LOS ANGELES
This Sunday, Nov. 18,
from 1-3pm at the Federal Building in Westwood.
USC: LOS ANGELES
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, at 1pm
Meet at Tommy Trojan as we release hundreds of balloons to signify the number of rockets that have been shot into Israel.
https://www.facebook.com/events/134447330037995/
SAN FRANCISCO
Friday, Nov. 16, at 4pm. Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery Street.
We will counter the anti-Israel rally today outside of the Israeli Consulate.
https://www.facebook.com/events/464928863548695/?notif_t=plan_user_joined
SAN DIEGO
“Israel Solidarity Rally.” Sunday, Nov. 18, at 1pm. Location: TBD.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/StandWithUs-San-Diego/111190252310145
TORONTO
Sunday, November 18, at 3pm. At the Israeli Consulate, 180 Bloor Street West.
LONDON
Thursday, November 15 in support of “Israel’s right to defend itself”— ALREADY TOOK PLACE — Israeli Embassy in London from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/254795
Stand Up for Israel! Solidarity demonstrations are being planned…
Do you know of an upcoming demonstration?
Please let us know at: [email protected] and copy [email protected]. Thank you for your help!
EITAN BEN ELIYAHU SPEAKS ON GAZA VIOLENCE
In a conference call, Eitan Ben Eliyahu, the thirteenth Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force, spoke to IPF about the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.
November 15, 2012
Steven Spiegel: Thank you very much, David and we will start immediately, lest there be any disconnections from Israel. Eitan, how would you assess the escalation here and the situation as you see it at the moment; the significance of this exchange between the Palestinians in Gaza and Israel?
Eitan Ben Eliyahu: Okay. I think that now we are approaching a very crucial point. This is about 26- 27 hours since the first shot started yesterday with targeting the leader, Ahmed Jabari, and right up to that there was a massive attack on logistics centers of the long-range rockets and missiles that Hamas has in Gaza.
As always the first wave, and I mean let’s say the first six or seven hours of yesterday right after the beginning, was a bit of surprise to the Hamas and the Israeli government a day before misled them by coming out with some statements that in our view this round is over. By doing so, actually, the Hamas were sure that the exchange of firing in the last few days which was not really real operation yet was over. By doing so, we were able to target Ahmed Jabari.
The first wave of attack right after that was very successful, as I mentioned. We have collected the information, the intelligence information, which means exactly where all the long-range missile are, they call them Jafr 2 and Jafr 3 (ph). These missiles have a range of close to 100 km and most of them were destroyed in the first five hours. Now, as we always know, as the intelligence community is always telling us, we know what we know, but we don’t know what we don’t know. So we had to assume that they still have some more missiles in storage but until a few minutes ago, they used only the regular rockets which means up to 40 km maximum range.
So, I started this discussion by mentioning we are at the turning point and I mean by that that the first wave of attack which was a surprise, actually we were using the relative advantage of the air force. We have air superiority over this area. We can fly very freely. The weather is very good. We cover the entire area with unmanned vehicles so we are monitoring the entire area around the clock and in real time.
However, at this point actually we start some sort of attrition. The Hamas and the other groups, by the way, they since to turn it into a type of attrition, which means they are very carefully using the consumption of their ammunition; which means they kept firing yesterday and during last night in a very careful way but right now, this afternoon, they extended their range and they accelerated the rate of launching.
So from now on the biggest dilemma by the Israelis will be the following. One is; are we able to continue this type of attrition or at a certain point will we have no other choice but to invade into Gaza on the ground? Because the feeling is that as long as they still firing missiles you get a reaction from the people that they feel like we are not successfully fulfilling the mission although the other side is in the under very heavy attack for the last 27 hours.
We are all concerned at this moment about the direction in which this is going to continue. Either to slow down this exchanging of fire and to reach a cease fire and in this direction we believe that the Egyptians are a key player in this option; that’s one thing. The other one should we continue another two or three or four or five days. I believe that if we continue more than three or four days, there will be a very strong pressure by the people to escalate which mean that the air force is not effective any more but what we will be forced to do is to invade into Gaza on the ground.
So I would say that the coming two or three days are very crucial days and we will know the answer no earlier than maybe Sunday or Monday. This is how it looks like at this moment.
Steven Spiegel: Which do you think it will be? Do you think there will be the escalation or do you think they will —
Eitan Ben Eliyahu: If you are asking me. I have the feeling that unless something unexpected will happen, there are very, very good chances that, yes, we will go into Gaza on the ground.
Steven Spiegel: And what will that be designed to accomplish?
Eitan Ben Eliyahu: Okay. That’s the $64,000 question and before I answer this question I tell you, I’m not sure if you heard, but the Prime Minister and Defense Minister last night made a statement about what should be accomplished in this route. They were really careful not to list any specific accomplishment besides to punish the Hamas. To restore the deterrence and make sure that they think twice or three times ahead before they dare to do it next time. In another words, they leave the very wide margin. It will be difficult to measure the accomplishment once we’ve finished.
I am not sure if this will continue forever because if it does they will have to decide to get into Gaza on the ground they will start the question; should we go all the way in? Should we remove Hamas from power in Gaza? The same questions that we went through a few years ago in the last operation.
So, my answer to you is the accomplishment for the beginning, which means if we finish today or tomorrow, it would match the mission set at the beginning [by Netanyahu and Barak], but if we go to stage two, which mean on the ground or another five or six or seven days, then they will have to set another accomplishment.
Steven Spiegel: Presumably the problem with Cast Lead was that the final goal was never really delineated. Israel said it would not get rid of Hamas and so after four weeks or so it was stopped and four years later we’re back in the same spot.
Eitan Ben Eliyahu: Correct.
Steven Spiegel: Won’t there be some people worried that this will happen all over again?
Eitan Ben Eliyahu: Absolutely, yes. I mean that’s the biggest concern. We may find ourselves in the same situation again. However, I mentioned at the beginning, that Egypt is the key player here because the President Morsi and his cabinet, they are in a very, very sensitive situation. And I know that he was in contact with President of the United States, with President Obama, and I think at this point this channel between the U.S. government and the Egyptian is also very crucial. In order to finish this round before we get to invasion on the ground and before you get to this question; what should be the final and what should be the mission accomplishment in this round?
The answer is, yes, we may find ourselves — and always after three or four or five days when they start to show disasters on the ground and it will be shown on the major, in Europe and in the United States, the pressure raise up and we will find ourselves in the same situation.
The best thing for us was to finish today, okay? Which means after the success of the opening then the best thing was that they understand it and this is what, at least for the time being, they don’t want to deal with but I’m sure that they themselves are under strong pressure as well and the big question mark is– where is the balance between both sides, and mainly the other side, to continue as opposed to give up and to stop? If it will be before invasion on the ground that’s obviously better. If it will be after, then we don’t know what the development will be.
THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW – http://www.israelpolicyforum.org/interview/call-eitan-ben-eliyahu-escalation-gaza-violence
HOW TO TURN CRISIS INTO DIPLOMATIC OPPORTUNITY
BY Steven L. Spiegel
The crisis over Gaza was triggered by a Hamas escalation of missile attacks against Israel, which resulted in Israeli retaliation, the killing of Ahmed Jabari — the Hamas military chief, and the destruction from the air of major Hamas missile emplacements. The question now is how this escalation will end.
Since the Hamas attacks have not stopped, including the first missile over Tel Aviv since Saddam Hussein attacked Israel at the outset of the 1991 Gulf War, Israel is preparing for a ground attack. This leaves 2-3 days for a ceasefire to be reinstated. The U.S. will not deal directly with Hamas due to its having been designated a terrorist organization, so the only country that is capable of arranging a ceasefire is Egypt. President Morsi may well be reluctant to do so given his new Islamist government and the opposition to aiding Israel in any way by much of the Egyptian population. The challenge for the US is therefore to convince the Egyptian President to paint mediation as a way of saving Hamas and Gaza, and to move forward to achieve a ceasefire if Hamas will go along before Israel proceeds further.
If the Israelis do attack, they will have three options: reoccupy Gaza and remove Hamas, presumably returning the area to Palestinian Authority control; attempt to weaken Hamas by a massive assault as was pursued in Operation Cast Lead (Dec. 2008 to Jan. 2009), without completely taking over Gaza; or a peripheral strategy of a limited nature which would attack Hamas installations outside populated areas. Unless Hamas is removed, the other two approaches of attack will likely look toward repeated similar confrontations between Israel and Hamas in the years ahead. The key question will then be the degree of destruction and the political fallout, depending on the military tactics Israel uses each time, and the effectiveness of Hamas missiles.
But in addition to counting casualties on both sides, and assessing the relative effectiveness of each in achieving its aims, this time the Middle East is much more complicated in the wake of the Arab Spring. A new Egyptian Islamist government may well distance itself from Israel in dramatic ways. Jordan in is the midst of political crisis. Israel has much to lose from deteriorating relations with both Arab states with which it has peace treaties. And while Hezbollah has acquired thousands of weapons since it last confronted Israel in 2006, it is very unlikely that it would risk its hard-won gains in Lebanon by an attack on Israel, especially given the civil war in Syria and the need for those missiles as a possible retaliation should Israel attack Iran. But it could attack, and Israel can’t ignore Hezbollah either. There are increasing dangers as the hostilities continue.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-l-spiegel/gaza-crisis-2012_b_2141721.html
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