border. Hamas, increasingly isolated, may also have wanted to avoid further friction with Israel and Egypt

This is not only a reaction to what happened to Hamas during Operation Cast Lead but also behavior that they have learned since Netanyahu took over - Hamas simply understands that they will pay dearly for any act of terror against Israel.

Now, I'm not suggesting that Hamas has changed its ways or has backed off their goal of destroying Israel but this does show that they are no where near any kind of recuperation since the hammering they took during Operation Cast Lead. Isn't it amazing how terrorists act when they are confronted with leadership that responds with an iron fist?

Hamas temporarily shuts Gaza smuggling tunnels

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) - Hamas temporarily closed Gaza's smuggling tunnels in response to an Israeli warning of a plot to kidnap Israelis vacationing in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and drag them into Gaza through the underground passageways, officials said Wednesday.
The unprecedented step briefly cut off a key economic lifeline to the blockaded Palestinian territory, ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas since its violent takeover in 2007.

A senior Hamas government official said the cross-border tunnels were closed at the request of Egypt, which relayed the Israeli concerns. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss contacts with Egypt.

Another Hamas official said the decision was also partly prompted by concerns that Israel could bomb the tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border. Hamas, increasingly isolated, may also have wanted to avoid further friction with Israel and Egypt.

The order came just hours after Israel told its citizens to leave Sinai, saying it had "concrete" evidence that militants were trying to abduct Israelis and possibly take them to Gaza. The tunnels would be the only route to drag captives into Gaza.

Tunnel workers were told late Tuesday by Hamas security forces to leave the smuggling areas on the Gaza-Egypt border, smugglers and security officials said.

By late Wednesday afternoon, smuggling had resumed, but it was not clear whether the tunnels had reopened for good.

A Hamas security official on the border said the reprieve was temporary to allow owners to retrieve shipments stranded underground, but that smugglers were warned not to sneak in any people. The senior Hamas government official said smuggling was back to normal because Hamas felt there was no longer a compelling reason to keep the tunnels closed.

The tunnels under the nine-mile (15-kilometer) border are key to the survival of the Hamas government, which has been squeezed by a border blockade by Israel and Egypt.

Hundreds of tunnels have been dug with Hamas support since the blockade was first imposed in 2006, after Gaza militants captured an Israeli soldier. The closure tightened a year later after Hamas seized Gaza from its Palestinian rivals in Fatah, led by Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel, however, allows in basic foods and other supplies. The tunnels are a conduit for commercial goods and people, as well as cash and weapons for Hamas.

Most of the tunnels are privately run, but Hamas retains overall control and has a heavy security presence in the smuggling area. Some of the tunnels are believed to be under direct Hamas control.

The tunnels run side by side under the border, with just a few yards (meters) between each, their entrances covered by tents. On normal business days, the humming of generators, which power lighting, pulleys and other equipment, mixes with the sound of trucks rumbling along the unpaved paths.

Israel and the United States have repeatedly urged Egypt to do more to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza, and Israel has repeatedly bombed the tunnels from the air, particularly during its military offensive against Gaza more than a year ago to stop daily rocket attacks.

Issa Nashar, the Hamas mayor of the Gaza border town of Rafah, said about 30 percent of the more than 400 tunnels were already idle before Tuesday's closure because of an intensifying crackdown by Egypt in recent weeks. He said Egyptian security forces have been stopping more shipments headed for Gaza and have arrested Egyptian partners of the Gaza smugglers.

Several months ago, Egypt began building an underground steel wall to block the tunnels. Nashar said the barrier now runs along a little less than half of the border, though not in the central area with the highest concentration of tunnels.

Israel's anti-terror office issued the abduction warning late Tuesday, urging Israelis vacationing in Sinai to return home and citing concrete "evidence of an expected terrorist attempt to kidnap Israelis in Sinai" and possibly take them to Gaza.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it was not aware of anyone missing in Sinai, but the warning remained in effect.

By Wednesday evening, about 220 Israelis remained in Sinai, out of about 650 present there Tuesday, police said.

The Gaza-Egypt border sits at the northeastern corner of the Sinai desert.

The Red Sea resort beaches of Sinai, a popular vacation spot for Israelis and other foreign tourists, are on the southeast coast roughly 200 miles (300 kilometers) from Rafah and near a border crossing between Israel and Sinai.

Prayers For Peace, Rockets, And A New Daycare Center.

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

This month has been busy for the residents of Sderot (pronounced:  STAY'rot).  Let us start with this bit of optimism.

Sderot, Israel (31.12.09): Hours before the new year, as hundreds of pro-Palestinian and Arab demonstrators gathered at the Erez Crossing chanting "Katyushas on Ma'alot, Qassams on Sderot," while Israeli demonstrators at another Gaza viewpoint a few meters away gathered together to communicate a very different message.

A group of Israelis singing songs of peace versus a group of Arabs calling for the bombing of these people.  And the idiots on the left (especially the ones in the White House, Speaker's Office and the Senate Majority Leader) all have concluded that Israelis don't want peace, only Arabs do.

And black is white, good is bad, up is down.  Nothing to see here folks...just move along.

That was the optimism.  Now for the news:

Worst Rocket Escalation to Strike Israel Since Operation Cast Lead

by Anav Silverman

Since Operation Cast Lead, over 306 rockets have been fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. On Sunday, January 10, Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu told cabinet ministers that he regarded the recent escalation of rocket attacks very seriously.

Rocket attack in Sderot. (Photo: Hamutal Ben Shitrit/Sderot Media Center)

"Last week 20 rockets and mortar rounds were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. The Government's policy is clear: Any firing at our territory will be responded to strongly and immediately."

Both Netivot and Ashkelon were hit by Grad rockets in the recent rocket escalation. On New Years' eve, two Russian-made Grad artillery rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip and struck Israel, with one hitting the southern town of Netivot, a city of about 26,000.

The Color Red system did not go off at the time of attack, and Netivot residents had no warning of the incoming rocket attack. No damages were reported but one woman suffered shock.

The last Grad rocket to strike Netivot had exploded near a synagogue nine months ago, causing heavy damage to the building.

A week later, on Thursday, January 7, a Grad-type Katyusha rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck a field south of Ashkelon, causing no damage or injuries. Air sirens, however, did sound, sending Ashkelon residents into panic.

Ashkelon, a coastal city with over 100,000 residents, has been a target of Palestinian-fired Katyusha rockets for nearly four years.

Since the start of 2010, tens of Iranian-supplied mortar rockets have also hit southern Israel. Terrorists also fired an anti-tank missile at IDF troops on the Gaza border.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) claimed responsibility for the recent firing of the rockets.

Hamas boasted on Friday Jan. 8, that it had managed to smuggle new types of weapons into the Gaza Strip. Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, published photographs on its website of the new weapons. The weapons include missiles with a double warhead, 107-mm caliber missiles that are designed to penetrate fortified structures and a new type of armor piercing RPG missile.

Abu Ubeida, the Hamas spokesman stated that the group "has thousands of fighters and good weapons capable of harming Israel."

Former OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samia predicted on Sunday that another war with Hamas was inevitable.

"We are before another round in Gaza," Samia told Army Radio in an interview.

"I am very skeptical about the possibility that Hamas will suddenly surrender or change its ways without being hit much more seriously than it was during Cast Lead."

Will someone please explain the meaning of the word CEASE-FIRE to Hamas!  In a cease-fire both side stop shooting at each other.  If one side starts shooting again, then the cease-fire is over, battle begins anew.

Now for a little good news:

A new rocket-proof daycare center was inaugurated in the southern city of Sderot on December 27. The money for the furniture, equipment, and toys was donated by 13 year-old Thomas Cole of Toronto on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah.

United Israel Appeal of Canada’s website reported that the dedication ceremony was attended by 35 members of Cole’s family, including his parents and grandparents, as well as by Sderot Mayor David Buskila, who unveiled a plaque of recognition and affixed the mezuzah together with Thomas.

The daycare center was built to withstand rocket attacks and contains three classrooms. It will serve approximately 45 infants ranging in age from three months to four years. The center will specifically serve the Reut community, a group of 150 young families who have made Sderot their home over the last decade.

Eran Shmueli-David, director of UIAC’s Israel Emergency Campaign, said that “this gift was implemented thanks to the tireless efforts of Eddy Azran, UIAC’s local coordinator in Sderot. It was his persistence and determination that pressed the municipality to open the new building as soon as construction was completed.”

Thomas Cole personally chose to dedicate the money to the Sderot Daycare Centre out of several options given to him by the B’nei Tzedek program of UJA Federation.

Read the full story here.

Young Thomas Cole of Toronto not only is on his way in life to becoming a man of good character, but has shown to the world the true meaning of becoming a man.  The unselfish giving unto others.  In Master Cole's case, his generosity will help many children to have a better life.

His parents MUST be busting at the seams with pride.

You can HELP too.  It isn't hard.  Just a few dollars can and does go a long way.  Just click here and follow the instructions.  Your donation to the Sderot Media Center will help the people of Sderot and the Western Negev.  People who have been under rocket attack for the last 9 years.

The Children of Sderot sent out messages of peace and hope.
The Children of Gaza send out rockets to destroy them.

Yet Hamas screams bloody murder whenever the Israelis strike back at them.

Not this time.

The time is coming when the people of Israel will have had enough.  When they will attack in retaliation, and not stop until Hamas is fully destroyed.  This next time nothing will be able to stop the IDF from achieving their directive.  Not the UN, not the EU, and definitely not Barack Hussein Obama.  Let Hamas and their anti-Semitic allies on the left cry all they want.  They will cry, scream, and throw a temper tantrum like they did last year.  But things are different now.  Europe is fed up with their antics.  The US isn't buying their lies.  And there will be elections this year.  Now Hamas will have to contend with that.

And the Children of Sderot truly might have a peaceful childhood.

And The World AcceptsTerrorism...

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle


...As long as it is done against Israel and/or Jews.

That is the verdict of the world now that the United Nations General Assembly United Assholes of the World voted 114 in favor to 18 against with 44 cowardly nations abstaining to submit the Goldstone Report (a work of malicious fiction if there ever was one) to the UN Security Council in a bid to destroy Israel via the United Nations (considering the Arabs are just too stupid, lazy and birdbrained to destroy Israel on the battlefield).

The UN General Assembly approved on Thursday an Arab-backed resolution endorsing the Goldstone Report, paving the way for the matter to be sent to the Security Council.

A total of 114 nations voted in favor of the resolution and 18 voted against it, with 44 members abstaining.

Israel and the US voted against the decision, as did Germany, Holland, Canada, Australia and several eastern European nations. Most EU states abstained.

Israel on Thursday night rejected the decision. "The results of the vote, and the large number of countries who voted against or abstained, clearly show that the assembly's resolution does not enjoy the support of the moral majority," a statement by the Foreign Ministry read.

The statement stressed that the resolution had no connection to "the reality Israel faces."

"During Operation Cast Lead the IDF exhibited higher standards of combat and morals than those held by the all the initiators of the resolution," the Israeli statement added. "Israel will continue to act to defend itself from international terrorism, as any Democratic country would."

It was Col. Richard Kemp (UK) who spoke the only true words to the Security Council on this point:

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer called the resolution "an important night in the history of the General Assembly and the history of fighting against impunity and seeking accountability."

The nonbinding resolution on the Goldstone document, which alleges war crimes by Israel and Hamas during the IDF's offensive in Gaza last winter, aims to open doors toward prosecution in the international courts. But as the debate dragged into its second day on Thursday, European nations threatened to abstain from a vote just as others feverishly tried to negotiate softer terms. Of particular concern was language fully endorsing the report and requiring Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take up the issue within three months or send the matter to the Security Council.

Absent from the debate was US Ambassador Susan Rice, whose deputies were present but were not among some 50 scheduled speakers.

"Our position on the Goldstone Report is well-known," a US official said. "The US is prepared to speak when and if there is an occasion to advance the debate."

The official said representatives of the US mission attended Wednesday and Thursday's debate. "It's not unusual for ambassadors to attend portions of a debate that lasts several hours or in this case, two days."

Funny how Adlai E. Stevenson never needed to do that, even at the height of the Cuban Missile Crises.

But officials privately said the blustery debate was a distraction from another goal: urging Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks. US officials were expected to release a statement following the vote, explaining their position.

If this pass through the Security Council without a veto from the United States, Israel won't sit down at anytime with Barack Hussein Obama, let alone the Arabs.

On Thursday, European countries were still trying to soften the text of the draft resolution. Most European nations expressed discontent with parts of the resolution, including language endorsing the report and referring the matter to the Security Council. "There's been progress, but there's also been backpedaling," a European diplomat said.

European countries, concerned with "grave accusations," want accountability and have demanded that accusations be addressed by both sides.

The European Union took a similarly moderate approach in the debate.

"The EU takes note of the recommendations of the mission and emphasizes the obligations of all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law," said Swedish Ambassador to the UN Anders Liden, speaking on behalf of the 27 EU countries on Wednesday. "In this regard the EU believes that appropriate follow-up will be necessary."

The EU comments were welcomed by Israeli officials, who delivered a blistering assault on the Goldstone mandate and report in their speech on Wednesday.

In other words, don't cut off our oil Mr. Arab and we will back your plan to finish the job your hero, Hitler started. We really want to do it you know.

"Rather than confronting terrorism, the General Assembly chose again to detach itself from reality," said Israel's top UN official, Gabriela Shalev. "Today's debate is anything but genuine and candid.

"Rather than discuss how to better stop terrorist groups who deliberately target civilians, this body launches yet another campaign against the victims of terrorism, the people of Israel," she said.

Why bother with Darfur? They don't matter. Or the Sudan. Or any other part of the world. The only place that matters to the United Assholes of the World is Israel. The only abused people there ever were are called Palestinians.

Goldstone means that terrorism by Muslims against the West and specifically Israel is not only acceptable, but allowed under International Law.

And since our President is intent to force the United States to recognize International Law over the US Constitution, then by legal rights Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, mass killer of Fort Hood, should be released, given an honorable discharge from the Army, and monetary compensation for wronging him. For under the United Nations what he did is legal and his right.

If we had a President with the some balls he would use the Law of Eminent Domain to take control of that eyesore on the East River and throw that bunch of Assholes out. Perhaps they would be happier in Saudi Arabia or Iran. Tehran would be the perfect place for that Tower of Babel.

"The Most Moral Army In The World!"

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Is the assessment given to the IDF by Colonel Richard Kemp (Great Britain) to the UN Human Rights Council 12th Special Session, 16 October 2009 Debate on Goldstone Report.

The Goldstone report (you can read this work of fiction here) is based on lies, innuendos, and hearsay. There is no factual data in this work of fiction (the conclusion was made way before the members of the committee were picked) and it is considered the honest truth by the Obama Administration trying to appease their Muslim masters. It is the only way Obama and his Muslim cohorts can "legally" destroy Israel (since the Muslims are too incompetent to do it with an army).

The world will not listen to reason and the truth. The world has already decided on the verdict (with the great appeaser Barack Hussein Obama leading the way to the slaughter [His his idol Hitler would have been so proud of him!]).

I ask you, truthseeker, to listen to the words of this British hero, and judge for yourself.

Col. Richard Kemp on the U.N. Goldstone Report



View at YouTube

Text of the speech

Thank you, Mr. President.

I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee.

Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.

Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population.

Hamas, like Hizballah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents.

The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights.

The truth is that the IDF took extraordinary measures to give Gaza civilians notice of targeted areas, dropping over 2 million leaflets, and making over 100,000 phone calls. Many missions that could have taken out Hamas military capability were aborted to prevent civilian casualties. During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy's hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks.

Despite all of this, of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes.

More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas’ way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice their own civilians.

Mr. President, Israel had no choice apart from defending its people, to stop Hamas from attacking them with rockets.

And I say this again: the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Col. Richard Kemp, CBE, served in the British Army from 1977 - 2006. He was Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, an infantry battalion Commanding Officer, worked for the Joint Intelligence Committee and COBR and completed 14 operational tours of duty around the globe.

Richard Kemp was appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), Military Division, in recognition of his intelligence work in Northern Ireland in 1992–1993 and was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery as a commander in the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia in 1994. He was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), Military Division, in the New Year Honours 2006 for his service in relation to the London bomb attacks in 2005, and for his work for the British and US governments in Iraq the same year.

Thousands have watched his testimony. Now is the time to turn his words into action. Write to your Congressman, to your Senator, remind them that lies do not make a truth no matter how many times you tell them. Remind them that you vote, that you support Israel, and will not vote for them if they do not do all that they can to get the President to use our veto in the Security Council when this pack of lies comes up for a vote.

There is truth and there are lies. Goldstone is a lie.

Operation Cast Lead

Cross posted by Findalis

Just some of the highlights that came out of Operation Cast Lead.

GOC Southern Command Daily Orders, 23 Jan 2009, 11:11 IST

Fighters and Commanders of the IDF in the Southern Front,

For the last month, IDF forces, both in reserve and regular service, together with forces of the ISA, operated in a concentrated campaign against terrorism in the Gaza Strip. Operation Cast Lead was initiated on December 27th, [the sixth day of the Holiday of Chanukah], when an aerial attack was directed against central terrorist command centers and outposts. The operation continued in the weeks to follow in a ground campaign aimed at terrorist sites throughout all of Gaza.

After years of continuous intentional terror attacks on Israeli civilians in southern Israel, the operation brought forth a new security situation, making clear that Israel will not allow its existence in this region to be doubted or questioned.

IDF fighters on the ground, in the air, and at sea, operated out of a strong belief in the righteousness of our way and demonstrated a steadfast fighting spirit, ambition, and a maintenance of the goal of this mission, while operating with a sense of comradeship and brotherhood in arms.

The cooperation between the various operating forces, as well as the presence of commanders in the front lines, were central factors behind the operation’s success.

The defense of our right to a safe and peaceful life in Israel had once again come at a high cost. 13 of Israel’s finest - fighters, commanders and civilians - were lost in the campaign for the security of Israel’s south. We lower our heads and our flag in honor of their memory, and mourn with their families. We extend a wish of full recovery to the wounded, and once more emphasize that we will do our utmost to return the kidnapped soldier, Gilad Shalit, to the warmth of his family.

The battle for the security of the state of Israel is yet to be over. We shall look onward, to the challenges of the future, knowing that we will successfully engage them, thanks to the righteousness of our way and our courageous spirit.

The Southern Command expresses its appreciation to the corps of the IDF for defending Israel and its people.

Yoav Galant,

Major General GOC Southern Command

Some major video highlights:

Hamas Uses Schools and Ceasefire to Shoot Rockets at Israel




View at YouTube

Night Strike on Hamas Terrorists 14 Jan. 2009




View at YouTube

Israel Air Force Strikes Hamas Offices and Armed Grad Launchers 31 Dec. 2008




View at YouTube

And from Honest Reporting:

Send a soldier a smile trip 2




View at YouTube

In the 15 days of the ground offensive the IDF lost 9 men with 336 wounded.

Many believe that the IDF stopped too soon and didn't fulfill its objectives. I agree. And make no mistake about the outcome. Israel showed the world it has the determination and will to take on Hamas or any other group that attacks.

We Have Won! Sort Of...

by Findalis

It hasn't been a week since the IDF stopped Operation Cast Lead and already Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al is claiming victory.

Following are excerpts from a public address delivered by Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al, which aired on Al-Quds TV on January 21, 2009:

TO VIEW THIS CLIP AND OTHERS, YOU MUST LOG IN/REGISTER FOR MEMRI TV, AT http://subscriptions.memri.org/content/en/member_registr_tv.htm. REGISTRATION IS FREE OF CHARGE.

To view this clip, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1992.htm?auth=2c2fc0eae230e567c0f596bbed5f3b9c.

"This Is The First War That Our People Has Won On Its Land... Therefore, The Gaza War is a Turning Point in the Struggle With The Zionist Enemy"

Khaled Mash'al: "Yes, Gaza emerged victorious. Yes, the enemy has failed, and the resistance has emerged victorious, and with it, our people and our nation have emerged victorious. Allah be praised, our victory in Gaza was greater and clearer than the false claims of the aggressors, and than the doubts cast by the collaborators, and by those who have forsaken us. Does it not suffice that the goals of the enemy have not been accomplished? It has failed on the ground, just as it has failed politically. Ultimately, after three weeks, it was forced to declare a unilateral cease-fire and withdrawal, without any agreement or terms that bind or limit the resistance.
[...]

"This is the first war that our people has won on its land - the first
real large-scale war. Therefore, the Gaza war is a turning point in the struggle with the Zionist enemy. With its significance, its accomplishments, its timing, and its greatness, it serves as a cornerstone for an effective and serious strategy for liberation, which begins in Palestine, and will continue everywhere, with the support of the nation." [...]

"Compensation For Your Blood And Souls You Will Get From Allah... In Paradise"

"We will bear our responsibility vis-à-vis the displaced. Allah willing, we will give you
all shelter. We will compensate you with what we can, but compensation for your blood and souls you will get from Allah, in the World to Come, in Paradise.

"Your brothers in the Hamas movement, and in the government of my brother Haniya, as well as all the honorable national and Islamic leaders, have already begun working to accomplish this project – the project of rebuilding, housing, compensating, and treating the wounded. We have contacted several countries, some of which we even visited. Everybody is working like in a beehive for your sake.

"There are two tracks with regard to our role in this plan. In the urgent track – to the families of the martyrs and the wounded, and to the displaced families who have lost their homes, we will give specific sums of money, the details of which I leave to the government of my brother Haniya.
We will also treat the wounded. This is the urgent track. The subsequent track will include a reconstruction plan, with which we will compensate you for all that has happened, and rebuild what was destroyed." [...]

"I Say to [The Arab Countries], Regarding the Money [Donated]...: Scrutinize Carefully Into Whose Hands You Place It"

"I say to [the Arab countries], regarding the money [donated] on behalf of your countries and good peoples: Scrutinize carefully into whose hands you place it. Do not place it in the hands of the corrupt people. There are two options: Either give it to the legitimate government of my brother Ismail Haniya in Gaza – an honest government with proven experience in serving the people – and they will lead the reconstruction
under your supervision, or carry it out yourselves, through companies from your own countries, funds and institutions from your own countries, or any method you
choose. You yourselves take over the reconstruction plans. But today, no Palestinian – and I believe that no none among your own peoples – will accept that this money be placed in the hands of the corrupt people. You know the truth. You have vast experience in that." [...]

"Some Say: What Kind Of Victory Is This, With All The Destruction... To Them, We Say: Was There Ever A People That Was Liberated Without Casualties?"

"Some say: What kind of victory is this, with all the destruction? Some people have emerged from the holes in which they hid during the war. They were afraid of the war, so they lowered their voices, fearing the rage of the Arab, Islamic, and Palestinian masses. Today, they have begun croaking like ravens, saying: Hamas should see what has befallen our land.

"To them, we say: Was there ever a people that was liberated without casualties? Take a look at history. This is important, and should reach the whole world. Large cities in the world were destroyed and rebuilt. These cities suffered great destruction. What happened to London in World War II? What happened to Paris? What happened in Hanoi, in Leningrad, and in Stalingrad? What happened to you, my brothers from the factions that have a history in Lebanon? What happened to Beirut? Beirut was not your land. You were guests there. Nevertheless, you fought for 88 days. So why do you pin your opposition to the steadfastness in Gaza on the destruction, the killings, and the massacres, even though you allowed yourselves to go on for all those days in Beirut in 1982?" [...]


"Who Does the British People Respect More – Churchill, Who Fought the Nazis, or Chamberlain, Who Appeased Hitler?"

"Who does the British people respect more – Churchill, who fought the Nazis, or Chamberlain, who appeased Hitler? Does the French people respect De Gaulle, who from London continued his resistance to the Nazis in France, or General Pétain, the leader of the Vichy government, which resembles more than anything the [Palestinian] 'Autonomy' Authority. Only the honorable are recorded in history in letters of light.

"To those who appease [the enemy], under the pretext of avoiding casualties, we say that victory can only be achieved through blood. In 1940, Churchill, who is not considered a terrorist by today's criteria, because he had European blood in his veins, said to British people as soon as he took power in 1940: I can only promise you sweat, blood, tears, and toil. This is what leaders should be like. Leaders should not be like beggars on the negotiations track.

"In Stalingrad... In Leningrad, there were 600 casualties... Sorry, there were 600,000 casualties in Leningrad, and there were one million displaced people. This rule applies to us, just as it applies to any other nation."

"We Want a Palestinian Reconciliation – But After the Lesson of Gaza, What Will Be The Basis For The Reconciliation?"

"My beloved [brothers] in the West Bank – your day has come. I know that you waged an Intifada in the past, but the oppression has prevented you from waging a great Intifada, as you did in the past. However, we cannot place the entire national burden on Gaza.

[...]

"We want a Palestinian reconciliation. But after the lesson of Gaza, what will be the basis for the reconciliation? We want it to be based on the resistance, and on adherence to our national rights, and not on these futile negotiations, or on concessions regarding Jerusalem, the Right of Return, or the land.

[...]

"Yes, we support internal Palestinian dialogue, but in order for it to be a serious and successful dialogue, it must be preceded by certain steps. The detainees must be released, and the security cooperation with the enemy must be stopped."[...]

"The International Community... the Quartet, and... Obama's New Administration... Should Stop Israel... The Time Has Come For You to Deal With Hamas"

"This was a lesson to the reasonable people in the international community, to the Quartet, and to Obama's new administration and his allies in Europe. They should stop Israel, and they should know that Israel is incapable of defending itself, and that the occupation and aggression have no future. The second lesson that needs to be learned is that three years of attempting to rule out Hamas are enough.
[...]

"The time has come for you to deal with Hamas, which has gained legitimacy from its struggle, from the ballot boxes, from its incorruptibility, from its service to its people, and now it has gained legitimacy from its victory over the strongest power in the region. The time has come for you to deal with Hamas properly – not because we have something to gain from this. By no means. This is a national demand. We do not force ourselves on anybody."

For some reason I don't quite understand, how can you call something a victory when your leadership is either dead or hiding in tunnels like rats. When your population is subjected to bombings and shootings, and your troops threw down their weapons and ran. Your crack troops, the one's trained by your masters in Iran, were slaughtered to a man. It didn't even take the IDF an hour to defeat them.

How strange it is to see him quote Sir Winston Churchill. But here is a better quote from Sir Winston. One that shows exactly how he felt and would feel about Hamas and its leadership today.

"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property‹either as a child, a wife, or a concubine‹must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the Queen; all know how to die; but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science‹the science against which it had vainly struggled‹the civilisation of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient Rome."

~~ Sir Winston Churchill

Not very supportive of Hamas, Islam and Palestinians is it? But that shouldn't stop him. After all he was on a roll. And a big mistake, a fubar, he gave away. One had to listen carefully to it and know the news to understand this one:

"In Stalingrad... In Leningrad, there were 600 casualties... Sorry, there were
600,000 casualties in Leningrad, and there were one million displaced people.
This rule applies to us, just as it applies to any other nation."

Doesn't seem like much of a mistake until you read this report from the Jerusalem Post:

Maximum 600 Palestinians died in Gaza

The number of Palestinians killed in Operation Cast Lead did not exceed five or six hundred, Lorenzo Cremonesi, a correspondent for Italy's Corriere della sera reported on Thursday.

Cremonesi based his report on tours of hospitals in the Gaza Strip and on interviews with families of casualties. He also assessed the number of wounded to be far lower than 5,000, the number quoted by Hamas and repeated by the UN and the Red Cross in Gaza.

"It is sufficient to visit several hospitals [in the Gaza Strip] to understand that the numbers don't add up," he wrote.

In the European hospital in Rafah, one of the facilities which would presumably be filled with wounded from the "war of the tunnels," many beds were empty, according to Cremonesi. A similar situation was noted in the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and in the privately-run Amal Hospital Cremonesi reported that only five out 150 beds were occupied.

Cremonesi interviewed Gazans who echoed Israel's insistence of how Hamas gunmen used civilians as human shields. One Gazan recalled civilians in Gaza shouting at Hamas and Islamic Jihad men, "Go away, go away from here! Do you want the Israelis to kill us all? Do you want our children to die under their bombs? Take your guns and missiles with you."

"Traitors, collaborators with Israel, spies of Fatah, cowards! The soldiers of the holy war will punish you. And in any case you will all die, like us. Fighting the Zionist Jews we are all destined for paradise. Do you not wish to die with us?" the religious fanatics of Hamas reportedly responded.

Other Palestinians told Cremonesi of Hamas operatives donning paramedic uniforms and commandeering ambulances. A woman identified as Um Abdullah, 48, spoke of Hamas using UN buildings as launch pads for rockets.

Cremonesi reported that he had difficultly gathering evidence as the local population was terrified of Hamas.

Civilians scared of their government. Terror coming not from Israel, but from Hamas. And a big slip of the tongue from Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al all adds up to one thing:

Hamas if fighting for its existence and is vulnerable.