Is Raf OK? -- Installment #87
2024-03-10 -- Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
2024/03/11 Made a few key phrases bold, added a population comparison to Iraq and added a caveat to Relief Area Alef.
Tags: 3 Min Read; Videos
Bassem Eid, Arab Resident of East Jerusalem
Bassem Eid, Founder, Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group. 1 Min, English
Which is a long way of saying this:
Hamas is Formidable
The war is in its fifth month. This region has had many wars over the past 60 years, usually measured in weeks, not months. The 2003 invasion of Iraq involved about one month of major combat operations. Iraq is 438,317 km2. Gaza is 365 km2: Gaza is 1200 times smaller and 18 times less populous. Five months of major combat operations: What does this mean?
Perhaps:
Hamas is not a conventional adversary. Far from it: A conventional adversary would have surrendered long ago.
Hamas has been preparing for this for many years. Full tilt preparing. (More detail below.)
The war is achieving the goals of Hamas (and Iran): Creating fragmentation and chaos in the West (Europe and the U.S.). Because of the success, which is growing, there is every reason to continue combat and no reason to stop. How so?
The well being and protection of Gaza civilians is not a Hamas priority (see point #1 above). Hamas has stated this clearly in interviews during the current conflict.
The fact that the U.S. President and Vice President are forced to discuss this topic is proof of Hamas' success. President Biden had to call for Hamas to surrender from the podium of the State of the Union. Why? Because Hamas is a well funded, smart, hard working, fanatic and persistent agent of chaos.
Says an Israeli Brigadier General
"Nothing from the threats we encountered in Gaza surprised us, not even their outcomes. However, the endless amount of weapons were definitely a surprise, also in terms of infrastructure strength. The amount of anti-tank missiles fired towards our forces is incomparable to any previous war we experienced. It's unlike anything we've known before. So is the enormous quantity of munitions our forces captured in the field. It shows how well-prepared Hamas was for this war," Brigadier General Oren Giber, head of the Ministry of Defense’s Tank and APC (Armored Personnel Carriers) Directorate, told Calcalist about the capabilities of Hamas in the war in Gaza.
This is directly reminiscent of my post in October:
(Rockets are being fired to this very day.)
Recounted:
Battle of the Nahal Oz Observation Post
15 Min. Dubbed into English.
Nitzan Ezra's testimony of the Nova Party, October 7, 2023
1 hour. Hebrew with English Subs.
Relief Area
Alef
The below is from a “sticker” effort I found on social media. This text feels wrong. I am trying to contact the sticker author.
Bet
Gimmel: Jerusalem Graffiti
Translation: Only baseless love will save us.
(The opposite of baseless hatred)
Dalet
The Jerusalem Shuk was packed this past Friday afternoon. Some Israeli girls: “Everyone here is from abroad!”
The weather is nice. The politics are stormy.
Stay well,
Raf
(Thank you A.K.)