The other day I took the bus to Shaar Binyamin, a large shopping area just north of Jerusalem, or describe it as on the way to Jerusalem for a large part of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. While wandering around the Rami Levi Discount Supermarket, which has grown since I worked in its Yafiz clothing store, I noticed these classic Israeli blue and white hats. I was excited to see on them a new perfectly timely slogan:
ניצחון מוחלט nitzachon muchlat Indisputable Victory
Many of us probably think that such a policy would be obvious, no need to shout it out. But unfortunately since Likud's Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu had begun serving as prime minister a couple of decades ago, such a thing hasn't happened. Yes, I know that he talks the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk.
Bibi is our longest serving prime minister, and his multiple terms have seen us suffer through more wars than any other. But he doesn't like the word "war." He has this creative "name team" that makes up other terms/words euphemisms for wars. He loves calling them "operations," trying to give the long suffering Israeli population the idea that we're not at war. You can also use the word "skirmish." Anything but war, because if it's a war, we have to really win it, meaning that the enemy should surrender.
The routine has been that our cities and towns are bombed by dangerous rockets shot by Gazan terrorists. Miraculously few Israelis are killed. Bibi thanks the Iron Dome, an Israeli invention that we foolishly gave the Americans the rights to produce some necessary parts instead of making sure it's 100% made in Israel. That's why America has us hanging...
Israel's response is to waste our weapons. We faux morally warn the enemy to leave their buildings, so innocents shouldn't be harmed. Now, do you really think that only innocents--as if there are any truly innocent Gazans-- leave the buildings? We bomb empty buildings bragging that we're a "moral army." Our soldiers also carefully enter building to look for "civilians" rather than just destroying them. Many IDF soldiers are killed in the process. The truth is that we're the laughing stocks of the world. Our enemies consider us totally nuts, and they're right.
Instead of fighting until the enemy surrenders, we bomb empty buildings as if bombing empty buildings will make them surrender, Bibi tells us that "we showed them; now they know not to tempt us to fight." That may have been convincing the first time, but we've had too many reruns.
It's more accurate to call these short wars "target practice for the terrorists."
I don't understand why Netanyahu hasn't been kicked out of office already. Why do people still trust and vote for him? As I keep reminding everyone, I wasn't alone when I heard him say he'd rule as a "centrist." Read Impressive, August, 2008.
4 comments:
An Israeli soldier was interviewed in English in one of the Sunday morning interview programs. He described victory as: (condensed)
1) All hostages released.
2) All Israelis able to return safely to all borders of Israel.
3) No ability to repeat the 7th of October.
Meanwhile. we're heading to the release of a few hostages in exchange for many prisoners; an end to Hezbollah rockets and no end to the war (which may go on for five years and no rebuilding plus later, a targeted killing of Yahya Sinwar with the help of intelligence from the United States.
Maybe the PA put in charge of Gaza or whoever has Egyptian support. Part II and III of the agreement will never happen but Netanyahu may get another 32 or so kidnapped people out in Part I.
Hamas is now about as unpopular in Gaza as Hitler was in Germany in March, 1945. The ordinary people in Gaza have been impoverished - and some were rich. All those destroyed buildings belonged to private people or were lived in.
The only total victory is Israel ruling Gaza and moving back there. We need a totally different defense concept. Just like we need Judicial Reform, the army and defense bosses must be changed. No more American training. The USA doesn't know how to win a war and has no experience relevant to Israel's situation.
All those in charge of security October 2023 must be fired/court-martialed etc.
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