Israel's Long Arm

[NewsGuy]

These are excerpts from

Israel's Long Arm
an IsraelForum.com original.

Full story at: http://www.israelforum.com/dynamix/page.pl?sn=122

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was clear-cut in his reaction to the trio of near-simultaneous terror attacks in Kenya and in Israel. The Jewish State's "long arm will get those who carried out the terror attacks," stated Sharon. "No one will be forgiven," he added ominously. As a matter of fact, Israel's retaliation against the Palestinians who gunned down six Israeli voters at a Likud polling station came swiftly. Within 24 hours of the incidents, the IDF quickly demolished the homes of the Palestinian murderers. But Israel's response to the Kenya attacks is also expected to include cross-border military action. While it is generally agreed that the evidence points to al Qaeda, there is strong suspicion in Israel that the Iranian-sponsored group Hizbullah may have played a role in the attacks.

Among the evidence pointing to the Lebanese terror organization's culpability is the incredible speed with which Hizbullah's al Manr TV station announced the details of the attack and who claimed responsibility.

Contrary to the false claims made by certain European countries, Hizbullah has a track record of committing acts of terror outside Lebanon. For example, the Iranian-directed organization is responsible for the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994, in which more than 100 people were massacred. And, it is now also known that Hizbullah has attended a terrorism summit in October, together with al Qaeda representatives in South America.

In a statement made last week to the British newspaper, the Guardian, an unnamed Israeli security official said that once a link between Hizbullah and the Kenyan attacks is established, a military response is almost certain.

Although the United States has, in the past, repeatedly said that it understands Israel's need to strike back at Hizbullah, the U.S. is said to be less than enthusiastic about Israel's plans to reach out beyond its borders to attack al Qaeda.

First... If a tiny country like Israel could be effective against the al Qaeda menace, it would, no doubt, raise some serious questions about the lagging U.S. efforts.

Second, an Israeli anti-terrorism action in a Muslim country might further weaken the already-shaky support that the U.S. is desperately trying to build among Arab countries for the upcoming war against Iraq...

Unless the Jewish State acts forcefully to protect its citizens, not only will terrorism against Israel increase, but there will also be a sharp rise of Islamic violence in the rest of the world. Already, governments are scrambling to come up with ways to protect their own civilian aircraft against shoulder-held surface-to-air missiles like those used against the Israeli plane in Kenya.

It is not far fetched to speculate that if, God forbid, a 747 loaded with 500 passengers was shot down by al Qaeda in the U.S., then apart from the staggering human loss, the Bush administration would be facing even larger problems.

So, instead of worrying about Israel's Long Arm justice, the U.S. should focus its concern on forcing its Arab foreign aid recipients to stop supporting Islamic terrorism against America.

the U.S. and the rest of the world should announce their support for Israel, stop withholding vital intelligence information, and wish Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Mofaz the best of luck and success in their pursuit of al Qaeda.

* * *

There are a few points made here.

1. Israel intends on reaching outside its borders.

2. Hizbullah might be found responsible, in which case, another action in Lebanon will be forthcoming.

3. The U.S. is not thrilled about Israel going cross-border.

4. Israel needs to ignore #3 and go about its business and do what it needs to do.


What do you think?

[Teacake]

Israel knows full well who and what the enemie is and is capable of. The US is too worried to offened the enemy, too afraid to even say ouch when the saudis gip "our politicans" by the balls.

The US can pretend all it likes that saudi arabia is our friend... Israel knows better and Israel should do all it can to protect her survial regardless if it puts a ruffle in the sheets of who america is in bed with. GO ISRAEL!

[I am David]

This US arragonce is starting to annoy me.

The US persistantly puts the value of Israeli lives below that of United States political goals. When Israel is hit by a terror attacking killing tens of innocents, the US just says "don't retaliate, even though that means more innocents will die, because we want to attack Iraq". Well good for you, and how would you like another 9/11?

[richcrassus]

Its more like, how would they like if every american capital got a suitcase nuke as a wake up present.

[L@mplighterM]

The long arm of Israel’s Mossad is certainly nothing new. The world is in a sad state of affairs when one country seemingly has to reach out and eliminate terrorists this should be coordinated effort by all nations.
Post 9/11 there was some talk about targeted assassination by the CIA throughout the world but that seems to have been shelved.

I can’t imagine that the world community will ever set up a band of assassins due to varying views regarding the legality of such actions.

Lagging US efforts in hunting down al Queda is putting it mildly in my opinion. Even if they were hunted down and caught they face three square meals and a cage in Cuba, which is most likely better accommodations than they face now. I wonder if these guys get conjugal then again perhaps they aren’t into that they prefer them dead.

If a 767 was ever shot down in US airspace stock certificates could be used as wallpaper and the world would plunge into a depression if the facts of the crash became public knowledge. Firstly the US markets would start collapsing and Greenspan would try to prop them up with a 1.25% short term lending rate cut. The rest is history!

[wellofvow]

I am trying to copy very eloquent letter I received on email. It says a lot about American-Israelis. Read between the lines for whatever you are willing to understand about Jewry as a whole.
I hope it strikes chords with people who may suddenly become epiphanized and start to "make a difference", no matter how small.
OK. I think I did it. wellofvow

> Dispatches from an Anxious State
> By Daniel Gordis
>
> In New York last week, I had occasion to be interviewed on NPR. (www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/11182002), and rather struck by one particular theme that appeared in many of the letters.
>
> "Listening to you on the Leonard Lopate show, I couldn't but be amazed at your disregard for the lives of your children. When the neighborhood we were living in deteriorated to the point that it was no longer safe to walk the streets we moved. We could have stayed, worked with the neighborhood association, joined the block watchers, etc, but in the meanwhile we had images of our children coming home from school mugged, bloodied, or even killed. It wasn't worth it to be heroes. . . . How will you feel if one of those suicide bombers kills your child when you could have avoided it by moving back to the States? Israel does not need you, it has many, many people who will fight the good fight, and in any event the problems are caused by forces beyond your control. Doesn't your family come first? Richard"
>
> Well, Richard, today was the kind of day in Israel that clarifies everything --
>
> We were at a Bar Mitzvah at the The Western Wall this morning. After the service was over, I grabbed a cab to head back to the office. The news was prattling about something that "even we were unprepared for."
>
> That was the first I'd heard about the attack in Mombassa. Details were sketchy. One woman told the story of the explosion, how it took just under two hours for the first Kenyan ambulances to arrive. (Israelis still can't believe that. We get to these disaster sites in two to three minutes) When asked what she expected would happen next, she said, "I assume Israel will send doctors, medicine and soldiers, and then they'll bring us home." And she was right.
>
> You see, Richard, this isn't some dumpy neighborhood somewhere in the States that makes no difference to anyone but those who can't get out of it. This is what we call home. Muslim extremist evil knows no borders. We've known that for a long time. Remember Munich? Remember New York? Muslim terrorism isn't about the settlements, or the "occupation" (which certainly isn't the root cause of all this terrorism), but about Israel herself and about Israelis and Jews wherever they may be. And when Jews end up butchered in Mombassa, they know one thing. Kenyan incompetence will not allow them to be stranded.
>
> We'll get there. And we'll bring whatever's left of them home.
>
> And then we heard about the two shoulder-mounted missiles fired at the Arkia jet carrying 271 people, and how they missed. And on tonight's news, even CNN showed a home video one of the passengers had taken as the plane prepared to land. Outside the window, IAF F-16's were flanking the jet, making sure that it hadn't been damaged and was safe to land. They were so close that from the cabin window, the passenger was able to film the pilot and navigator relatively clearly. And as the plane landed, the video caught the clapping and spontaneous singing of "Heveinu Shalom Aleichem". There was no reason to be embarrassed by the kitch. Six decades ago, when people fired at Jews across the world, there was no one willing to do anything.
>
> The F-16's outside the window showed our children, Richard, that we're not disregarding them or their safety -- we've brought them to the only place on the planet where Jews can take care of themselves.
>
> Of course, we're not always successful, Richard. You're right. Sometimes, they get us. In the past two years, there have been 14,500 terrorist attacks in Israel. No exaggeration. What's amazing is that relatively few have killed people. Still, when two terrorists shot up a Likud Party headquarters this afternoon killing six people (so far), it was the culmination of a rather horrible day. But no one's running away. The Likud party primary didn't get cancelled or delayed. The polls stayed open. The countries these terrorists "represent" don't have a single democracy to their credit, but we do. They blow up a hotel, try to shoot down a jet, shoot up a bus station and we still vote. Quietly, peacefully, democratically. And in the midst of all the sadness and grief, many of us are proud of that. I think we have a right to be.
>
> You weren't proud of that neighborhood you left. Probably because it didn't stand for anything too important. Because it reeked hopelessness. So you left, and rightly so. But this place does stand for something important. And even on dark days like today, this place pulses with hope. Those doctors flying to Mombassa are what this place is all about. The F-16's shadowing the 757 making its way home are what this place is all about. And the quiet, orderly voting is what this place is all about. What kind of a person in their right mind would leave this, Richard? This isn't a neighborhood. It's home. And with all its faults, and there are many, it's a dream come true. Walk away from that?
>
> The chit-chat over dinner tonight was fascinating. Micha, our youngest and nine years old, was trying to understand the difference between Sharon and Netanyahu. Apparently, today's Likud primary had been much discussed in his fourth grade class. His older siblings were trying to explain. When they told him that Sharon has said that he's willing, in principle, to see a Palestinian state, Micha asked incredulously, "given them LAND?" To which his brother and sister explained that "they" need someplace to live, too, which is why Sharon says that. But then, they continued, "the Arabs probably won't stop killing us for a long time, which is why maybe Netanyahu's right."
>
> They had most of it right, some of it wrong. But guess what, Richard? They were talking about the future, a future they believe in. In just a couple of years, our daughter will get to vote, too. (That, of course, would not be the case if she lived in the Palestinian Authority. Or Lebanon. Or Syria. Or Jordan. Or Saudi Arabia. Or Egypt.) And she'll vote about stuff that really matters. The direction her country takes will be her choice, too. You're right that we can't completely stop the terrorism, and you're right that there's some danger here. But here's what our kids have learned: Life isn't about staying alive. It's about believing in something that matters while you're alive. And at the dinner table tonight, watching our kids think out loud about how much you should trust people who've been doing this to you for two years, but what you'll have if you're not willing to risk anything, I realized that it works. They actually still believe in the future. There wasn't a grain of hopelessness in their conversation. I bet that wasn't true when people talked about your old neighborhood, was it? And that's what makes all the difference.
>
> Yes, Richard, our family does come first. And that's why we're here. To raise our kids in a place that's all about them, about their history, their future, their sense of being at home. To live in a place that unlike that old neighborhood, matters very much. Not because we're heroes, for we're not. But because we know just a bit about Jewish history; and because we have no right to expect other Israelis to "fight the good fight" if we're not willing to.
>
> On the news this afternoon, they interviewed some alleged aviation expert about the attempted attack on the Arkia 757. He explained how these missiles work.The interviewer asked him, "Then how did they miss? After all, a lumbering 757, barely off the ground? How do you explain this?"
>
> His answer, I thought, was telling. He said, "I can't explain it. Normally, there's no way to miss. It was a miracle."
>
> He didn't mean anything theological by the comment, of course, but today's the day before Hanukkah.
>
> Tomorrow night, when you look outside our living room window, in the windows of virtually every other apartment within sight, there are going to be Hanukkah candles flickering. Religious families, secular families. Left wing families, right wing families. Native families and immigrant families. American families and French families. Young families and old families. Sharon families and Netanyahu families. They'll all have candles in the window.
>
> Because Richard, somehow, in spite of everything, we still believe in miracles. Some of them happened a long time ago. But others are still happening. We understand them in different ways, and we disagree passionately about how to keep them going. But after a day like today, somehow we find ourselves still believing in them.
>
> It's a crazy, dangerous place, this neighborhood of ours, Richard. But it's home. And it's a miracle. It really is. And from that, you see, you just don't walk away.
>
> Now do you get it?
>
> Happy Hanukkah.
>
> (c) 2002 Daniel Gordis

[Mediocrates]

http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?...y&enVersion=0&


The ground-to-air missile attack against the Arkia Airlines plane after it took off from Mombasa, Kenya, is expected to accelerate the development of a special Made in Israel electronic warfare defense system for civilian airliners.

Sources said the system developed by an Israeli consortium will be offered to foreign airlines and the world's two leading passenger aircraft makers, Boeing of the US and Europe's Airbus.

Former transportation minister Efraim Sneh approved a budget transfer of several hundred thousand shekels to develop the system. The project's high cost will require large budgets to manage and complete it, which will require the entry of a financial partner.

Among other things, the electronic defense suit will enable airliners to evade shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles that are in widespread use among terrorist organizations.

Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir will probably equip their planes with the system, even though they are already equipped with the world's most advanced technological defenses. Aviation and security sources said that the
attempt to shoot down the Arkia plane is expected to increase interest in the civilian electronic warfare defense system.

The system is being developed by collaborating defense companies: Israel Aircraft Industries subsidiary Elta Electronics Industries, Koor Industries subsidiary Elisra Electronic Systems and Rafael.

The antiterrorist headquarters at the Prime Minister's Office, the Mossad and the General Securities Service (GSS), which is responsible for Israeli civil aviation security at home and abroad, are also involved in the project.

The need for a civilian electronic warfare defense system became apparent following the renewed threat to civil aviation by terrorist organizations like al Qaida and Hizbullah. A senior defense establishment sources told Globes that Hizbullah has placed attacking Israeli planes at the top of its list of overseas Israeli targets.

[judicial meanz]

Reading the very well written letter and elegant points made by that gentleman brought me to realize a few points myself.

I was born in America. Served in the Military, law enforcement, and as a member of the judiciary. Still an officer in the Guard.

Honorable citizen suposedly, but I find myself becoming more and more alienated from the country I used to know by our pragmatic and indifferent policies toward Israel, coupled with a clear lack of moral direction and guidance. It sickens me to see how we act towards Israel.

I spent almost 10 years underwater on nuclear submarines for freedom and liberty, yet when a country who votes with us (the US) more than Great Britain does in UN matters is consistantly told to stay in its borders and not protect its citizens, I have a major problem.

The children being killed in Israel look just like my children, and it breaks my heart to see their pictures when they lose their young lives due to a genocidal religion and their attempts to completely erase my people.

I wont stand still, nor can I. Being Jewish is more than just a label. It means standing with my brothers and sisters in our ( repeat our) fight for survival.

[minusthejihad]

Originally posted by judicial meanz
Reading the very well written letter and elegant points made by that gentleman brought me to realize a few points myself.

I was born in America. Served in the Military, law enforcement, and as a member of the judiciary. Still an officer in the Guard.

Honorable citizen suposedly, but I find myself becoming more and more alienated from the country I used to know by our pragmatic and indifferent policies toward Israel, coupled with a clear lack of moral direction and guidance. It sickens me to see how we act towards Israel.

I spent almost 10 years underwater on nuclear submarines for freedom and liberty, yet when a country who votes with us (the US) more than Great Britain does in UN matters is consistantly told to stay in its borders and not protect its citizens, I have a major problem.

The children being killed in Israel look just like my children, and it breaks my heart to see their pictures when they lose their young lives due to a genocidal religion and their attempts to completely erase my people.

I wont stand still, nor can I. Being Jewish is more than just a label. It means standing with my brothers and sisters in our ( repeat our) fight for survival.

Welcome to Israel Forum Judicial Meanz. I am encouraged by your support and I too do not want to ever stand still. My friends and even family think I'm overly concerned and other less understanding acquaintences think I am Entrenched. I however believe that things will get worse before they get better and I am stunned to see Americans shrugging off 9/11 like some phenomena. It also amazes me to see the way America treats Israel, and how the government and many of our citizens think that supporting one terrorist organization is more benevolent than supporting another. It's pretty simple to me, fight the war on Terrorism, not some Terrorism.

[judicial meanz]

Originally posted by minusthejihad
Welcome to Israel Forum Judicial Meanz. I am encouraged by your support and I too do not want to ever stand still. My friends and even family think I'm overly concerned and other less understanding acquaintences think I am Entrenched. I however believe that things will get worse before they get better and I am stunned to see Americans shrugging off 9/11 like some phenomena. It also amazes me to see the way America treats Israel, and how the government and many of our citizens think that supporting one terrorist organization is more benevolent than supporting another. It's pretty simple to me, fight the war on Terrorism, not some Terrorism.

Absolutely right. There is only two sides in this conflict. Rich and wrong. Nice to meet you sir.

[NewsGuy]

Today, the New York Times picked up this very topic and posted an analysis of their own:

Concern and Caution: U.S. Urges Israeli Restraint After Kenya

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/03/in...st/03DIPL.html

(Requires registration)

[L@mplighterM]

It has always been my policy to deal with present problems; whatever may or may not come is not the way to deal with the situation in the ME. I agree with Israelis policy in regards to hunting down terrorists and eliminating their threat.

I believe that the main problem Israel has is it exercises restraint. Situations like that develop when you have to masters, one requires you to sit and the other to stand in the end you end up squatting.

The US administration also has two masters so to speak one being oil and the other a need to eliminate Islamic fundamentalism. In the end it ends up having to show restraint and ordering its ally Israel to do the same.

One major attack on American soil by Islamic fundamentalist and it’ll have devastating consequences on the US markets and the economy. Hopefully that point will never be reached, but if the Radical Muslims are successful the US will plunge into a deep recession and at that point there’ll be no need for Saudi oil.

Therefore I say oil be dammed hunt these evil creatures down and destroy them where they stand. There will be collateral damage! So what? Are the Arabs/Muslims sacred creatures? If they don’t want the allies on their soil let them get rid of their own human garbage.

6,000,000 Jews and 5,000,000 Gentiles were killed by Hitler and the world stood by and watched. Anti Semitism was rampant in Germany’s 1930’s and elsewhere the Nazi Party was growing in leaps and bounds in England, Scandinavia, US, etc. and the world leaders where well aware that Jews were being slaughtered during the war.

Why were these lives worth less than an Islamic fundamentalist or a supporter?

The US and the west need to get the lead out or the battle will be lost to Islamic fundamentalism. How many Islamic fundamentalists or their supporters have been eliminated since 9/11? 5,000? 10,000? 15,000? 20,000?

Taking a starting figure of 1,300,000,000 Muslims and estimating that ½ (most likely 80%) are terrorists or supporters leave a figure of 650,000,000. I believe that the figure of 20,000 is a high figure for the amount of Islamic Fundamentalists eliminated but using that you get a percentage of 650,000,000/20,000=.000031%. The replenishing rate out surpasses the loss.

Start bowing to the east and dressing your women in old blankets or bed sheets!

Math don’t lie it merely shows the desperation of the situation.

[NewsGuy]

Yes, I agree that the West's weak response to Islamic terrorism will be our undoing.

What will it really take for the West to act forcefully against Islamic terrorism?

Blowing up Big Ben? A crowded football stadium? An airliner? A nuke?

[L@mplighterM]

It’s difficult to be a realist but the reality of the situation is that Islam is growing by leaps and bounds. Very little if anything is being done to eliminate Islamic Fundamentalism and the fact of the matter is that when you look at the numbers of supporters they should tell the world something.

Bomb Iraq into oblivion, bomb Iran into oblivion, bomb Syria into oblivion and in the end Islamic fundamentalism won’t be eliminated.

Big Ben is getting old anyways as far as I’m concerned they should tear it down and build a nice new structure.

Any inroads that Israel makes in its combat against terrorism are only a temporary patch.

[wellofvow]

Originally posted by minusthejihad
I however believe that things will get worse before they get better and I am stunned to see Americans shrugging off 9/11 like some phenomena.

It also amazes me to see the way America treats Israel, and how the government and many of our citizens think that supporting one terrorist organization is more benevolent than supporting another. It's pretty simple to me, fight the war on Terrorism, not some Terrorism.

IMO, you have it just right. However, because my immediate family and I are literally in the lion's mouth, I *KNOW* that things will get worse before they get better. I am equally sure that things will get worse in America and everywhere else also.

"Understanding" alleged "humiliation" of Arabs and Muslims is equal to harboring a death-wish. Why should the death of thousands as alleged revenge for "humiliation" be acceptable? The world has truly gone mad.

The post-9/11 reaction frightens me terribly - the unctious belief that by putting millions of American tax dollars into PR about America among Arab countries and Muslims is so apologist that this is how it will be seen: as an encouraging sign of weakness.

I think that Canada's "anger" over the new American border-entry policy is unreal. Does Canada think that it's on the moon? The Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee "anger" over new American "harsh measures" (fingerprinting and commitment of Arab-born entering the States) is ridiculous. Please do not allow your government to fall for this. It is buying into your sworn enemy.

Fighting the war only on "some" terrorism is a direct product of so-called American interests. I would have thought that the murder of 3000 civilians would have re-prioritzed these interests, but apparently it hasn't. And for this, I rather suspect the heavy-hands of the State Department, which has traditionally been anti-Israel, rather than anti-semitism, although, of course, they could be linked, since the State Department is only people.