53 thoughts on “Israel Sabotages Ceasefire Talks, Assassinating Hamas Commander, IDF Senior Commander Also Killed – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. Aside from the fact that there are seven bodies on the ground, no one knows what happened.

    Assassination, kidnapping, sabotage are all just idle theories at this point.

    1. @ Fast Lane: No, actually we know quite a bit about what happened. We know there was a huge fashla, the mission failed, the commandos were nearly liquidated by Hamas and only got out by the skin of their teeth. We know a Sayeret Matkal Lt. Col. was killed. When that happens things really fucked up.

    1. @Elisabeth

      Maybe Qatar is just the bagman, and it’s Israel who’s paying off Hamas.
      We don’t really what’s happening behind the scenes in this conflict.
      Those who purport to know, are only guessing.

      1. @ Fast Lane: Oh yeah sure. Israel is paying Hamas off. That’s about as credible as you being the Pope’s boyfriend.

        Knock off the hasbara cynicism. This blog exists to dispel your cynicism with truth and facts. I will not countenance you spreading your bullshit here.

        1. “Since then, it’s become clear the original mission was not to assassinate Baraka, but to implant spy gear. ”

          So you’re original headline, screaming bloody murder, was mistaken.

          Okay. I will read your articles with a grain of salt from now on.

          1. @ Fast Lane: No, my original headline was based on information available at the time. Most reports in the media published at the same time suggested that Baraka had been the target of an assassination. If Israel hadn’t slapped military censorship on the incident and had revealed what it knew, then no one in the media would have had to speculate at all. But since they didn’t, all journalists were forced to do the best they could.

            As for how you read my posts, I could give a s**t.

          2. @ Fast Lane: And my post was published on November 11th moron (at 1am on Nov. 12th to be exact, but it was written several hours before that), before the Haaretz story. And here are more media outlets reporting the Gaza operation was a possible or likely assassination:

            https://www.newsweek.com/israeli-special-forces-assassinate-hamas-commander-gaza-spark-fresh-cross-1211257
            https://www.npr.org/2018/11/12/666946297/violence-flares-after-israeli-operation-in-gaza-turns-deadly
            https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/covert-israeli-military-operation-in-gaza-exposed-igniting-new-tensions/2018/11/12/05aaddb4-e651-11e8-a939-9469f1166f9d_story.html?utm_term=.eb448993276c
            https://abcnews.go.com/International/hamas-fighters-israeli-commando-killed-gaza-botched-israeli/story?id=59137906

            You are done in this thread. Do NOT publish another comment here. Call anything I write here “rubbish” again and you’ll be consigned to the rubbish heap yourself.

          3. Richard,

            1) Your note regarding ‘Sayeret Matcal’ is new to me, that’s an interesting info not found in Israeli Media. (Actions are usually attributed to Matcal only after years).
            Also new to me is that Arabs are very high officeres on what is considered to be, by far IDF-top-secret operational unit, Had no idea our society is that open to Arab speaking minorities. (even myself almost a Meretz left pary ,not sure i am that liberal, myabe young folks are more open minded)

            2) Rephrasing your comment above ( to Fast Lane):
            ” ‘m writing wrong stuff because I do not have information, but ‘m doing it fast”
            Is it alarming that so much of American main media, also got it wrong ?

            We in Israel are deterred by Hamas, and politicly it is a risk for Bibi to go into an unnecessary war. ( bib hates risks). Hence the unlikeliness of your article assumption.
            It also makes no sense that Bibi would grant Liberman any real authority. (since the political bill would be served to the PM.)

            “hundreds of assassinations by Israeli forces”
            Come on man…
            In Gaza in the last 5+ years (outside of ZukEitan war), to my recollection, Israel was accused of just one such assassination. Interesting, Liberman in an unusual PR declared it in not us. (usual reaction to such is silence) . Hard to tell who was it. Maybe it was us ( by Palestinian agent). Even Hamas does not claim Israel did many such assassinations. (Hamas claims have low credibility. IDF on average is more credible than Hamas ).

            Any assassination not in Gaza ( or during wartime), is not relevant for the matter at hand.

          4. @ zumba: In perusing hasbara here over the years, I’m always on the lookout for new ways of doing the job. And you, bless your heart, have offered one. You thank me for offering you information you didn’t know. Then you proceed to praise Israel for doing the very things which it’s refusing to admit it’s doing.

            Also new to me is that Arabs are very high officeres on what is considered to be, by far IDF-top-secret operational unit,

            Actually, I’ve just discovered over the past day or so, Israeli media has begun reporting that Kheireddine served in Sayeret Matkal. So the censor is now permitting reporting of this information. But continues to suppress the dead officer’s name and that he is Druze.

            Had no idea our society is that open to Arab speaking minorities

            This too is false. This special forces unit is open to only one sector of the Palestinian minority: the Druze. It is not open to Bedouin or Israeli Palestinians in general. So this is not a feather in Israel’s cap. IT’s only an indication that it exploits Israeli Druze for such service, while continuing to discriminate against them before, while and after they serve, treating them like dirt regardless of what they did for the State.

            ” I‘m writing wrong stuff because I do not have information, but ‘m doing it fast”

            Your English makes it hard to understand who you’re trying to insult here. But assuming it’s me, it’s terrific that you praise me in the first paragraph of your comment for offering information you didn’t know (and which you credit as true); while in the second paragraph you trash the very same information. I always dare idiots like you to prove anything I write is wrong. An earlier commenter claimed no Druze served in Sayeret Matkal. He was wrong. Elizabeth Tsurkov claimed the commando unit was Maglan, not Sayeret Matkal. She too was wrong (or at least if there were Maglan officers, they were accompanied by Sayeret Matkal as well). So plenty before you have tried and failed to prove me wrong. But I urge you to do so. And if you can’t then shut up.

            In Gaza in the last 5+ years (outside of ZukEitan war), to my recollection, Israel was accused of just one such assassination.

            Your technique leaves a great deal to be desired. You claim I’m wrong, then promptly set terms to disprove me which directly contradict the terms I myself originally laid out. So I said there “scores, if not hundreds of assassinations” of Palestinian militants. I didn’t say “hundreds of assassinations” as you claim. Nor did I claim over what period the assassinations occurred (as you did). Nor did I say whether the assassinations happened during wartime or during calmer periods. So my claim still stands unvanquished. But nice try.

            Any assassination not in Gaza ( or during wartime), is not relevant for the matter at hand.

            No, no, no. That’s not how we play this game. I make a statement. If you want to disprove it you accept the terms and parameters I’ve set. You don’t get to change them at will. All Israeli assassinations of Gaza fighters/commanders are included within my original statement whether in wartime or not. You don’t get to determine what’s relevant or not.

            Since I know the MO here, I’m going to pre-empt you: you get one reply in this thread. After that, you will not post any further replies here. This avoids getting bogged down in hasbara pissing matches and talking points.

    2. Qatar is Muslim Brotherhood, so is Erdogan’s Turkey, was Egypt’s Morsi. It were Hamas fighters joining jihadists from Sinai who arranged the prison break of Morsi and fellow MB members in 2011. Hamas is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood organization. See the failure under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to get the Saudi/UAE factions together with the MB opposition groups fighting in Syria to overthrow Assad. All Geneva negotiations under UN leadership were doomed to fail.

        1. Richard over all the years there has been only once before we clashed … a closely related issue [Morsi]. It’s easier for me to remember due to all your excellent analysis on Israel. You know I have been a supporter of Tikun Olam and your writing and have quoted your work regularly.

          Wish you would deepen out the relationship between UAE – Erik Prince and Republican oligarchs.

          Netanyahu’s Revenge on Democrats and Obama for Iran deal : Trump.

          Key words: | Robert Mueller | Joel Zamel | Erik Prince | EmerData | Black Cube | Fusion GPS | George Nader |

          See new article in NY Times.

          1. @ Oui: You don’t get a pass when you post garbage attacking the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar, etc. I don’t excuse nonsense, whether it comes from an opponent or an ally.

            I follow the same news articles as you, so I don’t need schooling from you about what I should read or think.

          2. Schooling?? You misread my honest question. You’ve written about Black Cube link with Erik Prince, Xe or R2 (Reflex Responses) and Abu Dhabi. I am wondering about the link with Saudi monarchy and George Nader. All ties in with Cambridge Analytica, EmerData, Republican big donors and stealing the Brexit referendum and 2016 US presidential election. With ties to the rightwing or alt-right Netanyahu can’t be far behind. Today’s headline in Israel: “Former Mossad chief joins Black cube”.

            You are a scholar on the topic of the Middle East, I’m not. I just have to work hard at it. 🙂

  2. I really value your insights & this latest was no exception. I have one point of confusion though. I read a tweet by Elizabeth Tzurkov saying the commandos were Sayeret Maglan, but you said they were Sayeret Matkal. Just seemed strange because I thought these were two separate entities.

        1. @ Holly Blomberg: She blocked me. But I logged out and viewed her tweets. Though she is correct that Maglan would be more likely to plant spying equipment than Sayeret Matkal, she is wrong about what unit Kheireddine served in. It was Sayeret Matkal, not Maglan. There may’ve been troops from both units on this mission. But Kheireddine was not in Maglan. I also don’t think as senior an officer as a Lt. Col. would be involved in a relatively routine operation to plant bugging equipment.

          1. She’s a liberal Zionist. They’re often made nervous or ill by my leftist politics, my language, my intensity, etc. I think I remember her complaining about me being intemperate or using language about Israel that offended her, or some such blather.

  3. Wow, ‘Oui’ sure has a rich imagination!

    I suppose I will attract all kinds of “Anti-Semitic!” calls from the Blindly pro=Israeli Lobbies but it has to be said that the enemy you folks perceive is NOT your enemy. Jews fought the Nazis when they were under Nazi occupation, all of Europe fought Nazis when under occupation as did all Asian countries under Japanese occupation. In fact, resistance is legal and obligatory for those under occupation but somehow, Hamas has been declared a “Trrrrst” organization. The hate of the Muslim Brotherhood is similarly based on hysteria generated mainly by Israel.

    I don’t care for religious oppression by anyone and indeed, Hamas is showing signs of it and MB has also shown such predilection but they ARE democratically-elected representatives of the people!

    Nobody calls Likud or Labour terrorist organizations although they richly deserve the title, nobody spews hate towards Israel because it is imposing its religious oppression on the Arab citizens and Arabs under occupation.

    I do wish people who so blindly support Israel that they hate anyone who does not, would wake up and give Truth and Justice a chance…

    1. Hamas was elected more than 10 years ago
      Since than there were no elections (stopped by Hamas).
      I would not call it democracy!
      Please be accurate with your statement!

      1. Hamas has never stopped an election. On the contrary, the PA is the party which stopped elections. Hamas won the only election in which it ran and would probably win again if there was one. Which is why there hasn’t been one. As for democracy, I wouldn’t call Israel one either, so we’re even!

  4. Thank you fro this fuller report. I caught the BBC report this morning interviews of Gazan woman and then a woman from Ashkelon. The former was bereft, despondent, not able to think of the future, tired of not being able to, wanting a peaceful settlement, disappointed in all leaders on all sides who are causing this. The woman from Ashkelon, a long time resident, was totally confident in the leadership, and unworried, leaving her protection to the IDF and the iron dome (or whatever) basically. They just go and hide when the sirens blast and come out again. La de dah is my comment

    Interesting that Gulf money is being spent in Israel for fuel to help elevate Gazans suffering from Israeli deprivation.

  5. Small mistake ,Sayeret Matkal is not Israel’s equivalent of the Navy SEALs. This should be Shayetet 13

    Matkal is more like delta force.

    1. @ Mickey: Navy SEALS don’t only function on the sea as Shayetet 13 does. They are far broader than that. Though you could say Sayeret Matkal is akin to U.S. Special Forces or Green Berets, in terms of its status in the hierarchy Sayeret Matkal is much closer to the SEAL teams as being the elite of the elite.

  6. You’re a rasha. By posting the name of the officer killed, you’ve endangered his family and his community. You think that you’re so smart but you have blood on your hands and conscience. There’s a reason the censor didn’t release the name. You should respect that instead of thinking how you’re going to “”get the Israelis”” shame on you and your site.

    1. @ jewdy: Thanks. And you’re a jackass. Thousands of IDF soldiers have murdered Palestinians over the decades and you think that revealing the identity of a single IDF officer who was killed will endanger his family and community??? How? Offer a single example of a dead soldier whose family or community were endangered by revealing their identity. I dare you.

      You’re just indoctrinated with Israeli anti-democratic propaganda that schools you to accept the nonsense offered you by your “betters.” We don’t buy that nonsense around here. And if you don’t like what you find here, go somewhere else. Go stick your head under an Israeli rock somewhere. You’ll find that much more comfortable.

      I’m not ‘getting’ anyone. I’m doing what journalists are supposed to do. And what they can’t do in Israel. So I have to do it for them. At least in this case. This is yet another example of how shallow and shabby Israeli practice it when it comes to democratic norms respected in other democracies (but not Israel).

          1. From what I understood drones and planes completely destroyed the vehicle and the equipment, at least according to the photograph. It seemed that there was nothing left. Maybe I understood it wrongly by it seems there was a very intentional attack on the vehicle etc. explicitly for this reason.

          2. It can still teach an expert on the type of equipment used and it’s sophistication.
            I’m sure Iran would love to be able to examine the remains.

          3. @ natasha: You didn’t understand fully. Israeli media is full of pictures of all the gear left behind when the IDF fled. Lots of stuff. They did destroy the vehicle, which probably had other stuff in it. But they didn’t get it all. Now it’s in Hamas’ and soon Hezbollah and Iran’s hands.

      1. Why was it so important for you to release the name and put his family ‘and community in danger? And if “”hundreds of thousands”” as you claim soldiers killed Palestinians why aren’t “”hundreds of thousands Palestinians”” killed. Why does the IDF warn residents of buildings that they are about to be bombed so they can save themselves? And why does Hamas hide behind the very civilians they hope will be killed?

        1. @ jewdy: Please don’t ask quetions twice. And don’t ask a question you’ve already asked and which I’ve already answered. Release of the dead solider’s name and unit has absolutely no impact on anything or anyone. It harms no one and endangers no one.

          As for the numbers of IDF soldiers who’ve killed Palestinians, I did overstate that. I estimate that approximately 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since 1948. By a rough estimate that would mean approximately 30,000 Israeli police, Border Police or IDF have killed Palestinians. That’s why I changed that part of my comment earlier.

          As for warning someone their home is about to be destroyed: that’s crap. First, Israel has no right to destroy anyone’s home. Period. Second, it’s rarely warns anyone that it’s about to destroy their home. Third, even if it does, during a war leaving your home and going into the streets is almost a guarantee of death. So a lot of good that warning does.

          Hamas doesn’t hide behind civilians. Israel does. Posts here document Israel kidnapping young Palestinian children and using them physically as human shields. Further, the Palmach and pre-state forces fought within civilian neighborhoods precisely as Hamas does today. So stop with the hasbara. It’s so old and tired. Do NOT recycle hasbara memes here. We’ve heard them all, rebutted them all. Develop some new ideas or go back to Hasbara summer school to brush up on the latest propaganda themes.

          1. “”Estimates”” don’t count, they”re not valid and only demagogues like you use them instead of facts. The “”homes”” that we bomb are used for ammunition storage and Hamas office. What other army warns people to get out of their homes so they can bomb the facilities of those who hide behind civilians. Get real. Your hatred of Israel, it’s people and the soldiers have blinded you to reality. Wonder what would happen if Seattle were hit with 500 missiles in 2 days? You wouldn’t be as brave as most of the Israeli children and their parents who have to face this constant barrage.

            e

          2. Well is the famous 6 million claim a real historical check fact or an estimate (only for demagogues as you say)? If the stronger side doesn’t count the victims and hides the facts, the only way is to estimate. By the way in recent Gaza border demonstrations Israeli troops have killed 227 Palestinians. Because there are very limited amount of Israeli sharpshooters doing those murders, it makes each of them a serial killer. Let’s hope that the time will become soon when every military age Israeli has to give a full checked explanation of their military activities on occupied areas before allowed entering western countries. If 95 year old Germans are trialed for their participation in the concentration camps, why should Israelis, who demand old Nazis to answer for what they did, should be allowed to avoid their own equal responsibility. What is the difference of shooting a young Palestinian nurse or a young Jewish woman in Warsaw Ghetto? An Israeli sharpshooter shooting with exploding bullets Palestinians demonstrators in Gaza is no more moral or heroic than the German soldier executing Jews in Babi Yar. Both were soldiers of regular armies.

            Jewdy what do you say when “some right-wing extremists” around the world will again begin to give Jews a “fair” 2 minute warning, that their building (=home) will be destroyed. Isn’t it what Israeli army does? A fair warning is enough isn’t it? Moral extremists – you know.

          3. @ jewdy: I’m sorry, but I’m the judge here of what counts and what doesn’t. Not you.

            Call me a “demagogue” again & you won’t be doing it here ever in the future.

            The “”homes”” that we bomb are used for ammunition storage and Hamas office

            You’re pathetic and incompetent at the hasbara game. You know for a fact that the 18,000 homes the IDF destroyed in Gaza in 2014 were all ammunition storage facilities? What are you smoking?

            Your hatred of Israel,

            You read the comment rules right now. Do not ever make this disgusing claim ever again here. You do and you’ll be banned so fast your head will spin.

            Wonder what would happen if Seattle were hit with 500 missiles in 2 days?

            That will never happen because Seattle has not conquered British Columbia, stolen the land of the Canadians and sent its residents to settle there on the stolen land.

            You’ve been warned. I have a very itchy trigger finger on the ban button for you. And do NOT post any further comments in this thread.

          4. There are two decade old pictures of Palestinian kids sitting on a Jeep which circulated as shields.
            If this was an actual thing, there should have been much more evidence as cameras became the main weapon of the Palestinians.

          5. @ jen: No, there have been many instances in which the IDF has used Palestinians as human shields. The children was only one instance.

            Your choice of words is interesting. A camera is a “weapon,” in contrast with an F-16 or an automatic weapon or a Apache attack helicopter.

            That was your last comment in this thread.

  7. So much nonsense, few e.g:

    1. Druze people can’t serve in Sayert Matcal.
    2. Sayert Matcal is not the equivalent of the Navy Seals (S-13 is!).
    3. Sayeret Matcal doesn’t assassinate. Their job is intelligence collection.

    And here I got tired, didn’t bother reading the rest after so much BS in the first paragraph alone.

    1. @Joe: let’s see…do I take your unsupported word that the Druze officer couldn’t have served in Sayeret Matkal or do i take the word of the Israeli Druze who told me his name and unit? Hmm. A tough one. I think I’ll take the Druze.

      UPDATE: And as expected, you’re full of shit. Druze do serve in Sayeret Matkal. Where and when did you get your information? Debka Files circa 1970? Don’t lie buddy. Not here. And if you don’t know, don’t say.

      Sayeret Matkal IS the equivalent of the Navy SEALs according to the terms I use. The SEALs are far beyond a maritime commando force like Shayetet 13. They function in a broad set of operational contexts both on land, sea and air. And In terms of the difficulty of operation, the territorial scope, and the level of training, Sayeret Matkal is equivalent to the SEALs.

      I offered several scenarios for the mission objective based on the information available when I wrote the post. Since then, it’s become clear the original mission was not to assassinate Baraka, but to implant spy gear.

      So you are alas, wrong again in every claim you offered. Better luck next time.

      1. It’s 100% guaranteed that Druze don’t serve as warriors in Sayeret Matcal. I served in the IDF for many years, in similar units, so I don’t rely on Debka for sources. S-13 is the one-to-one equivalent to the Seals. Sayeret Matcal has a complete different set of doctrine and methodologies. So you are the one full of Shit.

        1. @ Joe: You’re 100% full of shit. If you served in the IDF you either served a long time ago, or you don’t keep up with changes in personnel policy. Apparently, you can’t read Hebrew or didn’t bother to read the article I linked, because the Makor Rishon article profiles a Druze soldier who is an officer in Sayeret Matkal. What astonishes me is when your bullshit is exposed you double down on a lie. Or else you’re doubling down on your own ignorance.

          Nor do you know anything about Navy SEALs. Try reading up next time. In terms of operational scope and selectivity and status Sayeret Matkal is equivalent to Navy SEALs. Shayetet 13 is not equivalent because it operates only in naval/maritime contexts and its level of selectivity and status is lower.

          I can call you full of shit because you are. You can’t call me full of shit first because it’s my blog and not yours. And second, because I’m right and you’re well…full of shit.

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