Friday, March 17, 2006

After Jericho Operation, Back To Ashkelon And Reality

If the Israeli government is now finished patting itself on the back after its operation in Jericho and is ready to return to everyday reality, perhaps it should take that same hand and apply it with moderate force on their collective forehead for the embarrasing shortsightedness that has created the situation in Ashkelon. As Arutz Sheva reports:

Concern over a possible Kassam rocket attack on the Rotenberg Power Station in
southern Ashkelon has led to new guidelines at the plant: Not to walk in groups
or to eat together in the dining rooms.
As a result of the free hand given the terrorists in Gaza following the Disengagement, the power station is not safe. This is a power station that supplies 25% of Israel's power, and not only is the physical plant itself in danger of being hit--one building has already been destroyed--but the people who work there are being told not to gather together in groups.

Why wasn't something like this anticipated? And if it was anticipated, then just what is Israel going to do about it that won't be claimed as a victory by Hamas? Would Israel really go into Gaza in force--especially after the heat she is taking after Jericho?

After the pride Israelis took--and the boost Olmert got--following the Jericho operation, the situation in Ashkelon is a reminder of the direction Olmert is really taking Israel in.

The Jericho operation was nothing more than a passing reminder of what Israel was.

Crossposted at Israpundit

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2 comments:

Scottage said...

Do you ever get the feeling that Sharon had plans for all of this, but was so cagey he never communicated them to anyone, and as such they are not unavailable to us. I think that in many ways there has never been a military strategist like Ariel Sharon, but his own deamons continually got the best of him.

Daled Amos said...

But if Sharon did in fact plan for this, then that would mean he anticipated it.
Following that line of logic, wouldn't that imply that Sharon went along with the Disnengagement in order to gain the points necessary in order to crush the anticipated attacks from the terrorists (and the terrorists themselves) in Gaza...and later the West Bank?

It's one thing for a general to plot stategy and tactics that put the lives of soldiers on the line--that is their job; that's what they do.
But to plot strategy and tactics that put the lives of Israelis on the line, to apply the concept of "acceptable losses" to civilians--that is scarey.

But this is all second-guessing something we will never know for sure.