Atlas Shrugs

Israel/Islamic War: 1 Year later Resolution 1701

It's been one year since the acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the second Lebanon war and I discussed it at length with the UN Ambassador John Bolton.

Download BoltonAtlasCeasefireInterview.wav

A year later and how quickly the world turned. For the worse. As for the UN,  that suit is no Bolton.

Here is a must read interim report. The soldiers are still held hostage. Hezbollah has rearmed.

Resolution 1701 has been only partially implemented, and the most essential provisions have been left unattended :

1) South Lebanon was not demilitarized and Hezbollah and the other terrorist organizations remained and were not disarmed;

2) Iran and Syria continue replenishing Hezbollah's arsenal and rehabilitating its military force;

3) The arms embargo has not been effectively enforced and weapons are steadily smuggled into Lebanon from Syria ;

4) No significant progress has been made in the issue of the abducted IDF soldiers.

2. The Resolution's achievements can be eroded and may not preserve quiet or provide for long-term stability in Lebanon in general and south Lebanon in particular .

• Hizbullah Buys Frontier Land to Attack Israel - Charles Levinson
  Hizbullah is buying up large tracts of land owned by Christians and other non-Shias in southern Lebanon as the militant group rebuilds its defenses in preparation for a new war with Israel. The forested wadis, or valleys, north of the Litani River make ideal terrain for Hizbullah's brand of guerrilla warfare and, just 10 miles from the border, are within rocket range of Israeli cities. "Christians and Druze are selling land and moving out, while the Shia are moving in. There is an extraordinary demographic shift taking place," said Edmund Rizk, a former Christian MP for the area. Wealthy Shia businessman Ali Tajeddine, who made his fortune trading diamonds in Sierra Leone, is said to be using Iranian funds to buy land from destitute villagers at up to four times the going rate.
      Critics fear a grand scheme to create a strip of Shia-controlled land connecting southern Lebanon to Hizbullah's other power center in the Bekaa Valley. "It is part of Hizbullah's plan to create a state within a state," said Walid Jumblatt, a Druze leader. He also pointed to the four-lane road being built to connect the Hizbullah stronghold of Nabatiye in the south to the western Bekaa. Banners openly proclaim the source of the road's funding: "510 km of new roads paid for by the Iranian Organization for Sharing in the Building of Lebanon." (Sunday Telegraph-UK)
• British Lawmakers Say Country Should Talk to Hamas, Hizbullah, Muslim Brotherhood - Raphael G. Satter
  Britain should begin talking directly with three of the Middle East's most prominent radical Islamic groups - Hamas, Hizbullah and the Muslim Brotherhood - a committee of lawmakers said in a report released Monday. British diplomats should speak with moderate elements from such groups and continue engaging Iran and Syria because their influence can no longer be discounted, Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said. "The Muslim Brotherhood is strong in Egypt, and Hamas and Hizbullah cannot be ignored," the report said. The lawmakers urged former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the new envoy for the Quartet, to negotiate directly with the militant Islamic organization Hamas. (AP/Washington Post)

RELATED: Springtime for Osama and Nasrallah: the banality of evil and ordinary people

1701: Going, Going Gone

I keep thinking, again, that if Israel, with its back to the sea, cannot muster the will to fight in a big way, then the fat, faraway U.S.A. will never be able to do it. I keep saying this and it terrifies me. Ben Stein here

Both the US and Israel have been taken. I can not begin to understand what Condi was thinking.

Europeans Balk Over Sending Troops to Lebanon
The European countries that had been called upon to provide the backbone of a peacekeeping force delayed a decision on committing troops until the mission is more clearly defined. European governments are insisting upon clarifying the chain of command and rules of engagement. "In the past, when peacekeeping missions were not properly defined, we've seen major failures,'' a spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry, Agnes Romatet-Espagne, said Sunday. A senior French official said, "Italy, Spain, and Finland have raised the same questions as France has."
    Australia, which has placed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, has refused to commit troops. "We don't have any confidence in it. It is not going to have the mandate to disarm Hizballah." (New York Times)
  Israel: No UN Troops from Countries that Don't Recognize Israel - Doug Struck
Israel on Sunday objected to including countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state in the nascent peacekeeping force for Lebanon, such as the Muslim countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. "The idea that you could have forces on our border from countries that we could not talk to, that we couldn't coordinate with, would cause problems," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Sunday. (Washington Post)

UPDATE: Oyish

Bush: New UN resolution expected on Lebanon force

UPDATE: More from Ambassador Bolton today and yeah it's Pure Bolton;

Ambassador Bolton:  Well, we've just finished a briefing on the report submitted by the Secretary General, as required by Resolution 1701, discussed a number of issues in connection with the resolution, and emphasized especially the need to get humanitarian assistance into southern Lebanon, the work that we've been doing. The president, of course, has just pledged an additional $200 million-plus package for reconstruction in addition to the $50 million that Secretary Rice had mentioned in her speech, of which we've already provided 24 million in humanitarian assistance.  And we talked about the need to enhance UNIFIL, increase its troop deployment as soon as possible and the various efforts that are being made there.  So this was a - the report, as I say, that the resolution called for in seven days, submitted on Friday, discussed today, and we'll go from there.  I have time just for a few questions.

Reporter:  (Inaudible) there would be another resolution on rules of engagement, which is unusual.  Can you explain this?

Ambassador Bolton:  Well, I understood what he was saying was that the – as we've always contemplated the disarming of Hezbollah, which was not specifically addressed in 1701, would have to be addressed, and that should be coming shortly.  And I think the point is, obviously, our road map is the full implementation of Resolution 1559.  If 1559 had been fully implemented, we probably wouldn't be here today.  And that's why the return of security to southern Lebanon and preventing the re-supply of Hezbollah is so important.

Reporter:  When would that be?  And would that hold up deployment of the current contingents even more?

Ambassador Bolton:  I don't think we have a particular view on time.  There's no reason that it should hold up the deployment.  Each country should be making its own decision, and the Secretariat, then, can coordinate their arrival in Lebanon.

QUESTION: The Iranian leader has declared today that they will continue their program despite the Security Council resolution. Is there any comment?

BOLTON: None that I will give for the moment. What we're awaiting for their definitive response and -- which is overdue by our lights -- but the Security Council gave them until the 31st of August to complete the suspension of their uranium enrichment activities so they still have a few days.

QUESTION: Are you saying, on this new resolution, that you are already working on such concepts such as disarming Hezbollah? Is there possibly a timeframe given to the Lebanese government before you move on to on? Can you explain that?

BOLTON: Well, Resolution 1701 itself expressly says that we would consider changes, enhancements to the mandate of the expanded UNIFIL. And obviously, one critical element of the political solution in Lebanon, contemplated fully by Resolution 1559, is that all of the armed militia groups would be disarmed.

And so the question of dealing with Hezbollah, or whether they deal with themselves by becoming a real political party instead of a terrorist group, is obviously on the agenda. But there is no timetable.

QUESTION: There is an element in 1701 which uses sort of the chapter 7 language in terms of the borders when the (inaudible). Can you interpret that for me, in terms of the borders?

BOLTON: We think those provisions are binding on all U.N. member states. The resolution also says that the government of Lebanon can request assistance from UNIFIL to help secure the borders. We would certainly welcome such a request, when UNIFIL is enhanced, to give that assistance.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.

Last week, Lakhdar Brahimi wrote an op-ed article in the New York Times saying that we need to talk to the Hezbollah right now; and then in another article, said that we need to talk to the Syrians.

Do you think it's about time to speak with the Hezbollah, the Syrians and also with the Iranians regarding Lebanon?

BOLTON: No.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, there seems to be quite a number of questions about the rules of engagement which appears to be holding up possible commitments, particularly from the Europeans.

What's your understanding of whether there are going to be new clarifications to the rules of engagement? Are the rules of engagement that you got over the weekend and that governments have been studying from the Department of Peacekeeping acceptable? Could you give us a sense of where this stands?

BOLTON: Well, the concept of operations and draft rules of engagement were distributed to 70-plus countries, I think, on Friday. And many of the potential troops contributors were very much involved in helping to draft the concept of operations and rules of engagement.

The fact is that we should keep our eye focused on the objective, which is that the combined efforts of the government of Lebanon and UNIFIL in southern Lebanon should in the government of Israel being able to withdraw and no security vacuum being created by these parallel operations, no security vacuum into which Hezbollah can re- infiltrate.

BOLTON: So the issue is really how effectively UNIFIL can assist the government of Lebanon as it deploys south and as Israel turns over various sectors in the southern part of the country, as it has already turned over very substantial portions of the territory south of Litani.

I don't doubt that there will be other discussions on the rules of engagement. And you'll recall the original American position was we wanted a very robust multinational force, not even under -- possibly under even -- even under U.N. command. The government of Lebanon made it clear they did not want a multinational force, they did not want a Chapter 7 mandate, they wanted pretty much what Resolution 1701 provides.

So those are the circumstances in which we're operating, and that was known to all of the cosponsors of the resolution at the time it was adopted.

QUESTION: Could I just do a quick follow-up? The Jerusalem Post reported today that the secretary general was going to announce some new rules of engagement that would allow the U.N. peacekeepers to shoot Hezbollah fighters. Wondered whether that was in the rules of engagement that you have seen.

BOLTON: I haven't seen that, but I'm always eager to read additional press stories and find out what I should know.

QUESTION: You have been briefed, I suppose, this morning, by DPO, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

After listening to them, how confident are you that the U.N. will be able to come up with the numbers they need?

BOLTON: Well, I think it's still a work in progress. I think that's the best I can say. I don't think there's any doubt in our mind of the urgency of the deployment of the full enhanced UNIFIL as soon as possible. And the United States has been working very vigorously at all levels to help the -- encourage and facilitate that deployment. So the timing here remains critical. There's no question about it.

QUESTION: At the beginning of this resolution, 1701, there was so much thrust, including the U.S. efforts, to stop the violence or to get a cease-fire. The whole world saw what happened. It seized. Suddenly everybody's hesitant to send troops. Why? What is exactly the explanation to that?

And also could you comment on some reports coming up right now -- Kofi Annan going very soon to Syria. Can you comment or deny?

BOLTON: I think that we've been told the secretary general plans to travel to the region to follow up to the Roed-Larsen-Nambiar mission that's there now. So his exact itinerary, I suppose, will be announced by the Secretariat.

In terms of why countries are reluctant to provide peacekeepers, it's obviously a very dangerous situation. The cease-fire is quite fragile. And I think they want to be -- countries that are trying to take this decision want to be sure that they -- that their troops will have the maximum opportunity to defend themselves. That's one of the reasons why we have sought and others sought a very robust mandate for the force and why this may still remain to be worked out.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

BOLTON: I think as long as Hezbollah fighters remained armed in the south or elsewhere in the country, whether the arms are visible or hidden under mattresses, the international peacekeeping force and the Lebanese armed forces, while we're on the subject, will be vulnerable if Hezbollah orders additional attacks.

I think that's very much on the minds of the troop contributors and I think that's understandable.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, one of the components of disarming Hezbollah is Syria and Iran. Do you have any comment on what you would expect from them in the context of what you're trying to achieve here?

BOLTON: Well, what they should do -- I don't expect anything in particular from Syria and Iran, but what they should do is follow the obligations of the resolution and not provide arms to Hezbollah or other armed groups inside Lebanon.

That's consistent with 1559. That's an obligation they've routinely broken, but it's an obligation they should comply with now.

QUESTION: Would there be any mention in this new resolution you're trying to draft here that would obligate them to that?

BOLTON: Well, I think they are obligated now, under the terms of 1701, not to supply arms into Lebanon without the consent of the government of Lebanon. I think that's clear from various provisions of 1701, so they're already under that obligation.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, Malaysia and Indonesia are considered moderate Muslim countries. Do you consider it counterproductive the statement that Olmert made saying that they did not want to have any peacekeeping forces from countries that do not have diplomatic ties?

BOLTON: Well, it's a long-standing custom in U.S. peacekeeping that the parties have to agree on who the troop contributors will be. And the Israeli position seems to me to be a pretty straightforward one; that countries that don't even recognize the state of Israel can't be counted upon to fulfill the impartial role that we look for in the enhanced UNIFIL.

We've done some quick research, and so don't take these figures as absolutely in concrete. But we think something like 161 governments around the world recognize Israel, something like 126 recognize Lebanon. Those two don't overlap entirely, but if you sort out how many countries recognize both Lebanon and Israel, it's a very substantial number of countries. We ought to be able to find troops to enhance UNIFIL from countries that recognize both Lebanon and Israel.

QUESTION: When you were negotiating 1701 with the French, did you find objections to the mandate that you're hearing now?

BOLTON: What a question.

I think the concern that we all had was that the mandate be sufficiently robust that, working with the government of Lebanon, the enhanced UNIFIL could help create those conditions of security in southern Lebanon that would give Israel confidence that Hezbollah was not going to come and fill in the vacuum, thus facilitating the withdrawal.

So I think that element was there throughout.

QUESTION: So you said a little earlier in answer to a question that no to talks with Hezbollah and no to talks with Syria. Now, how would you feel about the secretary general...

BOLTON: And Iran.

QUESTION: ... this organization going to Syria at this time? Is this something that you do not support, that you have a problem with, because you stand against talks with Syria and Hezbollah?

BOLTON: I don't think his travel schedule is fixed. I don't want to comment on a hypothetical at this point.

QUESTION: Is there a new resolution being looked at right now, as President Bush just said one hour ago in Washington, D.C.?

BOLTON: Absolutely we've been thinking about it. We knew that -- although our preference would have been to have taken care of all of these issues in one resolution, we knew, because of the difficulties and complexities involved, that more than one resolution would be required.

And the issue of disarming Hezbollah, which is central not just to resolution of the current conflict, but central to the implementation of 1559, was going to have to be addressed, if not in this first resolution, in due course. So that's one of the elements we're working on.

QUESTION: Is this a short-term step that needs to be taken care of, this resolution, before the initial force can deploy?

BOLTON: No, I think the initial force can be deployed now. But it's, obviously, closely linked. And we want the disarming of Hezbollah to be accomplished rapidly so that the democratically elected government of Lebanon can establish full control over its territory.

Last question?

QUESTION: How can you deploy a force and then think of its mandate afterward?

BOLTON: Because you can expand its mandate. And again, there's a provision of 1701 that expressly says we will consider adapting or expanding the mandate.

QUESTION: Most countries are objecting to disarming Hezbollah and leaving it to the Lebanese people, here, through a dialogue.

BOLTON: Well, that's one possible way to do it. It hasn't happened that way yet. But fundamentally, this is about implementing 1559. And that is having all elements of Lebanese society return to a peaceful political debate. And a democratic context is the measure of success.

OK, thanks.

UPDATE: More Hezbo media propaganda

 

Interview With Major-General Ya'akov Amidror

Fascinating interview with Major-General Ya'akov Amidror who has held several major divisions in the Israeli government. He was commander of the Israeli Defense Forces' National Defense College, he also headed the IDF's research and assessment division with special responsibility for preparing the national intelligence assessment, and he served as military secretary for the Minister of Defense. Allan Roth of One Jerusalem.Org rocks. He puts these wonderful, informative interviews together. I joined Alan, Ann Of Boker Tov Boulder
who has a great summary up as well)  Don from Chicago.....
Complete audio here. Click  bottom link for complete transcript; Here are some money quotes;

General Amidror: First of all, we must admit, we did not succeed to eliminate, to crack the Hezbollah, in first Lebanon, and now the organization in the whole Lebanon. of course, and in this point of view, it is very, very, surprising, and we don't find this situation, and it upset us and so and so forth. It's not time for excuses why it happened. There are some reasons and it will take time to understand exactly why it didn't happened. At the same time we should not forget, and cannot neglect the fact that we at least four very important achievements and some potentials in the future, and I'll elaborate the potentials later on. First of all, from the Israeli point of view, the political achievement, the UN resolution 1559, which its essence is the disarming of Hezbollah, is back on the table, and the international community cannot any more neglect it, and we will have to find a way, how to implement it, and I think that from the Israeli point of view, the fact that this resolution is again in the middle of the scene and again adopted by the international community is very important, for itself, before it will be implemented, elaborated, it's questionable, and it's a big question if it will be implemented, but I think that the fact that everyone in the international community that this is the essence of the solution of the solution. In Lebanon, almost everyone, of course not Syria and Iran, but almost every state around the world, I think from our point of view is very important. The second lesson from this war is the lesson which was learned by the countries around us. After many years, at least six but maybe almost twenty, in which Israel became how to call it, a soft target, which is not responding to the operations which were conducted by Hezbollah, by the Hamas, we were very soft, and during the last six years we almost didn't respond to the operations of Hezbollah. This time the government of Israel was very determined and the retaliation was unproportional and very heavy and I think that at least the Lebanese, but I believe that not only the Lebanese, begin to understand how much they pay in this operation which was a very minor one. They just kidnapped two soldiers and killed another eight, what happened? Why did Israel become the one who is losing his temper and behaving like a crazy country in the region. I think that this a very important lesson. The Arab countries around us will learn it and they will have to know and now they understand that there are red lines which if they will be crossed by them, the retaliation, the response of Israel, might be very severe, and I think it's a very important lesson. The third one is, you know, for years they threaten us, you know, if something will happen in Lebanon, it will be the end of Israel. Thousands of rockets and missiles will hit Israel, and that will be the end of Israel. After a month, we showed them that we can send our ... the civilian society, the system, everything. It was not easy, it was very bad, more than 600,000 had to live in shelters or leave their homes, and leaving as refugees in Israel. But at the end of day Israel will reconstruct the north, and we can handle it, we can live with it, and for those countries who built all their assumptions on the basis that Israel cannot live in such a situation, the fact that we went through such a situation, and at the end of day more than ready to continue, I think that it is a very important lesson for our neighbors. And the fourth one, I know the truth has not been exposed yet, Hezbollah is try to hide its casualties, Hezbollah is not telling the truth about all his people suffered during the last month, and I can ensure you that Hezbollah lost in this month more warriors, members of Hezbollah, than in the previous 20 years of its existence, at least 500 maybe more and if you count all the casualties of Hezbollah during the last 20 years, you will not reach this number, so although Hezbollah is doing a very good job, camouflaging his casualties, they're not telling the truth about what happened to his longer-range launchers and so on and so forth, the truth is that this organization suffered a lot during this month.

Pamela: I have one. I defer, if you wish. This is Pamela of Atlas Shrugs. I earlier had a similar interview with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and I just hung up the phone with Lieutenant-General Moshe Ya'alon, and I had asked what Israel got out of this cease-fire, what Israel would get out of entrusting its safety to France, when Chirac accused Israel of intending to destroy Lebanon, when the Foreign Minister said to his Iranian counterpart in Beirut that Iran was a stabilizing country in the reason. My question to you is will Israel risk killing French soldiers? Israel is so exposed in this cease-fire. I don't see any of the benefits that are being discussed here. At the same time you have crisis of confidence in the Israeli government. You have a number of, the president Moshe Katzav is accused of sexually harassing five women, Justice Minister Haim Ramon is accused of sexually harassing one woman, you have the chairman of the Foreign and Defense Committee Tzachi Hanegbi, excuse my pronunciation, I'm sorry, I don't speak Hebrew, accused of fraud and breach of trust and making political appointments during his tenure as Environment Minister, and I'm just wondering if there is a crisis of confidence in the government at such a critical time in Israel's history?

General Amidror: I think that there is a kind of confidence crisis. You can hear the first voices calling for investigation and maybe to nominate a. committee which will-- I do not want to go into that. It's too early and it quite happened that after the crisis will be over, we will hear more and more people talking about the need to investigate and to find whom to blame. I think that will be a great mistake. I don't think that the problem that we are facing is connected to specific people here, and there and if somebody was corrupted or has ... let's get rid of him. I'm not talking about all these. I think that the war itself was not easy, but we have to face what we achieved, and I tried to explained and what we have to focus in the future, and you are right the threat from Iran the threat of rebuilding the capability is there, and we have deal with, and the way to deal with it is not by mentioning names of people who might be innocent in the court or might be guilty, and if they will guilty in the court they will go out. But going into the process and to understand where were our mistakes from the process of view and not from the people point of view, and I think it's a better way to deal with the problem and to be more ready for the challenges in the future, and, yes, you're right maybe we are facing now a crisis of confidence, not because of these allegations that you mentioned but because of the situation and the consequences of a very tough war.

Israpundit: I'm with Israpundit. I'm a former US military intelligence officer and an analyst for American Congress for Truth. Yesterday I was on a talk radio program addressing the standdown from 7/11 and talking with former military types here in the United States. There were several things that were disquieting in the talk radio conversation. Let me detail them for you. There is a lot of video feed here in the United States indicating that a lot of the  IDF soldiers that were deployed were either missing equipment, exchanging weapons to colleagues coming to the lines to soldier through, and there anxious reports about the fact of the unavailability of rations and water essentially for troops, but more importantly there were analyses about the starvation of the IDF security budget during the course of the last six years, notwithstanding the amount of intelligence that you had talked about early on in the conversation. What do you as a military expert in Israel identify as some of the issues or lessons learned to come out of this conflict so that it is not repeated again and in fact the tactics learned here to fight what basically is a terrorist army are basically honed for the second phase of the conflict that many of us believe is coming shortly.

General Amidror: This is a very interesting and professional question, and I will try say some words about it, although it really before the briefing, before we have all the lessons, before we can say something about what we should do. Some elements of the first are fighting such guerrilla military organizations, you have to look at it from two angles. In some areas it is pure military. For example, the way that we succeed to hit the long-range missile launchers make it one use only, and then it was hit by our air force. This is something which is more like an army target in a battlefield. It is not connected to any guerrilla systems. It's like hitting tanks or missile launchers in any other real military battle. In some other areas, mentioning the 122 mm Katyushas, and enhanced Katyushas which were fired from within the civilian centers from a.... stood in the kitchen of many buildings in south Lebanon, and was fired from the garden or from the window of the kitchen into Israel, to that you have to look at a guerrilla warfare, and there the old lesson is that you cannot do it without having control on the ground. And control on the ground can begin only by ground forces. You can use the technology, the air force, to help the ground forces, to make it easier for them, but at the end of the day, if you want to have control on the ground, and for stopping these Katyushas, you have to have control on the ground, you need the ground forces. I think this is a very important lesson for us and for some Israeli experts who begin to believe that because of our technology, how to call it, benefit, and because we have no question a better capabilities to involve our technology by ourselves, and we have the best air force in the Middle East and so and so forth, we can do it air force only. No. You need very good soldiers on the ground, infantry and armor. And we learned a very hard lesson, that the new anti-tank missiles, like the Kornet, is a real threat to our armored corps and we have to go it with the next stage that we have, and we decided some years ago not to buy. We have a system that Americans ....  that can hit missile any missile which tries to hit the tank. It's an active defensive system for the tanks, and we will have to go into it and to have it in the future, so to naturalize part of the capability of soldiers to fight which build on the best know anti-tank missiles in the world, Russian pipes, and we worked... two years ago we learned to know that the Syrians are going to buy this missile, the Kornet and the Metis, and we told the Russians, please don't sell it to the Syrians, it will go to the Hezbollah, and they promised us that it will not, and at the end of the day it is in the hands of the Hezbollah. The main lesson is that it cannot be done air force only, and for doing it you have to have strong ground forces to gain control on the ground. The other lesson is that, although it's very primitive, it's a second World War rocket type, the 122 mm, we have to use technology to stop, because otherwise it is very problematic when it is coming to areas which areas are intensively populated like the north part of Israel, and we will have to invest a lot of money in corporations. The Americans are beginning some years ago, the Nautilus project, we stopped it because of lack of money. Now we will have to find the money and to build this weapon system, defensive weapon systems, and I think that this combination of continuing having a very advanced air force to enhance our capabilities of the ground forces and defensive system against this kind of primitive rockets, these three elements should be learned and we have to invest in and to be ready in a better position to the next war. There are some other lessons that we will have to learn to learn from this war, and I believe that it will be learned and we will implement it. As you know it will take time to debrief the forces and to understand where our mistakes were militarily. I mean, was it in the plan, was it in the tactics, in the training of the forces, but i think that the main three lessons that we have to learn is is the three that I just mentioned.

Ann Lieberman: This is Ann Lieberman at Boker Tov Boulder. Yesterday there were attacks on Ashkelon with Katyushas out of Gaza, not Qassams, but Katyushas, and so I wondered if this is unusual, and if it has meaning, and if it has anything to do with the fact that the Iranian foreign minister, after the resolution was passed, went to Egypt and met with Mubarak. Should we worry about Egypt?

General Amidror: I don't think it is connected to this visit at all, and I don't see now that the Egyptians, although I am sure that they are very dissatisfied from the result of the war. Deep in their heart they were very concerned about the success of Hezbollah, and without saying it, I can read their mouth saying that they hoped and prayed that we will win in a better result than what happened, for the Egyptians, a great frustration.

General Amidror: I think that from Egyptian point of view, this result of not crushing the Hezbollah is a very frustrating situation. They hoped that we will do it this time. So I don't believe that this visit of the Iranians now and in the future will change the policy of the Egyptian government, but yes something is going to, since our unilateral retreat from Gaza, and the fact that we are not controlling any more the border between Egypt and the Palestinians, is making the life of those who want to smuggle in weapon systems easier than in the past, and if Israel will be not cautious enough, and we will not respond in time, and we will not be strong enough to go into these centers of evil inside Gaza, we might face int he future, an anew Lebanon in Gaza, and I think that that was one of the consequences that should  be taken into consideration in the unilateral retreat, which was, from my point of view, a great mistake.

Pamela: Just to follow up on Ann's question about Egypt. Isn't Israel a hair's breath away from Mubarak? Once he's finished, and he's rather old, the Muslim Brotherhood is poised to take power. What's you're vision of Egypt post Mubarak? I mean there's problems there.

General Amidror: No question that there are problems. But you have to remember that it is not only Mubarak. Egypt is a very strong people, and systems which believe that it will be a disaster for Egypt if the Muslim Brotherhood will take control of Egypt and they will do everything in their hands, not because of Israel, because of Egypt, to stop such a process and not to let it materialize, and I hope that they will wine at the end of the day. It is not in our hands. We cannot make the difference to change the situation in Cairo, and we are not part of Egyptian society, but I can ensure you, in the Egyptian society there are many many people and elements and the military forces and others which are very aware of the danger of the Muslim Brother and will do whatever they can to prevent it. Though we have to elaborate it and to assess the situation every day and to learn what it going on, yes. Can we change it? The answer is no. And yes, we are living in a very tough area and we have to be more prepared in the future, but I think that Egypt is not going to change in the next few years, and if such a change will occur in Egypt we will have to change all our attitude towards the south frontier.

Allen Roth: General, you started out by saying that for us to understand what has been occurring that we must understand that Iran played a major role here. What policies do you feel that the United States, the Free World and Israel should have towards Iran, and Syria, and let me just say that there are movements here in the United States, Richard Holbrook had an op-ed in the Washington Post in which he was arguing that the United States, the Bush Administration, just like the Clinton Administration, and I guess the Carter Administrations should be engaging Syria in a more serious fashion and to drag it away from Iran. Do you think that that's a plausible foreign policy move, or are there other things that you think we should be doing?

General Amidror: I thought that this naivety does not exist any more, but ....(laughter) Again and again, you have to deal with the same people, the same naivety, and I must say that I envy them, because it's easier, with a better life to look with a very optimistic view and to believe that it is our... to be blamed and if we would only change our attitude, other fights like the Syrians and the Iranians will change their policy. It's we that are not good enough to meet their needs and situation. The past will be blamed that we are not going far enough to meet what they have in mind. I think that after so many years, and I think that what happened in the Lebanon is a very good example. What could Israel do more than unilateral retreat to the international border which was demarked by the United Nations. We have a paper, you know know every criminal has a paper. Honestly we don't have any connection to the police. So we have a paper from the United Nations that we retreated to the international border as was defined by the United Nations, including Shebaa farms, but look at Hezbollah, they are staying after this retreat, so what they mean to be engaged if you want there is a friend of mine in Washington who used to say, if you want to be engaged, you have to buy a ring. (laughter) What ring would they accept, more than Clinton was ready to offer after the father? What ring which is better than was offered by Carter to our neighbors. So I envy them. I think that they are mistaken. The problem is that if you follow their way, at the end of the day you find yourself with a nuclear Iran, because that was the assumption, exactly the assumption, of the Europeans for many years. let's engage the Iranians, let's talk with them. Be as they called it critical dialogue, and then we will convince them, offering some carrot and threatening them, but being in dialogue and engagement, in the end what we have, nuclear Iran. So I must, after so many years years, experience all this dialogue and engagement and promises and processes and on former tracks and tricks, two tracks, I don't believe. In the end, this ideology of radical Islam is against the existence of any liberal system in the world. They think that democracy is a poison to the Muslim world, and at the end of the day they cannot compromise on their ideology, and this is as I said, a very naive assumptions that they will if we will be ready, and be open enough, and engage them, and have a dialogue with them. And again and again we have to try to convince that this is a naivety that we will pay at the end with blood for this kind of mistake.

Questioner: General I have a question for you. There is a speculative piece by Seymore Hirsch in the New Yorker, and cutting through lots of words in this piece he tries to present a case that basically the US wanted essentially a sort of test of tactics through an aerial campaign in Lebanon through the proxy, I hate to use that word, of the IAF, in particular. A number of us seem to feel that that's nothing more, nothing less than sheer speculation on Seymore Hirsch's side.

General Amidror: It's like, it's not Al-Qaeda, but the Mossad who made the explosion on 9/11.

Questioner: Correct.

General Amidror: And all these speculations and conspiracies --

Pamela: Louder.

General Amidror: --and so forth, in one word, nonsense.

Questioner: So in one word, what was that?

General Amidror: Nonsense.

Questioner: Nothing. Nada.

Pamela: Nonsense.

General Amidror: Nonsense,

Questioner: Nonsense, right.

Pamela: If you could speak up. It would so great up if you could speak up.

Questioner: There's a second part of my question which has to deal with...

General Amidror: It reminds me that a friend of mine used to read anti-semite publications, I asked him why. He said Israel is so great in these publications. (laughter)

Questioner: Israel has some military assets that could, or could not be used in a coordinated effort against Iran. How realistic do you think that is? Here I'm saying that--

General Amidror: I think that the best realistic answer to that is that is something that should be worked between the Pentagon and the national defense of Israel, and not in any way, in any open place, and if they know how to do it, if they think both sides of the line that it is good for both countries and in the interests of both countries to have such a dialogue, and I'm sure that if they'll decide it is good for both countries they will have this ....

Questioner: Okay, I understand the import of your comment.

Ann Lieberman: This is Ann Lieberman again, I've been reading this article that you wrote for bloggers, it's called "Defeating Iranian-Syrian Axis in Lebanon." It was published in Jerusalem Issue briefs item 6, number 2, in July, and at the end of that, in your conclusion, General, you say that Israel must succeed on the diplomatic front in addition to the battlefield, and that it would nothing short of catastrophic for Israel and the international community if diplomatic efforts result in Israel being forced to end its military operation prematurely. It seems to me that that's exactly what's happened. So now that it's happened, do you consider this a catastrophe? 

General Amidror:It's not a catastrophe, you know, what I wrote was a black and white situation, and as you know in reality the life are more gray. And I think that as I said at the beginning, there is a very good potential in the Security Council resolution. The problem is that it is in the hands of, how to call it, not the best operator Secretary-General, and the government of the State of Lebanon, and now we have to look at it and to see that it will end at the catastrophic, I mean that Hezbollah will rebuild itself under the umbrella of United Nations forces, enhanced UNIFIL, and UNIFIL was a joke when I was chief of the Northern Command, it would just prevent us from acting against Hezbollah and letting Hezbollah do whatever it wants. So I don't know what we need on the ground and it depends on ... and the people in the United Nations, and the government of Lebanon. We have to be very, very sharp in our reactions to any change in the implementation and not let the Secretary-General go around instead of going straight away to implement this resolution. So I don't think that it's catastrophic, there is a potential of being catastrophic, or potential of being a very good resolution, now it depends on the international community and mainly the United Nations.

Ann Lieberman: Thank you.

Pamela: Pamela, Atlas Shrugs. Does Israel's intelligence have any concerns that Iran, instead of building their nuclear weapon actually bought a nuclear weapon from their pals over in North Korea. I'm sure you know they were there when they shot off those missiles, on July 4th, I'm sure that symbolism was lost on no one. Instead of going to all the trouble of building one, that starving nation could sure use the petrodollars. What is Israel prepared to do? Is Israel concerned about August 22 and the anniversary of the 12th Imam descending to Jerusalem? What's going on with that?

General Amidror: I read the paper about the 22nd of August. I must say it didn't convince me, not because of lack of knowledge, in this ... the professor is a very competent one and very profound one, but as far we know they don't have yet a nuclear capability. They can buy one, but by buying one you don't make two ..., because you have to think about the second and the third day. Israel is in a position to defend itself. The Arrow system is operational, and we believe that we can kill many, if not all of the missiles that will be launched by the Iranians. In a way, it's easier to deal with the Iranian missiles than with the primitive Katyushas, and we believe that we are ready to do it and I don't believe that the Iranians are in a positions to launch now any missile towards Israel with nuclear warhead, but we have to prepare ourselves for the next five years, because then they will have this capability, and you are right this is an existential threat to the State of Israel and we have to think how to defend ourselves and how to prevent it from materializing in the next five years. We're making almost everything that is in our hands to postpone it at least, or to prevent it, and if we will not succeed to postpone or to prevent to be in a position to defend ourselves. And if these two stages will not be enough, Israel should be in a position that within five years, if not today, launching nuclear warheads towards Israel will be the end of Tehran, Qom, and other big cities, and maybe the end of the Persian culture. We have to be in a position to do it in the future. If we are not in the position to do it today.

There's more. Read it.

ATLAS CONVERSATIONS WITH LT GEN.MOSHE YA'ALOM AND MAJ-GENERAL YAAKOV AMIDOR

I just finished two interviews and briefings with Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon AND  Maj-General (res) Yaakov Amidror. So much was covered, I must get my thoughts, audio and observations together. The audio links will be up at Pajamas Media. I will post the links as soon as they are up.

Recently retired as Israel's top military official, Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon has spent nearly four decades on the front line of the Jewish state's fight for survival.

Ya'alon was a paratrooper in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the third Arab attempt to destroy Israel. In the early 1980s, he commanded a battalion during Israel's efforts to defend its citizens from Lebanon-based terrorists. He oversaw the IDF as chief of staff from 2002 to 2005, years that saw Palestinian terror groups target Israeli civilians in malls, restaurants and night clubs

General Amidror is a Fellow at the Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs.

He has authored several papers on Israel’s current security challenges – the most recent being on an international force in Lebanon.

General Amidror served as Commander of the Israel Defense Forces National Defense College and the IDF Staff and Command College.

He also headed the IDF’s research and Assessment Division, with special responsibility for preparing the national Intelligence Assessment. In addition he served as military secretary of the Minister of Defense.

WAR Blogger LIVE Interview: Natan Sharansky

Alan Roth of One Jerusalem.Org has put together another groundbreaking, no holds barred blogger interview with key players in the sphere during this critical time in human history.

Much kudos to Alan for this and last week's interview with Dore Gold, LIVE IN JERUSALEM. Taking down the Jihad media one blow to the keppe at a time.
Click here: Ann, Boker tov, Boulder!

Click here: John, Gateway Pundit

Click here: Jack, TigerHawk

Click here: Rich, Jewish Current Issues (my buddy in Israel, and to whom I owe countless thanks.)

Click here: John, Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)

Click here: Allen, One Jerusalem – Blog – Help Keep Jerusalem United!

Click here: Tel-Chai Nation

and my own badself.

Natan Sharansky spoke of the constant rain of rockets. Jews, Christians, and Muslims are being killed. But Nasrallah says the Muslims will die martyrs so they should not worry. Thousands fleeing from the North. Daily, daily daily......this is their life.

Download the audio file here:
Download Sharanskyinterview810.wav

Here are abbreviated snippets, but they are just a glimpse. Listen to the audio.

Allan Roth, One Jerusalem.Org asks about the mood of the people. Do the Israelis want more diplomacy.

Sharansky says he has never seen the Israelis so united. We will not be blackmailed, Will not be held hostage. The people understand. They are living for a month in shelters. 2 million people are in shelters........

Rick Richman asked about the mood on the Israelis. Did they want a diplomatic solution or do they believe the military has to handle it?

Sharansky: We have a very hesitant leadership We have no choice, we have to fight. Hezbollah must beaten. We must have a clear military victory. We have no choice.

I asked him about the Iranian crisis. Had  his position on Iran had changed from our last phone call. I wanted to know if he still thought Iran should be handled diplomatically....through regime change or should it be handled militarily;

Iranian crisis:  He believes the time is not long and did Sharansky still believe Iran should be handled diplomatically "regime change" in the

I also asked him about Government and the IDF - Government and IDF racked by unprecedented leadership crisis

Sharansky: We have a very hesitant leadership. Excellent people were removed from important positions in the past year for political reasons. This is a problem and we are suffering for it.

 Israpundit: What is the effect of the change in military leadership?  Will that action provide some military victory and will decisive action be taken?

Sharansky: I am not a military expert and can't really speak to it.

Ann of Boker Tov. Boulder spoke of ethics and morals. The thought of these
young Jewish soldiers having to fight hezbos door to door .......... is this concern for civilian life?

Sharansky doesn't know why it took so long to undergo a ground offensive.. You can't win the war from the air.

Tigerhawk wanted to know if Sharansky's position on democracy was viable after the election of Hamas, Hezbollah ............ if it was viable in Arab countries.

Gateway Pundit asked about Saudi Arabia meeting with Turkey.

Sharansky:  Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations are afraid of this ascendancy of Shia power in that region.

Should Lipi be replaced;

Sharansky: Government is hesitant. Personnel changes not the answer. We will discuss these questions after the war.

I asked how the Israeli people could elect Abu Dana (Olmert) a political hack with such far left familial connections after Hamas was elected and  Sharon went into a coma.  Why would voter turnout be the lowest in Israeli history? And why would they capitulate to Condi? Israel determines her future. It's Israel survival at stake, why would they relinquish control?

Sharansky: Israelis had big allusions to peace. Sharon's presence loomed large over the election.

Listen to the call, this is an abbreviation. I am traveling.

My Observation? Sharansky and the great majority of Israelis are most unhappy with the current administration's inability to act and take decisive action. The Israeli people are of one mind. Hezbollah must be beaten or Israel's future is in question.

I am blogging from the car so I will transcribe and update later. I will tell you there were excellent questions from the bloggers, better than the answers in some instances. Issues you'll never hear discussed by jihad journalists.

THE ATLAS INTERVIEW: CAROLINE GLICK

The most informative interview I conducted in Israel belonged to the brilliant writer, journalist, intellectual, Israel's national treasure, Caroline Glick.

Download CarolineGlick1.wav Part 1, Download caroline_glick_2.wav Part 2

Some of her sagacious remarks;

"All the missiles are Iranian. " [referring to the constant rain of rockets and mssile activity - Atlas]

"We have to be looking at it as the Iranian Foreign Legion . Hezb’Allah was  created by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in 1982. And  ever since, it has been an Iranian organization."

"Iran does this a lot. They outsource their war against the world. They created the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in 1988.

Hamas now is also an Iranian organization and they also receive Iranian, guidance and Iranian doctrine and Iranian weapons and Iranian money.

The Palestinian Authority itself is now being financed by Iran. Just a couple of months ago the head of Hamas  [..] together with the Hamas foreign minister went inside of Tehran and met with Ahmadinejad and met with Khameini and they were touring Revolutionary guards bases outside of Tehran and Iran pledged to them 50 million dollars on the spot and ever since them these Hamas ministers have been found in all sorts of places carrying hundreds of millions of dollars"

"What are we looking at here? And what we are looking at here is a system that is Iranian."

"And that is what is fighting Israel and of course that is what is fighting the US in Iraq. [..] Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army that’s fighting US and coalition forces and killing of thousands of innocent civilians. Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army is also a Hizb’Allah organization.

Muqtada al-Sadr is very close with Nasrallah, the head of Hezb’Allah in Lebanon. In Southern Iraq in the Shia area [...] immediately after US forces liberated the country from Saddam Hussein, Hezb’Allah set up shop in the south, in Nasariah and in other towns and started indoctrinating, inciting  and funding shite violence. Again at the direction of Iran. And so we have to be very clear about this. If, in Iraq, one of the problems with the Americans’ conceptualization of the war, when they were going in is that they were fighting against a government, a regular army………..[..] and they were wrong because they missed the terrorist component. and they were not fully cognizant of just how large the terrorist danger was going to become over time.

So when people look at the system that Israel is fighting, we look only at the terrorist aspect and we ignore the state aspect of it and the state aspect is the central aspect of it and if you want to try to conceptualize a way through this, a way to victory in all this, you have to be very clear about the centrality of Iran, and also BTW the centrality of the Lebanese government in this quite frankly."

If you listened to this Glick interview, listen to it again. If you haven’t heard it NOW NOW NOW. You will be tested.

Hamas Military Leader Says Palestinian Arab Combatants May Join Israel-Lebanon Conflict

RUSSIA HELPING IRAN WITH NUKES

Tehran is continuing its research into a uranium enrichment program with the help of Russian laser know-how, according to new allegations.

The War in Lebanon

Caroline Glick sent over this clip from Shlomo Blass on the Lebanon War.  Blass is a freelance journalist and television producer  in Israel.

Shlomo has only limited access to internet now because he's been mobilized in reserves where he serves in a paratroopers unit.

Glick thinks (as do I) that this film makes very clear the nature and seriousness of the war that Israel is now facing.

UPDATE: From FDD;

[Iran is] a great country, a great people and a great civilization which is respected and which plays a stabilizing role in the region."
(08/01/2006) Phillipe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister

"There is no solution to this conflict in this region except with the disappearance of Israel."
(12/31/1999) Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary General  

We are fighting against Islamic fascists. They attacked us on September 11th because we are the greatest obstacle to their openly declared mission of subjecting the entire world to their fanatical rule. I believe that the threat of Islamic fascism is just as menacing as the threat from German Nazism and Soviet Communism. Now, as then, we face fanatics who will stop at nothing to dominate us. Now, as then, there is no way out; we will either win or lose."
(07/20/2006) Senator Rick >Santorum, (R-PA)

The only way to whip an army is to go out and fight it."
(01/01/1865) Gen. Ulysses S.

Israel Hospitals forced to go Underground

The cacophony of dispirit voices screaming "Lebanese Innocent civilians! Lebanese Innocent civilians"never speak to the real civilians being targeted..........it is the Jews being targeted.Innocent Jewish citizens.  You never hear the Jihad media speak of the innocent Jews against which this genocidal war is being waged.

Rambam hospital in which I visited on August 1st,  and extensively reported on here,  has been forced to go underground.
Rambam Hospital is suffering the distinction of being the first to confront  meeting an unprecendented challenge -providing lifesaving emergency treatments of civilian casualties of missile attacks, at the same time receiving IDF war wounded from South Lebanon (you know how the Hezb’Allah jihadis love shrapnel and ballbearings in their IEDs) and going into crisis mode while under missile attack. More than 20 missile have fallen with 500 meters are Rambam since the war began. One after another. Remember when hospitals and ambulances were off limits?

HAIFA HOSPITAL GOES UNDERGROUND From IRIS blog
Officials at Haifa's Rambam Hospital began Monday morning the process of transferring whole wings and patients to a large underground bomb shelter containing hundreds of beds.

The bomb shelter was prepared in recent weeks in the wake of the outbreak of hostilities in the North. The advanced facility includes air-conditioning and other systems required in order to perform the functions of a regular hospital.

Earlier in the war, the hospital in the northern town of Nahariya moved its operations underground.

Recently, sensitive departments at Rambam were moved to old quarters at the hospital located at the basement. The latest move follows the heavy rocket barrage that struck Haifa Sunday night, killing three people and wounding scores

Meanwhile, other hospitals are reviewing wartime procedures, while Hillel Yafe hospital in Hadera made special preparations over the weekend after rockets landed in the area.

Efraim Karsh in today's NY Sun describing what Haifa represents, in "Tragedy and Promise";

For Haifa isn't merely Israel's third largest city, the country's primary port, and a major industrial and tourist center. It is a model of multiethnic and multi-denominational coexistence, a city where Jews and Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Bahais and Druze live side by side in peace and harmony. They study together, share the same working places, belong to the same clubs, ride the same buses, shop in the same malls, and eat in the same restaurants. As starkly demonstrated by yesterday's attack, Hezbollah's salvos are as callously mindless of the wellbeing of the city's non-Jewish population as of its "Zionist" re sidents.

The Lessons of Sderot and the Brilliant Man Behind them

***UPDATED WITH VIDEO*** SCROLL DOWN***

Through the rocket scarred south, we made our way to Sderot, a fabled town known for its music and  home to manyof Israel’s most popular musicians. A cultural enclave, this bucolic hamlet has suffered 3,500 rocket attacks in six years, and the Israeli government did nothing. They urged restraint. Urged restraint as the world community and Condi is urging now.

What a tactical mistake. It baited, coaxed and inevitably encouraged the barbarians. The more Israel moved the line in the sand, the bolder the enemy has become. As we see all

This lovely town has kindergartens with bomb shelters, elementary schools with steel gates, steel fences and an according to a study from the Hebrew University over 80% Sderotian kids a re suffering entire generation of children suffering in post trauma syndrome. Children are afraid to go out, return to the parents beds, unable to concentration, wetting their beds, losing a lot of pills to sleep, to behave……their drawings reflect death, rockets, dead people.

We visited with the very wise, even tempered, low key, two term  Mayor Elli Moyal. I was so struck with his wisdom and his logic, he ought to run for Prime Minister. “Our jobs as citizens as civilians is to stay in this land. Not to move. Since 2001 until today, we have the same population in Sderot. No one left Sderot , this is the strength of these people.” (despite 3,500 attacks); Here is an excerpt of his remarks

“It’s a shame that 1/3 of our state  is empty. I was Haifa, I was in Nahariah  I was in Tiberias, I was …….nobody actually stayed there.  Most of the people ran away to Tel Aviv.  Said it then and I say it now.This war is against civilians not against the army. Now the civilians part. To show their strength.

Nasrallah is a vicious killer but he’s not stupid. He didn’t call a war against the Israeliarmy, he called a war against the people of Narhariah, the people of Haifa, the people of Tiberia.  If the people ran away, well actually  he achieved what he wanted and I said it clearly in that article yesterday. And  I was the first one who said it, c’mon, we not about the run. We are a state in a war, we’ve got to stand our place. Ok take the kids out. Take the weak people out. But the rest must stay.

We stayed here for 6 years,  we never left. This is the situation,  if you ask me. Because it’s not a two state conflict. It  is a war against terror. PURE

We don’t have a conflict with the Lebanon state. We don’t have a conflict with the Lebanese. We have a conflict with the terror organization. If you are asking  me the nickname of Hezb’Allah is Bin Laden. It’s international terror. It’s not local terror taking place in the Middle East.” The same hands who did 9/11 are doing right now what they do in the North.

It’s international terror, organized by al qaeda, Iran, by Syria by those states that are supporting terror. And unfortunately we got that job to fight it straight – face to face.

We don’t have a conflict with Jordan. We don’t have a conflict with Egypt. We have a conflict with terror. This is the situation.

Now is the time of civilians to make their  statement. To stay. We don’t have a choice. It’s not, it shouldn’t be a consideration to leave our cities. This is my opinion as a citizen here is Israel.

[…] We should stay. It’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna cost. But it’s not the solution to run away to leave Haifa. It’s a shame.

[..} We should act normally in a dangerous situation. But we  should, we must act normally. That’s why I stayed here 6 years. That’s why no one has left Sderot. We never closed schools for one day in the last 6 years, we never stopped giving services, municipality services, welfare, sports, you name it, industry, commerce. It’s all open.  It was tough.  We buried people, small kids. It’s not easy.  But we continued. We couldn’t give them that joy to see us running away.

Because that’s what they are looking for. They want to see us running from our country, from our cities. That’s the voice that should be heard all over Israel. Now is the part for the citizens the civilians of Israel to be strong to stay and keep normality in an abnormal situation. I understand, it’s a war. We can not allow ourselves to run. It’s a tiny, a small country anyhow. It is smaller than Rhode Island. Look at the map once . It’s a very small country. 6 million people live here. Half of it is a desert. We don’t have that choice to leave, to hide somewhere. They will find us in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, in Haifa…. so we must stay.

Please listen to this man’s words. I implore you. It’s worth listening to many, many times.

Download sderot_mayor_moyal.mp3 (hat tip conversion JB)
 

Winging it to South Florida to see mama. Will load photos later.

UPDATE: Photos from the embattled town that could, Sderot.

Mayor Elli Moyal

The onslaught of rocket attacks is called Red Dawn. Here Red Dawn breaks this child's heart

The bomb shelter at the school

The children

The school behind bars............

Rabbi Wolpe receiving an honor from the school for the infinite good deeds this extraordinary man does. A shining example of righteousness.

UPDATE: Video of the children of Sderot

THE GAZA BORDER, FRONT LINE IN THE GLOBAL JIHAD

***UPDATE AUGUST 4TH*** SCROLL FOR UPDATES***

I left  the North, where yesterday  there were over 230 rockets  fired at civilians, and two Iranian missiles went  further into Israel than ever before. With each launch the barbarians learn more. I spent the top of the day on the Gaza border.

The most reasonable, rational voices I have heard in this country are those in the war zones, both civilian and military.

I heard two extraordinary men , the  Deputy Commander of the Gaza Divsions, Erez Katz and the Mayor of Sederot, Elli Moyal. Katz'a remarks can be found in a download at the bottom of this post  (scroll down), Mayor Moyal's words (which I insist you listen to because he outlines the devastating cold facts and its rare you hear it) will be part of the S'derot post. These are voices, these are the truth tellers that you must pay attention to. Katz has the military campaign in the south ground, Moyal has the big picture, he's got it cold.

Nsarallah is vicious but he is smart. He has declared war on the civilians in Israel. He has not attacked the army,  This is a war against the civilians. Over 230 rockets fired at Israel on Wednesday, has the world gone fucking mad? Call the President and tell him to leave Israel alone. A ceasefire is a hudna. Would we have adhered to a ceasefire after Pearl Harbor, 9/11 or the invasion of Normandy?
This is a war on civilians. Homes, hospitals, schools....... It is madness.
These Iranian foreign legions are not fighting Israel's army. They are attacking the people of a sovereign nation. And Ahmadinejad said today the only way to resolve the Middle East crisis is to destroy Israel.
Ssomeone must speak for the individual. Someone must speak for the civilized man. That someone is you and I. Call the President at Comments:
  202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414, FAX:
;202-456-2461 and tell him not to pressure Israel for a ceasefire. Leave Israel alone, they have  enough to do.

In Gaza, cheers for Hezbollah

I spent the morning on the Gaza border with the IDF.  Watch the VLOG below. These guys are genuine, warm, funny. Very funny, considering.. The conditions they live under are brutal-- the oppressive heat, the bare amenities, intermittant gunfire, homemade rockets slamming into Israel,  and yet they  maintain a light, easy outlook on the world. They know who they are and why they are there. They sleep on hard cots out in open air tents,  heat surrounds them (think Iraq but no barracks) and the cycle of constant fire from the homemade rockets lobbed by the  Philisitines out of Gaza  with increasing regularity, but mostly at night,  makes real sleep elusive.  Gaza is very difficult. The terrorists in Gaza  launch their  homemade rockets from homes and residential areas. The IDF, always avoiding civilians at all cost, will, return cannon fire and hit those launching sites during the day. I experienced a round of cannon fire.

While we were listening to Deputy Commander Erez Katz you will hear the sound of cannon  fire. Please listen to this audio download. It gives you an inside look into the challenge of a military commander fighting an unscrupulous enemy.When you listen to the deputy Commander of the two Gaza Divisions, a man I had a deep affection for, you will hear the sound of cannon fire in the background.

Your intrepid blogger.

These soldiers love each other and to watch then banter in the face of the mortal threat to their country is astonishing. Make no mistake about it, Israel hangs by a thread. No time for hack politicians. Israel needs to take control of her destiny.

REC ROOM

Volleyball

Israel is a strange country.  It is the only place where the people mourn the deaths of soldiers more than civilian deaths.  Because the death of a soldier is the death of our children, our future fathers and mothers, our brightest hopes.   Nothing tears at the heart of our people more.  At this time, when our soldiers are being called up to the front in the thousands from all segments of the population, all parts of the nation, we as a nation embrace them collectively, as one, holding them close to our hearts, the way a mother embraces her beloved, only child. hat tip Naomi Ragen

An extraordinary man is running these divisions. He was so tough, so smart............so human. In discussing Gilad Shalit, you could see him become overwhelmed with sadness still feeling it was his duty to protect his soldiers. Ultimatel, his responsiblity. But he could not know that the Philisitines had developed a new "strategy"...............digging for months with their claws, like rats, into Israeli territory past the tanks and trucks, to make their pact with evil and kidnap Shalit. I really respected this guy. He had it all. And in all of his detailed explanations of operations, he was deliberate and exact, depsite his rather poor English. But these are the  men that  win wars. Bright, strategic, empathetic, warm, exacting, logical......... a great leader. The Philistines have beheaders.

While we were listening to this Deputy Commander Erez Katz you will hear the sound of cannon  fire. Listen to this audio download. It gives you an inside look into the challenge of a military commander fighting an unscrupulous enemy.When you listen to the Deputy Commander of the two Gaza Divisions, a man I had a deep affection for, you will hear the sound of cannon fire in the background.

I you are interested in how it goes down in Gaza and the 411 on Gilad Shalit, it's something for you to listen to. Here's the download, if anyone wants to convert to MP3, have at it 

Download gaza_deputy_commander.mp3 (MP3 conversion hat tip Hezi)
 

Atlas and Deputy Commander of the Gaza Divisions Erez Katz. Send something to the Friends of the IDF if you can. I saw the work they do, it would break your heart.

UPDATE: This is the base of today's military op into Gaza.

UPDATE: An incredible photo essay from Diogenesis over at Free Republic here.

UPDATE August 4th: Two of the boys from this unit, the Golani brigade, were killed before dawn Friday in heavy clashes with Hezb'Allah in the village of Makarbe.

One of the fallen soldiers was identified as First Sgt. Daniel Shiran, 20, from Haifa.

An officer was seriously wounded and taken the Rambam hospital in Haifa.

Two additional soldiers were wounded, one seriously, after an anti-tank rocket hit their tank in the village of Ataybeh, in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon.

The patch of the soldier seated next to me is the patch of the Golani brigade.

Bombing Haifa

Went to Haifa today to meet with the Mayor and survey the missile damage. Haifa has to be one of the most beautiful cities by the sea I have had the extraordinary pleasure of seeing. There is no bottom to the depths the savages will go.

In a quaint and exquisitive corner of the city a beautiful, bucolic tree and flower lined street, the mark of the barbarians. While I was in the hospital visiting the wounded soldiers I stumbled into the room of the young Russian emigre woman that lost both her legs in the Haifa missile attacks. And while I spoke no Russian and she no English, we sad and talked ..... the consolation of mishpucha. I was later by her tenders that despite her tragedy, she would never have done anything different. She loved Israel, never considered her moving there a mistake. Was happy she was in Yerusalayem.

O

Check out the clock and the follows on the kitchen table

The mark of the Syrian contribution to mankind. Ball bearings and shrapnel desgined to tear though human flesh.

Buidlings, cars.........shrapnel shrapnel everywhere. Very somber..... so is this

Going into a sweet cafe on the beach for lunch........... victim of a Pali woman homicide bombing. She had lunch first and then detonated herself

Live in Person DORE GOLD in Jerusalem

IDF military intel got every phone number in South Lebanon and they are working the phones. Paraphrasing, "we know Hezb'Allah is in your home. We know Katuyshas are  in your home and unless they are moved your home will become a target!"

When are I asked Mr. Gold if the reason the Lebanese were not never leaving their homes after the warnings and the leaflets was the Hezb'Allah were holding them hostage or threatening them he said he did not know.

A wonderful bloggers' interview with Former UN Ambassador Dore Gold, 1997-1999. Rick of Jewish Current Issues and I were there LIVE, and in person. The spectacular Ann of Boker Tov, John Right Wing News, Allan Roth of One Jerusalem.Org and Gateway Pundit has the best recap here;

Ambassador Dore Gold is Israel’s former Ambassador to the UN and two-time NY Times bestselling author of Hatred’s Kingdom and Tower of Babble - How the United Nations Has Fueled Global Chaos. Ambassador Gold talked today on a blogger conference from Jerusalem to update bloggers on what is happening in Israel.

Ambassador Gold addressed a wide range of issues including the recent incident in Kfar Qana, an alternative to a cease-fire, and the role of the UN.

WWW.ONEJERUSALEM.ORG sponsored the event.

Ambassador Dore Gold:

First of all a bit on Hezbollah-
- Israel withdrew from Lebanon completely fulfilling UN resolutions even garnisheing the blessing of the UN at the time of withdrawal.
- Kofi Annan only elevated Nasrallah when he met with him after Israel left Lebanon in June, 2000.
- Nasrallah has preached that the US is the principle enemy, not Israel.
- As a result of Israel departing from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah was strengthened with help from Iran.
- UN Resolution 1559 attempted to disarm the militias in Lebanon. If the militias would have been disarmed the current crisis would not be happening. Israel by disarming Hezbollah is restoring security. By disarming Hezbollah, Irael is helping the democratic movement of the Cedar Revolution and Israel is also helping to fulfill UN resolution 1559.

On Iran-
- Iran's aim is to dominate Iraq and the region. Iran has an ally in Syria.
- Israel's strategy includes isolating Hezbollah from its Irainian suppliers.
- This is the only way to beat the Hezbollah insurgency.

On Syria-
- It was Syrian agents who assassinated the Lebanese Prime Minister in 2005.
- Syria has been the pivital country supporting the insurgency in Iraq.
- Somehow, those who propose that Syria become a major player are suffering from amnesia.

What to do:
- This is such a clearcut war.
- Syria and Lebanon are clearly trying to expand their domain.
- The media is trying to portray Israel as the criminal in this war.
- "Civilian casualties" is one area that the media is exploiting.
- Hezbollah is the clear party that is responsible.
- Most people in the world do not realize the extent that Israel is going to to avoid civilian casualties.
- In Qana leaflets dropped in June asking the people to leave.

Read it all.

 

Allan of One Jerusalem.Org will have the transcript up tomorrow. And the excellent Q & A. This was a particularly good blogger call.

UPDATE: Rick over at the erudite bur racy Jewish Current Issues has his take here

UPDATE: HERE IS THE LIVE AUDIO DOWNLOAD Download DoreGold801Israel.wav

Where Men are Men

Rambam Hospital is suffering the distinction of being the first to confront  meeting an unprecendented challenge -providing lifesaving emergency treatments of civilian casualties of missile attacks, at the same time receiving IDF war wounded from South Lebanon (you know how the Hezb’Allah jihadis love shrapnel and ballbearings in their IEDs) and going into crisis mode while under missile attack. More than 20 missile have fallen with 500 meters are Rambam since the war began. One after another. Remember when hospitals and ambulances were off limits?
The IDF soldiers exemplify honor, duty, country. Very much like our boys.

All of these soldiers were surrounded by so many members of their families. So wonderful. It was moving. And they were so happy and grateful that we came. We are the grateful ones.

Shrapnel (a Syrian specialty) removed from victims.

Shrapnel embedded in the lungs and heart

Soldiers visiting soldiers.

The hospital was beautiful. In the lobby was a promenade with shops and fabi little  restaurants. It was magnificent. A glorious attempt to make a difficult time in one's life, more tolerable.

Such a country. These boys go into battle and come out men. Israel is on the front lines on the war on the Jihad.

It was an unbelievable day. A summer camp for Ethiopian children displaced by the missles in the north, a secret military base in action when we arrived rescuing the wounded (and dead) from today's latest battle,  thanking wounded soldiers , the Patriot missile installation and a one and one with Dore Gold.

Will post when I can. Will try to work as late as I can. Will be in Gaza tomorrow.

Just heard my ma is not well..............have to make different arrangements.

UPDATE AUGUST 4th: Hizballah Rockets Strike Israeli Hospital - Matthew Kalman

In Nahariya, Dr. Uri Rehany picked his way through the wreckage of the Western Galilee Hospital's eye department where a Hizballah rocket had exploded last Friday, destroying the entire floor. The rocket devastated patient rooms and medical systems, including sensitive ocular ultrasound equipment worth more than $120,000. Twisted pieces of metal and smashed masonry crashed down onto the empty hospital beds. A gaping hole which was once a window shows where the missile struck, sending shrapnel and high explosives tearing through the ward.

"They target civilians - hospitals, schools, whatever they can. We are so sorry when we hear that something happened to a civilian by mistake, but they specifically aim at civilian targets. They're not even ashamed of it," Rehany said, who also recalled that before Israel left southern Lebanon in 2000, about one-third of his patients were Lebanese.

UPDATE August 8th: * Haifa Hospital Goes Underground *

Officials at Haifa's Rambam Hospital began Monday morning the process of transferring whole wings and patients to a large underground bomb shelter containing hundreds of beds.

The bomb shelter was prepared in recent weeks in the wake of the outbreak of hostilities in the North. The advanced facility includes air-conditioning and other systems required in order to perform the functions of a regular hospital.

Earlier in the war, the hospital in the northern town of Nahariya moved its operations underground.

Summer Camp for Traumatized Children

The first miracle of the day was a visit to The Jewish Agency summer camp outside of Netanya..

These Ethiopian children were living in Absorbtion centers in S’derot having come from Ethiopia not two months ago. Rescued by Operation Promise, they waited years to make aliyah.  The two major operations in rescuing these Jews were Operation Solomon and Operation Moses – airlifting 22,000 out of Sudan in one day. Operation Promise is mission organized by Jewish leaders from America that committed 500 million dollars not just to bring them to Israel but money to adapt to them to civilian life.

The Talmud says all Israel is responsible for each other. And so the Jewish Agency rushed to S’dertot and brought these confused children  to Hadassah Neurim. It’s been very tough on these children. First to come to a strange land only to be fired upon by  the the Philistines in Gaza. Perched on cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea north of Netanya, this summer camp has been an oasis of peace for these little ones.

Nachum Katz, Director General of this summer/study camp had this to say about the hostilities;

    "I am a sane human being that wants a peaceful life, but one that is willing to give it up for a real chance to a better future for my children and my children’s children. I am a man that has seen enough blood in Lebanon and in Gaza, in Hadera my town or in Tel Aviv, in person or via the television screen. I witnessed enough burials of my companions, and dreamed about peace and normalcy enough.

    We did not seek this war. We did not invent or [provoke it. We not dream of annihilating our neighbor from the North, Lebanon, or wish to destroy its land. We have no enemy among the Lebanese people. We  have more in common than we differ from each other."

The pictures say it all…………..

 

Muslims Terrorizing Muslims in Jerusalem

I spent the morning in East Jerusalem which is mostly Arab. The differences between the Jewish areas and the Arab areas is to break your heart. It is inexplicable to me why the Arabs would live in such abject squalor, throwing their garbage in the streets when they could all work together with the Jews for a far better life. But Jihad Islam will never let that happen. FACT.  You can immediately tell what part of Jerusalem you are in, in a nanosecond, with a mere glimpse of your surroundings. The women, young and old, wore the burka and in many cases the chador in the hot summer  heat.

Watch this video. I am sorry for the wind. Muhammad is saying that all the Arab stores were forced to close today to "strike"  against the Israei acts of self defense in Lebanon. It made no sense to me as this hurts the shopowners and the Arab customer. But the Arab Muslim shop owners are threatened, their shops destroyed if they do not close. And who suffers?  The Arabs......... the Jews don't buy halal.

I had this encounter with an Arab Muslim when viewing  the top of Mount Olive. Mount Olive, the oldest Jewish cemetary in the world on Mount Olive. 68,000 Jews are buried there. (shown below)

The tragedy of Israel is the constant state of seige the Israelis live under. Going to meet Ari, an old LGF pal,  at a small cafe for lunch, I went though security check and iron doors. The level of security at every level of everyday life is staggering. Americans have no cluea dn the world is blackhearted to the what this country is enduring.

Checking my bag to have a simple salad.

There can be no cease fire. These people, their children are fighting for the lives, and the lives of this great nation. The miracle of Israel, IMAO, is that warriors could create such a magnificent jewel of a nation in such a malevolent cesspool. Everything in Israel is constructed, erected with such beauty, detail, respect and intelligence. All under constant threat. But this fight is different. It is existential. The thought of "peace," no longer is in the the Israeli delusional wishlist. They know now that after giving back Gaza and withdrawing from Lebanon they  gave the enemy unprecedented access. This is why while the consensus in Israel is unified to fight Hezb'Allah, there is a mood of complete sadness. They are letting go of something their  enemy would never allow - peace. If withdrawing from Gaza and Lebanon did not bring peace, BOTHING WILL BRING PEACE.

More signs of the tragic toll on Israeli daly life at an art gallery.

Later in the day I had the enormous pleasure of joining Rabbi David Wolpe on a walk to the wall to prayer. Check out our security just to walk to the wall.

More security at the Wall.

Rabbi Wolpe. What a Rabbi! If all of our shuls had a Wolpe, American Jewry would not be so disconnected, disaffected. In describing the Wall, the Rabbi said paraphrasing, there are people with hearts of stone and stones with the hearts of people (alluding to the centuries of Jews who have come here to pray and pour their hearts out.)

Returning to my room and turning on the news (No FOX!), I can not make it official, CNN (Crescent News Network) makes Goebbels propaganda look like childs play. At least then we knew it was Naza state propaganda but CNN is "independent" They are anything but. They are jihad TV. Their portrayal of events in Lebanon are such lies, such Jew hatred -- it is nothing short of frightening. Nothing is as they say it is.It is as if they are getting their talking points straight from Hezb'Allah. If I hear the "Israeli war machine" one more time, I'll scream. It's a handful of Jews fighting for their lives. Where are the news reports of the bombing of Nahariyah Hospital and the destruction of its fourth floor and the Department of Eye Diseases, in which Arabs and Jews have been treated,  and where Arab and Jewish interns wor?  All this whining about the Lebanese people not having enough money to leave their towns (as the benificent Israel has told them to do.) Tell Hezb'Allah to stop buying armaments and bombs and buyt their human shields a  one way ticket out.

CNN screaming all day for a HUDNA so that the jihadis can rearm. Sick, sick, sick. Why? For access as they did by covering for Saddams heinous acts of barbarism? These CNN dhimmis will be the first ones getting their pretty little heads chopped off if the savages they are supporting should win. A CEASEFIRE IS A DEATH SENTENCE FOR iSRAEL. 

"JEWS LOSE NO MATTER WHAT " so said a Lebanese Shia in a letter to the editor of the Berlin left-wing daily Die Tageszeitung (TAZ) explains how after Israel's withdrawal from South Lebanon, Hezbollah stored rockets in bunkers in his town and built a school and residence over it. hat tip Naomi Ragen

Hezbollywood? Evidence mounts that Qana collapse and deaths were staged

Just getting back and I have much to tell but running to a dinner I was graciously invited to by the most generous Rich R. with Rabbi David Wolpe and friends of the IDF. But I wanted to load this video of Muhammad. I didn't realize the audio was imperfect or I would have redid it. Mujammad was a powerful albeit quiet speaker for his people.

Early tomorrow morning I will be joining Rabbi Wolpe's mission with the  Friends of the IDF  on a journey to the North. We will be visiting with beseiged families, bereaved families , and wounded IDF soldiers in the hospital Thank you and Gd bless you Rich. 

UPDATE: Check out Rich's post here

Life in an Orwellian Univere

Life in an Orwellian universe By Charles Krauthammer

Israel's moral scrupulousness is being paid in blood - and
yet they're still branded as evil personified

What other country, when attacked in an unprovoked aggression across a recognized international frontier, is then put on a countdown clock by the world, given a limited time window in which to fight back, regardless of whether it has restored its own security?

What other country sustains 1,500 indiscriminate rocket attacks into its cities — every one designed to kill, maim and terrorize civilians — and is then vilified by the world when it tries to destroy the enemy's infrastructure and strongholds with precision-guided munitions that sometimes have the unintended but unavoidable consequence of collateral civilian death and suffering? Read it all

Here is the surreal survival of one man and his family in the north;

It's Sunday night... I have not had much time on the computer as we are packing up our house, literally under fire, putting all of our belongings in storage at a neighbors and preparing for the next journey.[...]

  We are not sure where we are going to live next. Our plan is to travel to the States for the month on August and part of September, as I said to help my mom, and to hopefully have some exhibitions where I can sell some work to make up for the lost business due to the fact that Tzfat has become like a ghost town because of the bombings. It has been quite surreal these past few weeks. When we are in Moshav Amirim, where we have been living for the past 3 years, we hear, mostly distant, booms. It seems far away but then I find myself saying to myself, "Hmmmm...artillery? Katyushas?" Can you imagine...i can't hardly. On this past Friday afternoon, as we were preparing to go to my wife Nili's aunt's Moshav in the south, there was a very loud explosion, very close to us,,,like a really loud "CRACK!" and "BOOM!" all together...that scared me...then there was another one a few seconds later. Yeah, that was 2 Katyushas hitting close to Amirim. I didn't see any smoke or fire nor did I hear any "SHRIEK" before the explosion, so maybe they weren't as close as I thought, or it seemed. Anyway, I went into the secure room with Nili, Sanchez (our dog) and Issac (Nili's mom's partner). Pretty freaky...and after I went outside to look around for the smoke...A weird part of me is very curious to actually see the rockets, but the more rational part of me tells myself, "Are you nuts...get out of there!".

  We drove through the town of Afula on the way down south. I found out later that a few minutes before we got to Afula, one of the so-called "Fajr" rockets had landed just outside of town, thank G-d not causing any damage to life or property.

  I had gone to Tzfat on Tuesday (I think it was Tuesday) to close up things at my gallery and check on the situation. While I was there, 4 air raid sirens went off, but no actual rockets landed where I was. The first siren was scary...imagine waiting for a rocket to hit...after that, not as scary. I took a bunch of pictures of some damage which I will post soon. THe most miraculous damage related weirdness was at my friend Avraham Lowenthal's Gallery of Mystical Art (kabbalahart.com). He created art based on Kabbalah, Jewish Mysticis, (to put it simply). I went to check on their house for them and found that bunch of the house and gallery windows were smashed from a nearby explosion. Upstairs in the gallery, in his work space, the 3 part windows were completely smashed yet a piece of art, based on the sounds of the shofar, which is framed completely in glass, on both sides and transparent, which was leaning up right on the smashed window, wasn't even scratched (I also will post a picture of that-stay tuned). It's amazing...and not one other piece of art was damaged...lots of originals and fragile pieces there.   Tomorrow I am off to Tzfat again to deal with some things at the gallery and document some of the relief efforts that volunteers with Livnot u'Lhibanot are organizing (livnot.com). Bringing people food, fixing things in shelters , playing music for people...

  It's 1 am now and there are stills distant booms.. We have a friend in New YOrk helping to set up a Tzfat Refugee Artist show in Manhattan in Sept. If anyone has any contacts, especially at the federation there, that could help out with covering expenses for getting art and artists over there, please let me know.

   Even in these dangerous times, there is a lot of good coming out...mostly about how people are being good to each other, really coming together and taking care of each other, just being nice, opening their homes and all kinds of things...

Tzfat Refugees Media Blog

Tzfat Community Support Fund.

The Eagle Has Landed in Israel

Just got to the hotel...............security insane (maybe because I am staying in Condi's hotel?) I stopped at Mini-Israel on my way in the Jerusalem. It is striking to me the respect and attention the Israelis paid to replicating in exact detail the mosques and the Muslims in prayer in these displays at Mini Israel. The Israelis duplicatd more mosques that temples. Oh, if the respect was mutual, what a wonderful world it would be.

Listenng to Kofi Enema right now speak on the Crescent News Network -CNN (no FOX- ugh.) He is spewing his vitriol at Israel and holding both responsible parties for the deaths in the war the jihad is exacting on Israel. This is the height of moral equivalence. It is sickening. Hezb'Allah is solely responsible for today's incident. Where is the world outrage at Hezb'Allah for using women and children as human shields? This is the issue.

The building fell 7 hours after the IDF bombed it.  Why were all of those people still in there? Check out the IDF video here. The innocent civilians in all this are the Israelis livving under a rain of  rockets - unguided weapons of terror. Here's more on Hezb'Allah's depraved use of civilians.

Here in Israel, they are of one mind. They will not falter. Their existence depends on it. I STAND WITH ISRAEL.

NO HUDNA!

Gotta eat something. I will tell you I have some extraordinary coverage coming in the next couple of days. Not at liberty to say right now though.

UPDATE: from NAOMI RAGEN;

1. Tonight, an IDF spokesman showed aerial photos of rockets being fired from residential areas in Qana.  It showed the portable rocket launchers being parked beneath residential buildings.  The spokesman said that the bombs dropped on Qana were dropped at 1 a.m. The reports of the building collapse took place at 7 a.m.  Also, no bombs actually hit the building.  So,  who was responsible for the collapse of that building?  Could Hezbollah weapons have exploded, destroying the building?   Was it deliberate, a way to pressure Israel into a ceasefire the same way they did last time, in exactly the same spot? And why is no one in the media picking up on this time gap and asking questions?

2. The number of those injured is being supplied by Lebanese sources, and being quoted by all the news stations. So far, only 26 bodies have been recovered.  But news reports are saying the number was twice that, and half are children.  That too is supplied by unknown sources and repeated by the major media.

3. At 7 a.m. a barrage of Hezbollah rockets hit the shopping center and buildings of Kiryat Shmona, unlike anything else the town has experienced. Altogether 1500 kilograms of bombs have hit the area's approximately 25,000 residents remaining in their homes. Where is the outrage over that?

NO HUDNA!

In related news; IRAN'S AHMADINEJAD HARDENS ITS NUCLEAR STANCE

The Guardian reported that Iran warned the west that attempts to broker a Lebanon peace deal at today's Rome summit are destined to fail and that the West ignores Iran "at your peril."

UPDATE: Israel agrees to suspend air operations over southern Lebanon for 48 hours to investigate strike on Qana, a U.S. State Dept. spokesman said.

UPDATE: SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL IN POLAND, Pro-Israel rally in Poland