Israel keeps fighting wars…and losing them. It invaded Lebanon in 2006 and 2008. It invaded Gaza in 2008, 2012 and 2014. During each of these massive military operations Israel boasted of its prowess, its destructive power. It taunted its enemies, falsely claiming it assassinated them, only for them to live to fight another day.
A fact that seems lost on no one but Israel’s generals and political leaders is that anytime an enemy Israel attacks survives, it has won. You don’t have to beat Israel. Given its military strength, you can’t. But given the massive imbalance of forces between Israel and enemies like Hezbollah or Hamas, the fact that Israel fails in its goals indicates its rivals win.
That is true of the latest round of fighting as well. Israel did kill 240 Palestinians and made tens of thousands homeless. The suffering inflicted is no doubt immense. But Gaza is still standing. It has survived. By surviving to fight another day, it has won. The more losses Israel faces, the smaller deterrence there is in its superior military firepower. With each new war, Israel loses more standing in the world. Compared to past such conflicts, there is hardly any serious effort by Israel’s supporters to mount a defense in the media or on the street. Pro-Israel forces know in their hearts that they have lost.
The military balance of power is also beginning to shift thanks to the intervention of Iran. Israel has engaged in a decades long campaign of demonization against the Islamic Republic leading to murdered nuclear scientists, massive explosions at missile bases and nuclear facilities, and fomenting unrest among the country’s Sunni Arab minority. But now Iran has slowly begun to even the playing field as this Bloomberg report shows:
Hamas fired over 4,000 projectiles in 11 days of fighting. That is a huge increase in the rate of fire compared to the 2014 Gaza war, when Hamas fired 4,500 in 50 days. Just as alarming is the improved quality of Hamas’ arsenal: In the latest conflict, it was able to lob projectiles much farther into Israel than before. Hamas also used so-called “suicide drones” which, unlike its rockets, can be directed at specific targets.
This is part of a pattern developing across the region. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have used increasingly sophisticated rockets and drones against Saudi Arabia, as have Shiite militias in Iraq, against U.S. forces. By far the largest, most advanced stockpile belongs to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which includes precision-guided missiles as well as rockets that may one day be launched from long-range drones.
All these arsenals in the possession of non-state actors share a common origin: Iran. In recent years, the Islamic Republic has supplied these groups, key members of Tehran’s region-wide network of proxies and partners, with tens of thousands of rockets and drones, as well as the technology to build them. In the process, it has fundamentally transformed warfare in the Middle East.
No longer can Israel lay claim to being the undisputed dominant military power in the region. While Iran perhaps could not match Israel in a direct fight on the battlefield, the former can wage a longer-term asymmetrical war which probes Israel’s weaknesses and exploits them to its advantage. No matter how much advanced military hardware Israeli produces at home or buys from US arms makers, it can never eliminate its enemies. They will always survive to fight another day. And each day they do, Israel’s dominance declines.
Defense minister Benny Gantz only confirms Israel’s defeat when he offers the hollow boast that Israel will kill Hamas’s military chief, Mohammed Deif “next time.” He has to say this because it tried and failed to assassinate him twice in this round of fighting and at least seven times in the past 25 years.
And need I remind Gantz that such assassinations are war crimes? And that the ICC is investigating Israeli war crimes going all the way back to 2014. Israel is now in the position of the criminal suspect who keeps boasting to the cops about how good a criminal he is, despite his attorney shouting at him to keep his mouth shut.
It’s yet another example of Israeli psychopathology that it believes that killing this man will change anything. Israel has killed scores of Hamas military leaders over the years. It hasn’t degraded the movements fighting ability one iota.
Biden Warns Bibi to Stop Jerusalem Violence
If you have any doubt that Bibi Netanyahu was forced by Biden to accept this ceasefire against his will, look no further than what happened at the Al Aqsa mosque on Friday night. Palestinians came by the tens of thousands to celebrate Friday prayers and the ceasefire. When they left, Israeli Border Police moved in and fired tear gas and rubber bullets, defiling the holy site once again. The response from the remaining worshippers was of course to throw stones and bottles at the police.
Thankfully, Joe Biden has seen through this provocation designed to resume the fighting between Israeli Jews and Palestinians. He pointedly warned Israel to stop the sectarian violence:
Biden also noted that he made clear to Israel that violent clashes in Jerusalem must stop. “I indicated to the Israelis that they stop in Jerusalem, this intercommunal fighting, these extremes on both sides,” he said. “It has to end.“
That was not directed at the Palestinian worshippers. It was directed right where it belonged: at Bibi.
As I’ve written here, Bibi needs the fighting to continue. He needs chaos in order to show Israel that only he can stop it; that his removal from power will lead to permanent chaos. As long as the violence continues, Lapid cannot form a government and oust him. As long as he remains PM, he can devise legislative tricks to avoid losing his job if he is convicted.
It is hard to think of an example of a more cynical, criminal and deadly approach to politics merely for the purpose of political self-preservation. Only a narcissistic psychopath could believe that his personal interest was the same as the country’s, if not greater than it..
Historical perspective
Israel has lost all wars since 67.
The war of attrition, 68-70, ended when Israel was forced to stop the bombardment of Egyptian cities. As a result Egypt switched from the Soviet sphere of influence to the American camp and started competing with Israel over American favors.
Following the Israeli invention of Lebanon in 1982 Israel was forced to redraw by Amal and Hezbollah forces. The uneven strife between Israel and Lebanon gave legitimation to the Iranian infiltration of Lebanon.
Israelis tend to grasp defeat in terms of the torching of Warsaw ghetto. Anything less is open to interpretation. No wander Gantz is satisfied.
@Marek
You are right. In fact, Israel has lost every war she’s ever fought.
In 1948, Israel lost the West Bank, failed to gain sovereignty over Jerusalem, failed to expel all the Arabs living in Israel, and failed to secure her borders.
She lost the War of 1956, having gained no territory.
She lost the 1967 War, because she failed to make peace with her neighbors, which led to the Yom Kippur War, which she also lost with 2,500 war dead.
A total loser!
You wonder how she’s remained alive.
It’s not … material wise corrupt … lost it’s soul. Tech savvy .. poor choice of “friends” or allies. Israeli flag flying in Vienna and Budapest. Personal friendship with Trump, little Kushner, Putin and Abu Dhabi Sheikh. Best Palestinian friend Muhammad Dahlan. Hasbara a complete and abject failure by PMO in Jerusalem.
Well the big question can and will Israel last longer than the First Kingdom of Jerusalem (1098-1187) did. Hardly as a present style violent religious apartheid state.
Living among hundreds of millions of Arabs it is not very wise for Israeli Jews use constantly the term of Arab when speaking about Palestinians. Even more stupid is to learn Israeli Jewish children to march with flags shouting “Death to Arabs”. With a rather high likelihood the Jewish Reich will last at most still 10-20 years, before it will face the evident. When the 2-state solution is not possible Israel will become Palestine, when Jews have to give equality occupied Palestinians. This will happen when USA looses the ability to finance the occupation.
@ Mighty Fraud: I am going to call you a “Fraud” till you prove your claims about your identity.
In 1948, Israel gained independence at the cost of over 1,000 dead; an enormous human sacrifice considering how small the Jewish population was at the time.
In 1956, Eisenhower was enraged at the Israeli-French-British invasion and forced all to withdraw. A clear loss.
In 1967, Israel did win the war, the last one it did win. In 1970, 3,000 Israelis died. Again a massive loss of life. By 1979, Israel had withdrawn from all the Egyptian territory it conquered in return for Egypt agreeing to a peace deal.
In 1973, Israel came within a day or two of being wiped out on the northern front. Dayan urged Golda to onside dropping a nuclear weapon to stop the carnage. Israel ended up winning, but almost lost. It was the last war it won.
In 1982, it invaded Lebanon which became a 20 year quagmire leading to hundreds of Israeli dead. By 2002, Israel withdrew in defeat and its Southern Lebanese army allies disintegrated. Hezbollah filled the vacuum and came to dominate the south.
And every invasion of Lebanon or Gaza since then has failed to achieve any objective Israel has set.
If any of this is “winning,” I’d hate to see what defeat looks like.
@Richard
I don’t see you asking anyone else to prove their identity, but I will indulge you.
https://www.facebook.com/IBSInow
And if this isn’t proof enough, try kissing my black ass.
In 1958, speaking at a meeting of the American Jewish Congress, King said:
My people were brought to America in chains. Your people were driven here to escape the chains fashioned for them in Europe. Our unity is born of our common struggle for centuries, not only to rid ourselves of bondage, but to make oppression of any people by others an impossibility.
A turning point in the decision to claim Palestinian land was 1967 … David became Goliath … occupier and placing another people in bondage. The Jewish state of Israel has changed.
@ Rev. Washington: Now that we know who you are we can properly identify you as a paid Black shill for Brand Israel. One of a handful of American Blacks who do so. You are as representative of the Black community as Diamond and Silk is.
If you ever post another phrase here like the last paragraph of your comment I will ban you.
Richard,
Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 not 2002. Above it refers to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 2008. There was no such invasion. 2006 had been enough of a lesson
[comment deleted: people posting claims that are clearly anti-Palestinian hasbara must support them with credible facts and sources. Your personal opinion has no weight and is of no interest here. If you can’t offer support for a claim that is propaganda, this isn’t the place for you.]
Cease-fire agreement did not affect Temple Mount in East Jerusalem according to police statements.
Unrest inside Mosque on Friday as worshipers ousted Grand Mufti for not mentioning Gaza or Hamas in prayers. The PA stooge was chased off the pulpit. Hamas has managed to make the battle about the status of Jerusalem, a phase the political establishment thought was solved with the signing of the Abraham “Business” Accords with authoritarian Arab nations.
MK Ben-Gvir urged the police be instructed to use live fire to shoot the “terrorists In the head” instead of wasting rubber bullets on Temple Mount.
For Jordan, Turkey and Qatar it’s about the Palestinian people too … for all other Islamic states , the offence is entry by Jews inside the sanctity of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif during worship.
“As soon as the noon prayer service ended, a riot broke out,” a spokeswoman for the Jerusalem District Police said in a statement quoted by NBC News. “Following this, the Jerusalem District Commander, Doron Turgeman, ordered the police forces to enter the Temple Mount and deal with the rioters … and at the same time allowed uninvolved people to leave.”
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approves extension of declaration of a special situation on the home front. Chairwoman MK Barbivay: “We’ve reached a state of anarchy”
I want to believe this “quiet diplomacy” which sounds, from this telling, as though Biden threatened Netanyahu credibly. True the devastation though horrible is comparatively short-lived, less have died. But as well the “game” ( which is not a game) continues: Hamas lives to fight another day,US aid and support continues with the status quo (as far was we know). But Iran showed what it can do behind the scenes and that the status quo is not if it ever was.
It seems, Richard, that your insight on Iran’s involvement with Hamas was correct. There are reports that they egged them on to attack in order to distract the Israeli government so it wouldn’t sabotage the negotiations on returning to the nuclear deal. If the talks in Vienna prove a success, this will have been the reason for the flare up.
Egged them on for distraction at the risk of sacrificing strategic advantage of massive missile stores? I doubt it. Seems more like a test / dry run for missile saturation strikes to test the performance of the Iron Doom on behalf of Hezbollah and Iran’s much more sophisticated arsenal. Iron Doom, by educated accounts, are no more effective than their 20% (still exaggerated) efficacy established by experts in 2011. Iron Dome failed spectacularly. Israelis survived mass deaths because of civil defence preparedness/early warning radar rather than Iron Doom’s prowess.
Greetings from apartheid Israel!
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/thousands-of-jews-and-arabs-march-in-tel-aviv-for-peace-coexistence-668852
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israeli-police-arrest-fourth-suspect-in-beating-of-arab-man-in-tel-aviv-suburb-1.9833251
@ Mighty: How many Jews are marching in Israel for coexistence? How many MKs support the views of these activists? How much power do they have? Who cares what they believe?
The answer to these questions is obvious. Coexistence activists represent a tiny minority of Israeli Jews. They have no power. No one cares what they say or do, except police and Judeo-Nazis who believe they are traitors and should be executed. So why hold them out as if they represent all of Israel. You know they don’t.
As for arrests for internal ethnic violence, Haaretz says that 90% of those arrested are Israeli Palestinians. You offer anecdotes, I offer comprehensive facts. Not to mention that the Israeli police joined in with the violence by Jewish thugs against Palestinians; or they stood by as the victims were beaten to within an inch of their life. And you hold out the arrest of 4 suspects as meaningful? Puh-leeze.
Remember, 3 comments is your maximum. No more for another 24 hours.
I’m still waiting for proof that you are an African-American Jew. I do not permit commenters to post claims such as this without proving their claims. If you don’t prove your claim I will automatically consider you someone engaged in misrepresentation.