In the days preceding Israel’s defensive war against the killers of Hamas; the following article appeared in the Jerusalem Post, dated 12/25/08: Israeli Government spokesmen, appealed directly to the citizens of Gaza, as well as the Egyptian Government. In an interview with the Arab satellite station Al Arabiya, they issued a last minute plea to residents of the Strip to get Hamas to stop the rocket fire into Israel:
"Don't let Hamas, which is acting against the values of Islam, put you in danger," they urged.” "Stop them. Stop your enemies and ours. Tell them to stop firing on innocent civilians." "This reality cannot be allowed to continue and we will need to use our full force to hit the terrorist infrastructure and create a new security reality around the Gaza Strip," Ashkenazi said at an air force ceremony near Beersheba.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, meanwhile, appealed directly to Gazans, and in an interview with the Arab satellite station Al Arabiya issued a last minute plea to residents of the Strip to get Hamas to stop the rocket fire. "Don't let Hamas, which is acting against the values of Islam, put you in danger," he urged. "Stop them. Stop your enemies and ours. Tell them to stop firing on innocent civilians." Bottom of FormOlmert's words came on a day during which some 20 rockets and mortars were fired into the western Negev. On Wednesday, some 60 rockets and mortar shells had pounded the area.
One of Thursday's mortars landed on the Erez Crossing as Palestinian Christian pilgrims were leaving Gaza on their way to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations. No one was injured, but damage was caused to the crossing. Ashkenazi's tough comments were echoed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni who, standing next to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Cairo, said simply that "enough is enough."
Hamas, she went on, "needs to understand that Israel's basic desire to live in a tranquil region doesn't mean that Israel is willing to accept ongoing shooting at its population... We cannot accept this situation and the situation will change." Livni said that Hamas was responsible for the situation in Gaza, and it needed to understand that its decisions carried a price. "Hamas is mistaken if it thinks that internal domestic considerations or the desire for quiet will prevent Israel from responding," Livni said. "When there's shooting, there's a response. Any state would react that way." Livni held a 90-minute meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, followed by separate meetings with Gheit and Egyptian intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman. Israeli diplomatic officials said that Egypt had not presented Livni with anything new, but only repeated their requests for Israeli restraint:”
So who is the bad guy in this latest fight? Is it Israel which has acted in greater restraint than any other civilized nation on this planet ever would? Or is it the cowardly terrorists of Hamas which hide behind their equally bloodthirsty women and children in civilian areas hoping for good PR shots while firing rockets at truly peaceful people?
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