Nor would Israel receive any compliments for agreeing to a ceasefire, either. Most of those who accuse Israel of "genocide' (Interesting choice of words there, too) would continue in their criticisms of everything Israel does in any case. Despite however much my government pretends to support Israel, I wouldn't trust this administration as far as I could throw them.
Thanks for your comment, Robert. The author of this piece cannot comment, because he does his best to remain a political, as a professional army officer should. The rest of us, however, or free to draw our own conclusions, aren’t we?
It is also telling that no one ever even attempts to make any case for an upside for Israel if they were to agree a ceasefire. The agitators don't even lie about that. No promises (that would be broken, sure); I would say instead a certainty of ratcheting pressure on Israel to do less, become more vulnerable, commit national suicide. No carrots, always more sticks for Israel. They'd be insane at this point to expect anything else.
Disclosure: I'd be fine if they were to devote fewer resources to tactics that protect so-called civilians; theirs is likely the better strategy but their reward will be only in the next world. Which, to be fair, is where our hearts should be.
Your first point cites John Spencer's thinking and writing, an expert's personal observations imbedded during the IDF's engagement in Gaza. Will the enlightened factual truths from a highly credible direct personally experienced source change any media gaslighted minds ? Your contextual key second and third points explosively demolish an argument that there can ever be an incentive to take the hand and negotiate with a party like Hamas determined and, despite the anticipated even deliberate strategically planned decimation of their own Palestinian peoples, ruthlessly dedicated to your nation's and people's extinction. We do not have to be combat wizened soldiers to realize the ultimate significance of the latter points to answer your opening question : Negative incentive ! '
Excellent analysis of the situation. Short, sweet, and to the point, no political speak, just the facts. Thank-you you and your son for your sacrifice. (As a retired Navy type, the style of writing reminds me of a mission brief I would receive prior to a flight.)
The first talking point had many things that I had never considered or actually had any knowledge of. This helps me to understand Israel’s stance on protecting civilians and their reluctance stand down.
Easy for me to say; "Israel, I pray your efforts to destroy Hamass proceeds apace."
What I also acknowledge and do not have to personally suffer along with any loss of friends, family, or fellow soldiers is that each of these IDF warriors has to become a killer, a brutal fighting monster, to out-savage Hamass, to the point that Hamass types will be fearful of ever trying it again.
Then, we expect these IDF heroes to simply turn that killer off, come home, have a nice Shabbat and act like it was something to be hidden, and seldom discussed.
I can only be a grateful stranger and hope they find peace as warriors, citizens and for their Israel.
If this had happened to the US, even if it was not in the same proportion as with 9/11, there is no way the majority of the US citizens would support a cease fire at this stage. If it was in the same proportion, the protestors would be ridiculed instead of being glorified by the US media.
Israel needs to create an occupation policy / program similar to what Germany did in western Europe in WW2. An awful choice but logically the only choice.
Use the locals for control, east Asian Muslims for police and a few Israelis for monitoring. Rewards and punishments for the locals. ID use everywhere and location control for all. Censorship and taxation to pay administration costs.
Instead of occupying, annex some fraction of the Gaza Strip and make it part of Israel. Present inhabitants move to the new, smaller Strip and rebuild with the UN's generous help. Future outbreaks handled the same.
It seems pretty clear that Israel is creating some permanent corridors that will fracture Gaza as a single piece of geography. It will reduce the effectiveness of Hamas 3.0 but it doesn't change all that much.
Return of control to Hamas just sets the stage for another tragedy and the predicable Israeli response. Return of control to Hamas with the Gaza population crammed into even smaller areas will only make an Israeli response more difficult and more likely to cause 'civilian' casualties. Hamas 2.0 managed to obtain / create thousands of rockets that were used against Israel. Israeli response to the rocket attacks was always difficult. Air responses seemed to always destroy schools, hospitals and apartment buildings (by Hamas design). And any ground action was urban warfare in very dense populations ... pictures of Israeli soldiers shooting 'innocents' and destroying 'civilian' infrastructure. Pack the 2+ million people into smaller spaces will only make Israeli responses more difficult, less effective and with lots of bad press.
Israel need to manage Gaza. It's the only way we don't see another round.
FAFO. Trouble is they ned to be leveled, similar to Japan and Germany at the end of WWII. No nukes, no Dresden. They hate Jews only more than they hate Gazans. Who built those tunnels? Maybe side hustles fron UNRWA gig?
Nor would Israel receive any compliments for agreeing to a ceasefire, either. Most of those who accuse Israel of "genocide' (Interesting choice of words there, too) would continue in their criticisms of everything Israel does in any case. Despite however much my government pretends to support Israel, I wouldn't trust this administration as far as I could throw them.
Thanks for your comment, Robert. The author of this piece cannot comment, because he does his best to remain a political, as a professional army officer should. The rest of us, however, or free to draw our own conclusions, aren’t we?
It is also telling that no one ever even attempts to make any case for an upside for Israel if they were to agree a ceasefire. The agitators don't even lie about that. No promises (that would be broken, sure); I would say instead a certainty of ratcheting pressure on Israel to do less, become more vulnerable, commit national suicide. No carrots, always more sticks for Israel. They'd be insane at this point to expect anything else.
Disclosure: I'd be fine if they were to devote fewer resources to tactics that protect so-called civilians; theirs is likely the better strategy but their reward will be only in the next world. Which, to be fair, is where our hearts should be.
Thanks for your valuable input.
In a world gone mad, time for righteous men to act without hesitation.
End the irredentist evil of the islamists.
Your first point cites John Spencer's thinking and writing, an expert's personal observations imbedded during the IDF's engagement in Gaza. Will the enlightened factual truths from a highly credible direct personally experienced source change any media gaslighted minds ? Your contextual key second and third points explosively demolish an argument that there can ever be an incentive to take the hand and negotiate with a party like Hamas determined and, despite the anticipated even deliberate strategically planned decimation of their own Palestinian peoples, ruthlessly dedicated to your nation's and people's extinction. We do not have to be combat wizened soldiers to realize the ultimate significance of the latter points to answer your opening question : Negative incentive ! '
Excellent analysis of the situation. Short, sweet, and to the point, no political speak, just the facts. Thank-you you and your son for your sacrifice. (As a retired Navy type, the style of writing reminds me of a mission brief I would receive prior to a flight.)
Thanks for your input, Michael. I especially liked your last sentence, which I regard as high praise.
I appreciate you sharing David’s insight with us.
The first talking point had many things that I had never considered or actually had any knowledge of. This helps me to understand Israel’s stance on protecting civilians and their reluctance stand down.
Thank both you and David for your service!
Thank you for subscribing and for your input, Dusty.
Only if Israel has a death wish would they agree to leave
Hamas in place.
Easy for me to say; "Israel, I pray your efforts to destroy Hamass proceeds apace."
What I also acknowledge and do not have to personally suffer along with any loss of friends, family, or fellow soldiers is that each of these IDF warriors has to become a killer, a brutal fighting monster, to out-savage Hamass, to the point that Hamass types will be fearful of ever trying it again.
Then, we expect these IDF heroes to simply turn that killer off, come home, have a nice Shabbat and act like it was something to be hidden, and seldom discussed.
I can only be a grateful stranger and hope they find peace as warriors, citizens and for their Israel.
That is the burden of all veterans, in all history.
If this had happened to the US, even if it was not in the same proportion as with 9/11, there is no way the majority of the US citizens would support a cease fire at this stage. If it was in the same proportion, the protestors would be ridiculed instead of being glorified by the US media.
Agree, Tod. Except that I think that the protesters would be more than ridiculed. They would be at serious risk of bodily arm.
Thanks for your input.
Israel needs to create an occupation policy / program similar to what Germany did in western Europe in WW2. An awful choice but logically the only choice.
Use the locals for control, east Asian Muslims for police and a few Israelis for monitoring. Rewards and punishments for the locals. ID use everywhere and location control for all. Censorship and taxation to pay administration costs.
I cannot think of another path.
https://open.substack.com/pub/rreisner/p/how-israel-can-fix-gaza?
Instead of occupying, annex some fraction of the Gaza Strip and make it part of Israel. Present inhabitants move to the new, smaller Strip and rebuild with the UN's generous help. Future outbreaks handled the same.
It seems pretty clear that Israel is creating some permanent corridors that will fracture Gaza as a single piece of geography. It will reduce the effectiveness of Hamas 3.0 but it doesn't change all that much.
Return of control to Hamas just sets the stage for another tragedy and the predicable Israeli response. Return of control to Hamas with the Gaza population crammed into even smaller areas will only make an Israeli response more difficult and more likely to cause 'civilian' casualties. Hamas 2.0 managed to obtain / create thousands of rockets that were used against Israel. Israeli response to the rocket attacks was always difficult. Air responses seemed to always destroy schools, hospitals and apartment buildings (by Hamas design). And any ground action was urban warfare in very dense populations ... pictures of Israeli soldiers shooting 'innocents' and destroying 'civilian' infrastructure. Pack the 2+ million people into smaller spaces will only make Israeli responses more difficult, less effective and with lots of bad press.
Israel need to manage Gaza. It's the only way we don't see another round.
Thanks for your thoughtful input, Robert.
"Israel has very little to lose and much to gain from its efforts to prevent future attacks like the one perpetrated on October 7."
This presumes that Israel's present approach *will* prevent future attacks. What is the reasoning for this?
Well said.
FAFO. Trouble is they ned to be leveled, similar to Japan and Germany at the end of WWII. No nukes, no Dresden. They hate Jews only more than they hate Gazans. Who built those tunnels? Maybe side hustles fron UNRWA gig?