Rockets strike Ashdod, Israel (Photo: Anatoly Pogoreli)
According to remarks made by Israeli cabinet minister Silvan Shalom on Tuesday, Israel is “close to a dramatic decision” that would put an end to the rocket attacks that have bombarded southern Israel over the last few days. While the IDF responded to the initial attacks by targeting and killing a few members of Islamic Jihad, their overall response has been restrained. Israel has, however, reportedly agreed to give Egypt 24 hours to attempt to mediate an informal ceasefire with the terrorist factions operating in Gaza.
One million Israelis have come under fire in the latest round of rocket attacks from Islamic Jihad terrorists, who operate from the Gaza Strip under Hamas’ jurisdiction. School closures have been in effect for 200,000 children, and residents were instructed to remain within close proximity to bomb shelters.
Earlier in the week a missile struck and killed a father of four in Ashkelon as he was exiting his car, while other attacks left eight Israeli civilians injured. A school in Ashkelon was directly hit by a rocket; thankfully no children were inside the building at the time of the attack.
Israelis I’ve spoken to over the last few days are infuriated with the situation. They believe that the Israeli army should unleash its full capacities to bring down Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We understand, however, that a military response of such caliber is extremely unlikely because the international community does not support Israel’s right to self-defense unless it has incurred a major loss of life, and even then we are warned not to respond disproportionately.
Israel is being held hostage to the international community’s idealism of evenhandedness, which equates terror attacks against Israeli civilians with Israeli military operations targeting terrorists. Any sovereign nation besides Israel would have the full backing of the international community to destroy a neighboring terrorist organization that is actively seeking its destruction. Yet, Israel is held to a double standard unlike any other nation in history.
What do you think?
9:49 pm
I think it’s appalling how the international community isn’t supporting Israel and is so anti-Israel no matter what Israel does. Israel is a sovereign nation state that deserves to defend itself and its citizens, and Israel’s allies should help them to do so. No other nation would put up with what Israel puts up with, yet the international community just keeps telling Israel to use restraint and to make peace with those who want to destroy it. It’s both illogical and sinful.
2:03 pm
ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO DEFEND HERSELF MUST NOT BE APPROVED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. IT IS AN OUTRAGE THAT A SOVEREIGN NATION CANNOT DEFEND ITS SECURITY. ISRAEL HAS THE MOST CAPABLE DEFENSE FORCE IN THE WORLD IN ADDITION TO THE UNITED STATES WHOSE MILITARY MIGHT IS BEING SUPPRESSED. GOD BLESS ISRAEL AND HER PEOPLE.
1:01 pm
Fight back. Israel are the barrier of free world, don let terrosts win the battle. Portugal is with Israel
10:21 pm
Israel surely has a right to defend itself against Islamic terrorists.
10:06 pm
It saddens me to see the the deafening silence of the media and it’s bias against peace loving Country as Israel, my heart wholly goes with the people of Israel in these difficult times.
9:55 pm
I have to agree, and the Israelis have my sympathies (for whatever that is worth). I got back late, and by the time I called the White House message line they were closed. But tomorrow when I call I intend to leave a message of support for Pres. Obamas pulling our UNESCO funding; but I also will strongly urge that the US support much stronger actions by Israel against their terrorist neighbors. In my view, given the history of Gaza an occupation and forced evacuation by Israel would be a moderate solution.
My prayers are with Jews everywhere. As every Israeli surely knows, peace is proactive; shalom.
6:10 pm
i say send the army in before a major disaster occors and wipe them all out,
5:28 pm
I for one, fully support Israel doing whatever they deem necessary to survive. I only wish we had a President who had the moral strength to take the leash off of Israel (and offer support and aid) to let them defend themselves and destroy any future threats.
4:35 pm
This nonsense must stop! No other nation would be expected to sit idley by and allow their citzens to be murdered at the whim of crazed villians.
4:28 pm
Let Israel wipe the Hamas-Jihadi terrorists off the face of the earth!! The world would be better off without them.
4:27 pm
Israel is a nation and it has the right to defend itself. If Israelis were shooting rockets at Palestinians, would people say that the Palestinians didn’t have a right to defend themselves??