Israel attacked. Israel responds.

Misc. Arabs in Gaza -probably HAMAS- fired another rocket into Israel on Saturday, this time a kassam.  It hit near Sderot. There were no casualties.

 

"The IDF will not tolerate

 any attempt to hurt Israeli citizens or soldiers

and will continue to demonstrate perseverance and strength

against anyone attempting to terrorize Israel."

 

[IDF Spokesperson]

 

Thus, overnight last night, Israeli Defense Forces performed a second air strike in as many days, in retaliation for this second rocket attack from Gaza.  The IAF again struck targets in the Gaza strip, including a tunnel used for weapons smuggling. As well they should, IMHO.

 

 

 

 

Remember that just the day before, on Friday, a military-grade Grad rocket was fired from Gaza into the Israeli city of Ashkelon.  At that time, the United Nations issued an "unusually harsh statement."  Robert Miron, spokesman for Robert Serry [UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process -- not just the coordinator, but the special one] called the attack on Ashkelon an act of terrorism.

“Indiscriminate rocket fire against civilians is completely unacceptable and constitutes a terrorist attack.  We call on the de-facto authorities in Gaza to ensure that these kinds of actions do not occur.

“Violent actions must not be allowed to undermine progress in the ongoing talks between Israel and the Palestinians. We urge all parties to exercise restraint and abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention and international law,” said Serry’s office.

 

The US response by contrast was more mild.

“The United States is deeply concerned about rocket attacks originating in Gaza and calls on all parties to protect innocent lives. In an effort to avoid an escalation of the situation, we encourage all parties to exercise restraint,” a State Department official said Friday.

 

 

 

Also at the State Department, also on Friday:

[....]

QUESTION: Direct negotiations; anything you could share with us on the continent (inaudible) as far as recommendations made by the follow-up committee to the Arab Peace Initiative that was sent to President Obama yesterday?

MR. CROWLEY: I don’t feel comfortable laying out the contents of the letter. We have it. We’re evaluating the ideas that were put forward yesterday by the peace initiative committee. For the most part, it entails how direct negotiations would unfold, and in particular, parameters where those stakeholders would want to see progress or understanding in terms of the issues that will be addressed in direct negotiations.

So it was a supportive letter. It was supportive of the role of the United States in this process. And we will be responding to those ideas in the coming days.

QUESTION: They requested – if I may, I have a couple follow-ups.

MR. CROWLEY: Sure.

QUESTION: They requested that the United States submits or gives some sort of written guarantees, written guarantees on certain things – on settlements, on some of the other issues. That’s what the Arab League secretary general said.

 

 

Are you – do you think that the Administration has the flexibility to do that or accommodate that?

MR. CROWLEY: Well, again, we have spent the last few months trying to establish a strong basis for negotiations to proceed. We have been trading ideas with the parties so that everyone has the right expectation should Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas agree to move forward into direct negotiations. But we want to see them get into direct negotiations as quickly as possible, and we’re – that’s – that will be our focus in the coming days.

 

 

 

U.S. President Barack Obama hides behind holds his wife...after a visit to the International Spy Museum... July 30, 2010. (al-Reuters)

 

 

 

 

QUESTION: On a related matter, as we talk now, the meeting, the summit in Lebanon is winding down, it’s ending between the king of Saudi Arabia, the president of Syria, and the president of Lebanon.

 

AP Photo 1 day ago From left, Syrian President Bashar Assad, Saudi King Abdullah, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri meet at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, July 30, 2010.

 

What are your hopes for the summit? I mean, what is it that you would like to see the summit do?

MR. CROWLEY: Well, again, I’ll let the leaders themselves talk about their achievements. Clearly, there is heightened concern about the situation in Lebanon. We are committed to Lebanon’s sovereignty. It is not negotiable, as Secretary Clinton made clear in her most recent trip to Beirut. And we think it reflects the commitment that King Abdullah has to do everything possible to pursue peace in the region.

So our hope is that from this, there will be a recommitment to Lebanese sovereignty, there will be an understanding to try to restrain those elements within Lebanon who have precipitated conflict in the past [say it: HEZBOLLAH] and we would hope to avoid that in the future.

 

Reuters Pictures 1 day ago Residents hold Hezbollah and Qatari flags during the visit of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to the village of Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon July 31, 2010. The Qatari Emir toured Bint Jbeil and other southern Lebanese villages badly destroyed during the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli war...

 

Comments

[Herb Glatter]

Anne: "luck" was involved in the rocket attack on Sderot - Arab terrorists were lucky when they hit a Children's Center in Sderot, the good luck was no children or staff were there. link: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138879

[Mannie Sherberg]

In reading the pap coming from A. J. Crowley's voice box, one has to wonder if the man isn't just a little embarrassed to be mouthing such inanities on TV. He is talking about Hezbollah -- a group of death-intoxicated cut-throats who would be only two happy to devour Crowley for breakfast. Does he really believe that some kind of "understanding" will "restrain" these Shi'ite nut-jobs -- who believe with all their being that slicing the heads off of infidels is a religious imperative -- from pursuing their goal of turning Lebanon into an Islamic "republic" from which they can then launch the FINAL final solution against Israel? I realize that the language of diplomacy is supposed to be "diplomatic," and that "diplomatic" is a euphemism for "mealy-mouthed" -- but Crowley's language goes beyond that. It is fantastical. For a man who spends each day talking about life-and-death matters, fantastical language can prove lethal. If we don't begin telling ourselves the plain truth -- in plain language -- about what's going on in Lebanon, we will soon find out just how lethal.

[Sam]

Religion is the greatest form of segregation - of surety yes, cause they are still jealously looking or seeking the truth . . . they wont find it until they have returned.