Why Israel and the Unasked Question on Syria

...The media should continue to focus its coverage on Syria on the question of whether the president’s actions are effective, not whether some accidents or mistakes by U.S. personnel resulted in civilian losses. But you can bet that the same sources will revert to the same stances they took this past summer when Hamas resumes its fight against Israel, as it will sooner or later. When it does, don’t expect any admissions by journalists that they are applying different standards to Israel than they did to U.S. forces. But that is exactly what they will be doing. The term by which such prejudice is usually called is anti-Semitism.

Jonathan S. Tobin..
Commentary Magazine..
24 September '14..

The unleashing of the campaign of U.S. air strikes on terrorist targets throughout Syria last night may be the beginning of an offensive that will, as President Obama claimed this morning, “take the fight” to ISIS. If so, the bombings must be judged to be a commendable, if belated instance of presidential leadership. But as even the president’s cheering section at MSNBC and other liberal strongholds suddenly take on the appearance of being “war lovers,” it’s fair to wonder about one question that was uppermost on the minds of most of the media this past summer when other terrorists were being pounded from the air: what about the civilian casualties and infrastructure damage?

Accounts of the attacks on ISIS targets as well as those on the Khorasan group speak of strikes on bases, training camps, and checkpoints as well as command-and-control centers in four provinces and having been in the vicinity of several Syrian cities. Many terrorists may have been killed and severe damage done to the ability of both ISIS and the Khorasan group to conduct operations. The first videos of the aftermath of the bombings show members of the groups digging out the rubble and seeking survivors of the attacks. The surrounding area appears to be one of built-up structures. While some of these bases and command-and-control centers may well have been in isolated places, it is likely that many, if not most, were in the vicinity of civilian residences. All of which leads to the question that almost no one, at least in the American media, is asking today: what about civilian casualties or damage to infrastructure facilities that might severely impact the quality of life of those who live in these areas?

If we are being honest, the answer to such queries is clear: we don’t know. American forces conduct such operations under rules of engagement that seek to limit if not totally eliminate non-military casualties. But even under the strictest limits, civilians are killed in war. It is also to be hoped that all of the strikes were conducted with perfect accuracy, but that is the sort of thing that generally only happens in movies. In real life, war is conducted in an environment in which a host of factors make perfection as unattainable as it is in every other aspect of life. Which means it is almost certain that at least some Syrian civilians (a population that may include supporters of the terrorists and some who are essentially their hostages) were killed and wounded last night.

If anyone were thinking about that fact today, you wouldn’t know it from watching any of the cable news networks. The impact of the strikes on individuals in Syria or any potential damage to civilian infrastructure is of no interest to the commentators or the anchors. Instead, the conversation about the attacks on terror targets focuses solely on how effective the strikes have been, the role of U.S. allies, and whether these actions will be followed up with sufficient ground force actions that will make it possible to truly defeat ISIS or any al-Qaeda affiliates currently running riot in the region. The only criticisms being voiced are those about the president’s lack of a specific authorization from Congress for these actions, whether U.S. forces will have to fight on the ground there, or if the attacks have gone far enough.

All this is in stark contrast to the reaction to Israeli attacks on Hamas in Gaza this past summer.

The Behind The Scenes Alliance - What It Is, And What It's Not

...We share a profound concern over terrorist radical Islamic groups with many of our neighbors. And the purpose of these interactions with our neighbors on these matters isn't to collect selfies for our scrapbooks.

Dr. Aaron Lerner..
IMRA Weekly Commentary..
10 September '14..





We are in the thick of it.

We provide and share intelligence.

We coordinate.

We consult.

And we don't do all of this only via a third party.

We meet face-to-face.

But our country isn't likely to be mentioned in any official press release.

And the odds are good that we won't be openly attending any high profile conferences.

But that's not the purpose of the exercise.

We share a profound concern over terrorist radical Islamic groups with many of our neighbors.

And the purpose of these interactions with our neighbors on these matters isn't to collect selfies for our scrapbooks.

It is to address a serious challenge.

(BESA) Operation Pillar of Defense: In Support of a Ground Offensive

 Prof. Efraim Inbar/Dr. Max Singer..
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 186..
19 November '12..

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel needs to send IDF ground forces into Gaza to destroy the military capabilities of Hamas and other Islamic terror groups. While Israel may pay a high diplomatic price for its actions, the longer it waits the greater the political obstacles will be to actions that limit future Palestinian and Arab attacks on Israel. If fears such as the changed political environment of the Middle East deter Israel from destroying Hamas’ military force now, the Arabs will only escalate their attacks on Israel. An immediate and strong Israeli response is necessary to ensure the Jewish state’s ability to stand against the rising tide of Islamist militancy.

For nearly a week, Israel has been under attack from terrorist elements in Gaza, primarily Hamas. As the Israeli air force and navy respond with surgical, targeted strikes on Hamas facilities, the government is weighing the possibility of ordering a ground offensive too.

In our view, an armored push into Gaza in order to deal the Hamas military wing a decisive blow is necessary. From a strategic, long-term perspective, Israel cannot avoid confronting Hamas head-on, and must take action sooner rather than later. For Israel to restore quiet to its borders and ensure its survival in the new Middle East, Arab governments and terror organizations must feel that it would be a mistake for them to militarily challenge Israel. Israel must demonstrate that even in the face of great political pressures it is strong enough and willing, when necessary, to take vigorous action.

While strong Israeli action carries serious risks, strength and victory also bring many benefits. In the current and developing environment Israel has no safe or good choices; it will have to take dangerous actions. Acting later will be more dangerous than acting now, and sooner or later Israel will be forced to act.

The long history of anti-Semitism in Muslim lands

Robert Fulford
NationalPost
28 August '10

One of the 2002 Bali bombers, Amrozi bin Nurhasin, on trial in an Indonesian courtroom and headed toward execution, shouted out the message he wanted his crime to convey: “Jews: Remember Khaibar. The army of Muhammad is coming back to defeat you.”

This was his explanation of the murder of 202 people eight years ago. Of those who died, 88 were Australians, 38 Indonesians, 24 British. None were Jews. So what was Amrozi, a Java-born Indonesian, raving about? It’s a question worth considering as we assess the recent arrests for terrorist conspiracy in Ottawa. Islamic terrorists can finds motives in ancient struggles the rest of the world long ago forgot.

Martin Gilbert, the author of some 80 books, including the official biography of Winston Churchill, explains Amrozi’s meaning at the start of his alarming chronicle, In Ishmael’s House: A History of Jews in Muslim Lands, published this week.

Amrozi was remembering an event 1,375 years in the past, when Muhammad attacked Jewish farmers living in the oasis community of Khaibar, in what is now Saudi Arabia. More than 600 Jews were killed and the survivors lost all their property and had to pledge half of their future crops to Muhammad.

Today, few Jews know the word Khaibar. But among certain Muslims it has permanent resonance. Khaibar set a precedent, endorsed by the actions of the Prophet. After Khaibar, non-Muslims who were conquered had to give up their property and pay heavy permanent tribute to their Muslim overseers. That form of discrimination lasted for centuries. It was this incident and its aftermath that nourished Amrozi’s homicidal ambition.

(Read full post)

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It's not that complicated: Is IHH a humanitarian group or a terrorist group?

Arnold/Frimet Roth
This Ongoing War: A Blog
06 June '10

The thug-enhanced flotilla that tried to break through the Israeli embargo on the port of Gaza was backed by a Turkish organization called IHH (Islan Haklary Ve Hurriyetleri Vakfi in Turkish). Are they pure as the driven snow? Or is this an organization compromised by deep connection to terrorism?

It's worrying and infuriating to see how this straightforward matter is being manipulated so that the credibility of the answer depends on how much you hate Israel.

First, the relatively uncontroversial aspects... IHH was founded in 1992. The CIA began tracking them in 1996 because of a perception of radical Islamist leanings. As one study has observed: "Like many other Islamist charities, the IHH has a record of providing relief to areas where disaster has struck in the Muslim world. However, the organization is not a force for good."

That study explains:

"That's because the Turkish nonprofit belongs to a Saudi-based umbrella organization known to finance terrorism called the Union of Good (Ittilaf al-Kheir in Arabic). Notably, the Union is chaired by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, who is known best for his religious ruling that encourages suicide attacks against Israeli civilians. According to one report, Qardawi personally transferred millions of dollars to the Union in an effort to provide financial support to Hamas"

(Read full article)

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Shurat HaDin: Court Rules Victims' Suits Against Islamic Terror Groups Can Proceed

IMRA
17 January '10

"Hamas and Islamic Jihad can be Served Court Papers
on their Known Activists"

For many years Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center has been urging the
victims of terrorist attacks to bring lawsuits against those who
devastated their lives and those of their families. Yet, how does an
attorney actually go about serving court papers on a terrorist
organization as the law requires to commence a civil action? One cannot
very well travel into the Gaza Strip to hand Hamas the papers. Its far
too dangerous to enter Jenin, where Fatah's bomb factories are located
and try to catch them at work. Moreover, there are not many process
servers willing to deliver a complaint to Hezbullah for us in South
Lebanon.

This past week, in an unprecedented decision, the Jerusalem District
Court has ruled that lawsuits brought against the terrorist groups could
be served on the "above ground" individuals affiliated with these
underground terror groups. The opinion over turned the decision of a
lower court, which had refused to allow the victims to serve process on
Hamas and Islamic Jihad through well-known activists affiliated with the
Islamic terror groups.

In reversing the lower court, the judge found that a terror organization
is in many ways similar to a "corporation," as defined by the Israeli
law and as such it is similarly subject to legal process through its de
facto "representatives."

The ruling involved two lawsuits filed against Hamas and Islamic Jihad
on behalf of victims of terror attacks and our efforts to serve the
complaints on the Islamic terrorists by delivering them to the
well-known activists of the groups. The first lawsuit was brought on
behalf of the Weinstein family, who lost their son Adam, in a suicide
bombing on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem in December 2001. We filed
against Hamas and delivered the papers to Khaled Abu Arfa, the so-called
Minister for Jerusalem Affairs from the Hamas government in Gaza, who
(rather insanely) lives in East Jerusalem.

(Read full release)
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