Israel: Getting Victories and Defeats Mixed Up

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November 28, 2005: Arab terrorist groups believe they are making steady progress in their campaign to destroy Israel. It's all a matter of interpretation. Israel pulling out of southern Lebanon in 2000, and Gaza in 2005 are seen as clear victories. Even the failed Hizbollah raid on the Israeli border post last week, with was thrown back, with four terrorists dead, is interpreted as a victory (because Israeli ground forces didn't invade Lebanon in retaliation.) In the aftermath of the failed raid, Hizbollah issued a press release insisting they had a right, and obligation, to continue trying to capture Israeli soldier. Meanwhile, Israelis believe the withdrawal from Lebanon and Gaza as positive moves towards the achievement of peace. These two very different views of the same events keeps the violence going.

November 25, 2005: The Palestinian Authority took control of the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Israel maintains a real time video view of the crossing, but is trusting the Palestinians to keep weapons for terrorists out of Gaza.

November 24, 2005: After a day long siege, Israeli troops captured Abu Rob, a senior leader for the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. Several other raids, much like this one, go on every day, and lead to the capture of members of terrorist groups.

November 23, 2005: Fighting continued along the Lebanese border, with Hizbollah firing mortars and rockets, with Israeli artillery and air strikes in return.

November 21, 2005: Hizbollah terrorists in Lebanon staged a raid on an Israeli border post, in an attempt to capture one of more Israeli soldiers (to be used to get Palestinian prisoners freed.) This was the biggest Hizbollah operation since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. The raid failed and four Hizbollah attackers were killed, and eleven Israelis wounded. In retaliation, Israeli artillery and air strikes hit targets in Lebanon. This time, even the UN blamed Hizbollah, and called on Lebanon to obey a 2004 UN resolution that Hizbollah fighters be removed from the Israeli border. Lebanon does not want a civil war with Hizbollah (which represent the 35 percent of the population that is Shia) and has left Hizbollah militiamen in charge of the Israeli border.

 

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