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With the UN calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip an article written by Gary Brecher and first published in 2012 by NSFWCORP (now part of Pando), lessons from Gaza - suggesting that Palestinian durability may beat Israel's high-tech weaponry, remains remarkably relevant today.
What's going on in Gaza is war, but not the kind any commander from the past would understand. On paper, Israel should be winning easily, because they've got the weapons, the numbers, the organization. The weapons Hamas is firing into Israel are primitive things, unguided rocket artillery, the kind that couldn't hit the ground if it wasn't for the law of gravity. On the other side, the Israelis get the best weaponry the US can give them.
But it's not that simple. Israel may win this battle, but it's lost the war already. You see that in the confusion the IDF shows about what to do. They've tried stomping hard on Gaza. In late 2008 through early 2009, "Operation Cast Lead" sent IDF troops and planes smashing into this tiny overpopulated slum. They killed 1400 Palestinians, and it didn't do much but make everybody sick to their stomachs - including even some Israelis, once they got over their initial gloating.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by mendax on Sunday July 13 2014, @11:00PM
I am not a big fan of the Israelis, mainly because successive Israeli governments have acted in ways that are contrary to the country's long-term interests with regard to the Palestinians. They continually push the solution to the Palestinian problem onto the next generation. Yet, there is no doubt that it is a problem that will be solved. The only question is whether the solution will be bloody or not. The longer they delay the issue, the bloodier it will get and the chances that Israel will survive it as a nation are reduced.
It's ironic that a nation founded by survivors of the Holocaust have managed to turn large parts of their country into a large concentration camp. Yet, the Palestinians ought to be grateful that it's the Israelis they have to deal with instead of the Egyptians, the Syrians, or the Jordanians. The Israeli's will probably kill a a couple thousand people, maybe a few more, in the next ground war in Gaza, but the Palestinians other neighbors would not stop there. They would devastate the Gaza Strip, bomb the hell out of it, and kill tens of thousands of people in the process. The Israelis are not saints but at least, as a whole, they are reasonably restrained.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Nerdfest on Monday July 14 2014, @12:39AM
Admittedly, "reasonably restrained" when referring to the middle east is damning with faint praise.
(Score: 2) by mendax on Monday July 14 2014, @04:07AM
Agreed, especially when compared to the Syrians. If Bashar al-Assad, for example, were facing this problem, he's probably solve this problem by dropping a few fuel air explosives [wikipedia.org], if he had them, on Gaza and permanently obliterate the problem. Who needs nukes when you have propane, a altitude-based detonator, and a parachute and a plane to drop the bomb from?
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday July 14 2014, @06:16AM
Really? damning with faint praise?
Even when Israel takes down a house used for missile storage or launching, they knock on the roof [independent.co.uk] 15 minutes ahead of time, letting occupants know its time to get out.
Its clear they are after the missiles, not the Palestinians.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 14 2014, @08:21PM
too bad for your delusional thinking that neither syria, nor egypt, nor jordan has ever attempted any claim on palestinian land.
israel has. but plaestinians should be grateful, you say.
not sure if you either are targeting a moron audiencie or are a moron yourself, or both.