Prime Minister Ehud Olmert related to the ongoing battle in southern Gaza at the beginning of today's Cabinet meeting, before it was reported that three soldiers had been killed. "This is a very grave incident," Olmert said, "and the IDF has some casualties." Olmert thus followed the practice prevalent in Israel's media of not reporting on deaths of soldiers until all family members have been notified.
Olmert emphasized, "Israel sees the Palestinian Authority, headed by Abu Mazen and the PA government, as responsible for it, with all that is implied thereof."
This statement appeared strange, as Abu Mazen, the Fatah chief of the Palestinian Authority, has publicly condemned such attacks in the past. On the other hand, Hamas publicly endorsed today's deadly incident. Hamas spokesman Abu Zuhari said,
"The attack this morning is the fulfillment of our obligation to the cries of Huda Ghalia, whose family was killed in front of her eyes... This is the natural reaction to the crimes of the enemy against women and children, and to the targeted killing of [leading arch-terrorists] Jamal Abu Samahadana and Yusuf al-Kuka."
The attack was considered a slap in the face of Hamas prime minister Abu Haniye, who has tended to agree to the Fatah demand call off attacks within pre-1967 Israel. It appears that it is not Abu Haniye who is calling the Hamas tunes, but rather Khaled Mashal of Damascus.
Cabinet Minister Ze'ev Boim (pictured) took the unusual step of implying criticism of his own government, saying this morning, "We have to admit that we apparently did not stop the Kassams on time, and did not create enough deterrence when we left [Gaza during the Disengagement]. We will have to fix this, of course not without thinking it out carefully, but we have to have the PA understand that they will pay a heavy price for the ongoing attacks."
Boim served as Deputy Defense Minister in the previous government.
Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu, former Chief Rabbis of the State of Israel, call upon the public to pray for the welfare and rescue of Gilad Shalit - Gilad ben [son of] Aviva - the IDF soldier taken hostage by Palestinian Authority attackers this morning. The rabbis call upon the public to come to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem at 6 PM today for a previously-scheduled mass public prayer.
The prayer rally had originally been called to protest unilateral land concessions by the Olmert government and the continued imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard, currently in his 21st year of a life sentence in the United States for passing classified information to Israel. The rabbis emphasized that prayers for the soldier should also be offered in synagogues and anywhere else that would be appropriate.
Ariel: Conquer Southern Gaza
"Once again," said MK Uri Ariel, Knesset faction head of the National Union-National Religious Party, "we receive a painful reminder that it's impossible to fight terrorism by remote control. Israel ran away from Gaza and the terrorists run after us to every place, in the form of Kassam rockets and terrorist cells."
"The army must immediately reconquer southern Gaza in order to provide maximum security to Israel," Ariel said.
MK Tzvi Hendel, also of the National Union, similarly said, "Only an operation like Defensive Shield, which will cover every house in the Gaza Strip, can fulfill the minimum that is required, in light of the months of stupidity during which the fantasy of restraint and peace was encouraged... The number of soldiers deployed by the IDF to expel the Jews of Gush Katif is enough to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure and leadership."
Yet another National Union MK, Aryeh Eldad, said, "The main criticism is against those who expected that a retreat to the fence would prevent terrorist groups from attacking within the Green Line, and against those who called an emergency meeting this morning to discuss the IDF reaction. The IDF should have been initiating and preventing, not reacting to attacks on its soldiers."
Industry and Trade Minister Eli Yishai, leader of the Shas Party, called for a "very sharp reaction," adding that it must be carefully thought out.
Within Labor, as well, calls were made for a sharp Israeli reaction. Minister Ophir Pines said, "Israel may not merely continue with its regular agenda after this incident."
Former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer of Labor said, "I have long been in favor of restraint, but it is clear that this cannot continue any longer. All means are acceptable; no one is exempt." However, when asked if Israel must re-conquer Gaza, he said, "Heaven forbid."
Olmert emphasized, "Israel sees the Palestinian Authority, headed by Abu Mazen and the PA government, as responsible for it, with all that is implied thereof."
This statement appeared strange, as Abu Mazen, the Fatah chief of the Palestinian Authority, has publicly condemned such attacks in the past. On the other hand, Hamas publicly endorsed today's deadly incident. Hamas spokesman Abu Zuhari said,
"The attack this morning is the fulfillment of our obligation to the cries of Huda Ghalia, whose family was killed in front of her eyes... This is the natural reaction to the crimes of the enemy against women and children, and to the targeted killing of [leading arch-terrorists] Jamal Abu Samahadana and Yusuf al-Kuka."
The attack was considered a slap in the face of Hamas prime minister Abu Haniye, who has tended to agree to the Fatah demand call off attacks within pre-1967 Israel. It appears that it is not Abu Haniye who is calling the Hamas tunes, but rather Khaled Mashal of Damascus.
Cabinet Minister Ze'ev Boim (pictured) took the unusual step of implying criticism of his own government, saying this morning, "We have to admit that we apparently did not stop the Kassams on time, and did not create enough deterrence when we left [Gaza during the Disengagement]. We will have to fix this, of course not without thinking it out carefully, but we have to have the PA understand that they will pay a heavy price for the ongoing attacks."
Boim served as Deputy Defense Minister in the previous government.
Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu, former Chief Rabbis of the State of Israel, call upon the public to pray for the welfare and rescue of Gilad Shalit - Gilad ben [son of] Aviva - the IDF soldier taken hostage by Palestinian Authority attackers this morning. The rabbis call upon the public to come to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem at 6 PM today for a previously-scheduled mass public prayer.
The prayer rally had originally been called to protest unilateral land concessions by the Olmert government and the continued imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard, currently in his 21st year of a life sentence in the United States for passing classified information to Israel. The rabbis emphasized that prayers for the soldier should also be offered in synagogues and anywhere else that would be appropriate.
Ariel: Conquer Southern Gaza
"Once again," said MK Uri Ariel, Knesset faction head of the National Union-National Religious Party, "we receive a painful reminder that it's impossible to fight terrorism by remote control. Israel ran away from Gaza and the terrorists run after us to every place, in the form of Kassam rockets and terrorist cells."
"The army must immediately reconquer southern Gaza in order to provide maximum security to Israel," Ariel said.
MK Tzvi Hendel, also of the National Union, similarly said, "Only an operation like Defensive Shield, which will cover every house in the Gaza Strip, can fulfill the minimum that is required, in light of the months of stupidity during which the fantasy of restraint and peace was encouraged... The number of soldiers deployed by the IDF to expel the Jews of Gush Katif is enough to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure and leadership."
Yet another National Union MK, Aryeh Eldad, said, "The main criticism is against those who expected that a retreat to the fence would prevent terrorist groups from attacking within the Green Line, and against those who called an emergency meeting this morning to discuss the IDF reaction. The IDF should have been initiating and preventing, not reacting to attacks on its soldiers."
Industry and Trade Minister Eli Yishai, leader of the Shas Party, called for a "very sharp reaction," adding that it must be carefully thought out.
Within Labor, as well, calls were made for a sharp Israeli reaction. Minister Ophir Pines said, "Israel may not merely continue with its regular agenda after this incident."
Former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer of Labor said, "I have long been in favor of restraint, but it is clear that this cannot continue any longer. All means are acceptable; no one is exempt." However, when asked if Israel must re-conquer Gaza, he said, "Heaven forbid."