The Israeli War on Gaza:

Revenge and Politics in Service of Netanyahu

By Gilad Atzmon  

Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, July 20, 2014

 

On Israeli Ground Operation: Operation Bibi Rescue 

The Israeli occupation forces, IOF, (Editor's terminology) launched a vast ground operation in Gaza last night. Until now, Israel has failed to articulate its military objectives. No one in Israel is willing to commit to a definition of what a victory would look like. I am afraid that the military objective is obvious: saving Netanyahu’s political career.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his defense minister Moshe Ya’alon have no other options. The two have tried to avoid a ground operation. Like most IOF leaders, Netanyahu and Ya’alon know that the Israeli army lacks the capability to counter Gaza’s ballistic defiance. Israel lost its power of deterrence a while ago. Instead, it developed impressive technology to deal with a ballistic threat. The Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system performed exceptionally well, however, strategically, it proved counter effective. It liberated Hamas and other organisations in Gaza to unleash their rockets arsenal against Israeli cities, putting Israel on the defence while maintaining an ethical position since no one was getting hurt.

From a military perspective, this exposes a unique shift. The Hamas and IOF have swapped military doctrines. While in the past, Israel and the IOF were associated with the offensive doctrine philosophy – the belief that “attack is the best form of defence.”  Now the Hamas and other Palestinian freedom fighters are calling the shots and seeking engagement. 

Both Netanyahu and Ya’alon are special-forces veterans. They have an excellent understanding of the military situation and they have been witness to the persistent resilient spirit in Gaza. They also realise that considering the growing isolation of the Jewish State, Israel’s options are limited.  PM Netanyahu and Minister Ya’alon know that a ground operation is not going to stop the missiles unless the entire Gaza strip is dug out. Israel doesn’t posses the military might to engage in such an operation nor does it enjoy the diplomatic ability to sustain such an extended assault.

For days PM Netanyahu has been pushed by hardliners within his cabinet. He has to show some commitment to the hawkish ideology he has advocated for years. The Israelis need revenge. After all, they have been humiliated by Palestinian resistance for days. They need something to cheer them up and Netanyahu knows what it is. The footage of Israeli soldiers marching into other people’s territory is a collective ecstatic moment in the Jewish State. A reminder that the atmosphere usually changes once Israeli soldiers are sent back home in coffins. But that happens later. 

The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity politics and Jewish Power in particular - available on Amazon.com  & Amazon.co.uk

http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/operation-bibi-rescue.html

 

3rd Intifada or Nakba II?

By Gilad Atzmon 

• Who cares? The Western media displays little interest in covering the current Israel/ Palestine clashes.
• The Israeli Hasbara prefers to keep a low profile right now. The current collisions between Israeli policing forces and Palestinians are taking place well within Israel’s pre-1967 borders. This means that for all practical purposes, the Two State Solution has lost any viability.
• The so-called Israeli-Arabs, or shall we say, the Palestinians who possess Israeli citizenship are confronting the brutality of the Jewish mob. 
• There have been calls for pogroms against Arab-Israeli citizens from all quarters of Israeli society
• Israel’s ordinarily hawkish government appears relatively restrained in its reaction to Palestinian resistance and Hamas’ action in Gaza.
• How come?
• Israel is waiting and hoping for a disaster. A tragic event would provide its military with an excuse to implement its harshest measures.
• Bearing in mind that ‘by way of deception’ is deeply rooted in Hebraic culture and Israeli tactics, Israel doesn't really need a Palestinian to provide a pretext for a war. 
• The conclusion is inescapable,  we are at the brink of a disastrous scenario.
• The question remains open; is it the 3^rd Intifada or Nakba II? Is it a Palestinian uprising or are Israelis ethnically cleansing again?
• Although the terminology differs, from an Israeli perspective there is no contradiction between the two, they are complimentary steps to the same goal namely, a Jews-Only State