A Report on Recent Days from Inside Israel

I’ve posted some of Howard’s letters in the past.  He’s a journalist living in Israel, a lawyer, an IDF sniper trainer and counterterrorism specialist.  Here’s a list of his communications from the last several days.  I’ll preface them by pointing out that the Kassam rockets, mortars and etc., have been fired into Israel from the Gaza strip ever since it was ceded to the Palestinians, “ceasefire” or no “ceasefire”.  This makes the news only when the Israelis get around to shooting back.



Dec. 17, 2008


Friends:
 
What isn’t reported are the Kassams that continue to rain on my daughter’s college down south despite the fake cease-fire about to end (sorry, very sorry not a joke) in 48 hours.
 
Howard


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Dec. 21, 2008


Friends:
 
We are in the Christmas and New Year’s home stretch.  Hanukah starts tonight.
 
My friends in local ERT units have been ordered to turn there IDF issued M16s back to the IDF.  They were given something like 72 hour notice.  The Israeli government only arms Fatah and allows Hamas and Hezbollah to arm themselves unhindered.
 
Have a good week.
 
Howard


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Dec. 22, 2008


Friends:
 
Here is the latest.  So far still no significant effort to stop the rain of rockets!
 
\\\Howard


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Dec. 24, 2008


Friends:
 
Traffic around the Old City and in the direction of Bethlehem was already clogged at 13:30 despite the cold, raw weather.
 
Down south the Gaza terrorists are setting a new record for the number of Kassam, Grad and mortar bombs being fired into Israel.  The reach of the rockets get farther and farther.  Only heaven knows if the Israeli government will act to stop the attacks.
 
Have a Merry Holiday.
 
Howard


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Dec. 25, 2008


Season’s Greetings


=========================


Dec. 27, 2008


It has started.
 
Howard
—– Original Message —–
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 12:23 PM


Subject: CORRECTION: IDF SPOX ANN: IDF Targets Hamas Government Terroris Infrastructure In The Gaza Strip 


Dec 26th, 2008


IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT


Israeli Air Force aircraft, attacked a short while ago, a series of Hamas targets and infrastructure facilities, in the Gaza Strip. All Israeli pilots returned safely to their bases. The IDF will continue its operations against terror in accordance with constant state assessments held be the IDF Chief of General Staff. This operation will be continued, expanded and intensified as much as will be required.


The Air Force activity came as a result of the continuation of terror activity by Hamas terror organization from the Gaza Strip, and the duration of rocket launching and targeting Israeli civilians.


The targets that were attacked were located by intelligence gathered during the last months and include Hamas terror operatives that operated from the organization’s headquarters, training camps and weaponry storage warehouses.


The Hamas government leaders and operatives, which activate terror from within civilian population centers, are the sole bearers of responsibility for Israel‘s military response. This response is crucial for preserving Israel‘s security interests.


The IDF Spokesperson wishes to emphasize that anyone sponsoring terror, hosting terror in his house, housing terror in his basement and sending his wives and children to serve as human shields- is considered a terrorist.


The IDF will continue its activity against terror activities according to operational assessments held by the Chief of the General Staff.


The IDF is ready to widen and deepen its activity against all terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, as long as it is necessary.


In addition, the Homefront Command and emergency authorities, took all necessary measures for preparing the civilian population.


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Dec. 29, 2008


Friends:
 
Israel only hit the terrorists after they fired 60 rockets into Israel proper in one day.  No one, the UN included said a word. 
 
Thousands of calls are placed to the cellular telephone of the civilians in the area of an impending strike before it takes place telling then to get out of harm’s way!!!
 
So far today (16:10) approximately 35 rockets have been fired into Israel.
 
Howard


==========================


Dec. 30, 2008


Friends:
 
Israel already has its back to the wall being attacked in the media worldwide.  Hamas is never mentioned.
The phone calls I told you about, being placed to civilians to get out of harm’s way, was reported on Israel radio network “B” at 06:00 today as having reached 90,000.  I called the IDF Spokesman’s Office and asked for confirmation of the report.  Rather than answering my question I was challenged as to who I was and for who I reported.  Send an Email I was told.  That was 6 hours ago.  So far no response.  And they can’t figure out how  winning the fighting on the ground doesn’t result in winning the war.
 
Howard


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Dec. 31, 2008


Friends:
 
Not reported is today’s Israeli Supreme Court decision in favor of the Foreign Press Association permitting reporters access to Gaza.  It was forbidden since Nov. 24th. 
 
“What are you hiding,” was on the lips of those whose written and broadcast words and images[.  They] lose Israel its war despite victory on the battlefield.  How to make friends and influence people. 
 
Howard


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I find the whole thing surreal.  I recently heard U.S. reporters haranguing one of Bush’s people in Crawford, demanding to know when Israel was going to stop the violence.  No matter how many times he told them that it depended on Hamas stopping their rocket and mortar attacks, they kept asking the same questions, over and over, merely rephrasing them.

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2 thoughts on “A Report on Recent Days from Inside Israel

  1. Lyle, it all makes sense if your philosophy is one where self-defense is immoral. It makes sense if only some “higher authority” has the power to protect the innocent. If the innocent fight back they are just as guilty as the attackers. If the innocent win the fight they must be punished more than those that originally attacked the innocent.

    Philosophy: Who Needs It?

  2. I heard some of the major news services preaching that the way to handle this situation (years of almost daily rocket attacks coming from Gaza) is to have talks.

    The practical result of this idea being applied universally (and if one is even slightly interested in practical results, one already knows this) is that the most evil and aggressive will rule the world.

    I attack you, you must deal with me in “talks”. Give and take, and all that. Meet me half way. Be reasonable. I then attack you again when the talks are no longer getting me something I want. You must negotiate, cede, meet halfway… Repeat as necessary.

    This idea must have come out of the assumption that there is no such thing as right or wrong. They tried to teach our kids that in school, but I didn’t let them get away with it. One kid would pick on another, the victim would attempt self-defense, and both would be punished equally. Extreme intellectual laziness must be part of this also. It’s easier to blame both parties in a fight, rather than try to get to the bottom of it and find out exactly who did what, to whom, in what order, etc..

    There’s only one way that Israel can put a stop to this, and no one else on the planet is even going to try. That’s why we can say that what’s going to happen is the same that’s been happening. The IDF will pound Gaza for a while, get blamed for starting it and blamed for killing innocents, et al, then they’ll stop at some point, and little or nothing will have changed.

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