Israeli Soldiers, Pro-Palestinian Rioters Clash in Flotilla Raid

10 dead at this point but it will surely be more.

The background is that a Turkish boat loaded with pro-Palestinian activists tried to run the blockade Israel has enforced in hopes of reducing the daily attacks they've suffered. The IDF attempted to land soldiers aboard the boat and expected little if any resistance. They were wrong as the rioters attacked the soldiers before the could land using slingshots, guns, firebombs and metal poles.

The IDF reportedly had strict rules against the use of force but the soldiers felt they were in great jeopardy and resorted to using handguns to fend off the rioters.

Here's video released by the IDF just a few hours ago that backs up their version of events. The soulless lefties are slamming Israel of course and calling the Turkish fighters "peace activists" or just plain "activist's" instead of trained thugs trying to help a terrorist regime.

Wednesday Afternoon News & Notes

Still in Pensacola, FL with my son who's playing in the USSSA World Series in Pace. Won today 3-0 and my son caught a good game while the starting pitcher pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout. The pic at right is the view from the house me and other families are renting for the week. Nice and the fishing is excellent. I pulled up some catfish, several sting rays and my boy caught a huge redfish.

Here's what's new in the world:

-We all knew that global warming swindlers had the ultimate goal of destroying wealth and wealth redistribution. They have actually let it slip out this time.

-Obama and the Dems are going to soak the steadily declining "rich". But hey, why stop at the "rich" when you can destroy the leading sector for jobs creation as well.

-Furthermore, why stop at the "rich" and small business when you can go after families as well. These people want to control everything in a Big Brotheresque way.

-Smokes don't actually cost 23 quadrillion dollars, they just seem that way.

-Yasir Arafat is still dead. How much did Mahmoud Abbas have to do with it? Politics as bloodsport.

-The Obama administration says "please, please pretty please give up your nuclear intentions, Iran" while threatening a stern scolding and a timeout if they don't comply. Unleash the Israeli Air Force for crying out loud. Then denounce them for taking action so you don't lose any cred on the "Arab street".

-The soldier who claims he doesn't have to go to Afghanistan because Obama was not born in the US so doesn't have the authority has won his case. I still think the guy is a puss for not going just as I believe a conscientious objector is as well but he scores points for originality.

-Cap and Tax Trade would probably be a boon for Timmy Geithner's and Jon Corzine's cronies at Goldman-Sachs.

Scenes From the NY Israel Parade

Pamela Geller has pix from the annual celebration this year marking the 100th birthday of Tel Aviv. Of course the Palestinian contingent was out protesting in their own vile way. Tell me; do people who would display these signs really deserve a country?

Wednesday Evening News and Notes

On the way back home from Cali.

Here's what's new in the world:

-Hey, Obama throws another pledge by the wayside.

-Yassir Arafat is still dead. but what killed him?

-Remember this inane saying?



It looks as if Obama is taking it literally.

-Bond (James Bond) Vs. Bourne.

NYU Students Take Over, Demand Action on Palestine

Great, we've revisited the worst of the sixties. Students have taken over the cafeteria at NYU to demand, among other things, scholoarships for Palestinians, action on Palestine and a tuition freeze plus union rights.

Here's pics from the Village Voice.

I heard about the demands for Palestinians on the local NY news but the stories online gloss it over. The NY Times touches on it most.

Elect a radical and here's what we get. All the students are doing is organizing their community, right?

Israeli Election Day

Polls say Netanyahu but it's close and things change once people enter the voting booth.

Aussie Dave is live blogging at Israelly Cool.

In absolutely a non-surprising fashion, the LA Times seems upset that Israel would favor security of her citizens over negotiating with terrorists.

Friday Afternoon News and Notes

What's up? No, I'm not writing about the Eagles losing to the Cardinals (the friggin' Cardinals...shoot me) so I'll link to doings around the Net:

Ace channels Mr. Blackwell (twice) and critiques Michelle Obama's lack of fashion sense. I suspect that numerous women will be wearing gold-hued mumu's anyday now. He's right, they picked apart Palin and skewered the Bush girls so turnabout is fair play.

Wall Street Journal targeted with envelopes containing white powder. Update: They also sent one to Alan Dershowitz and were sent from a Knoxville, TN address. (Via Instapundit)

It's probably not a good time to be affiliated with Fatah in the Gaza Strip right about now. But hey, they deserve a state of their own.

Wow, a UN-affiliated worker is caught with child porn an his way to Bangkok. I guess they've had to back away from overt rape and go for the more hidden type.

Thoughts on the new season of 24. I'm liking it thus far. View complete episodes in HD here.

Al-Arabiya Studio Site of Hamas Missile Launch

A Hamas missile was launched at Israel from the Al-Arabiya studio:



That would make the studio a target in my eyes.

Via LGF.

Update: Enable closed captioning and select English to read along.

A Quiz: Are You a Holy Warrior?

Go now and take the quiz.

Hamas Stunned By Israeli Response

Stunned actually is too mild a word:

Two captured terrorists interviewed by Maariv/NRG say that Hamas was not expecting Israel's response to the escalation in missile attacks on Israeli targets that preceded Operation Cast Lead. One of them, a 52-year-old victim of a premature detonation who had already done time in an Israeli jail, said, "Hamas took a gamble. We thought, at worst Israel will come and do something from the air - something superficial. They'll come in and go out. We never thought that we would reach the point where fear will swallow the heart and the feet will want to flee. You [Israel] are fighting like you fought in '48. What got into you all of a sudden?"

They should have feared the wrath of the IDF but thought 2006 was the new standard instead of an anomaly. The Israeli's cared too much about world opinion and fought the war against Hezbollah with one hand tied around their collective nuts. This time, they took it to them armed with the best weapons, excellent intel and a fuck the world attitude. Pretty much how any nation should fight a war against terrorists.

Sure, Israel's taken heat but this time they fought Hamas propaganda with propaganda of their own constantly releasing videos showing how they have done everything possible to stop the deaths of civilians while simultaneously showing that they are ruthless against Hamas (see video below). Arabs in general and Muslims in particular understand one thing and one thing only: power. The Israeli's showed that they are still the most powerful SOB's in the region and are not to be trifled with.

Via Ed who has more on the set back this is for Iran.

Exit thought: While the Iraq war was the first war in real-time via the Internet, this invasion of Gaza has been the first war where both sides have utilized the full-force of the web and the Israeli's seem to have won.

The Anti-Semitism of San Francisco

One thing I always look forward to whenever we have an instance of Israel defending itself is the outrage exhibited in Speaker Pelosi's home district. The anti-Semitism is always apparent--as is the stupidity of Frisco lefties.

Fortunately for us, we have the pseudonymous Zombie patrolling the sewer to see what these troglodytes have to say this time. Unfortunately, they keep getting worse and they still can't spell:

Not only illiterate but is doing a hell of a job teaching her children some hateful values. She should be so proud.

Of course, the obligatory comparison of the Israeli's and Nazi's. Yeah, that one doesn't get old...even after seeing it about 50,000 times.

Go see all the pix and check out the videos. Anti-Semitism is alive and well in America and it thrives on the political left.

As a former San Diegan, I can say that these people are an embarrassment to a great state. I can also say that I abhor liberals like these.

Israel/Gaza Update

I was out of the loop for a day or so but here's an update:

CNN posts Hamas propaganda and then sends it down the memory hole.

Israel and Hamas give the UN the finger on a ceasefire. So much for the authority of that august body of diplomatic thugs.

Hugo Chavez whips up some anti-Semitic fury in a way that makes one think of the Nazi's (see photo at right). It's an easy way to make people focus on domestic issues and forget about toppling the Castro wannabe.

Jewish hawks Vs. Jewish doves. The hawks have the better case.

Another Anti-Semitic Lefty is Exposed as a Moron

Sweet.

Follow the links and read it all.

These idiots make it too damn easy.

Israel Sends Ground Troops Into Gaza

A tough battle in a densely packed area lays ahead. According to Olmert, it will not be over real soon:

GAZA — Israeli troops advanced into Gaza on Sunday under cover of heavy air, tank and artillery fire after opening a ground war against the militant group Hamas on Saturday night.

Witnesses said the Israeli forces had punched across Gaza, bisecting its northern and southern parts, and had taken over certain strategic areas, including what the military has described as rocket launching sites.

The ground campaign came after a week of intense airstrikes. Israel’s stated goal was to destroy the infrastructure of Hamas, the Islamic group that controls Gaza’s government, and to significantly decrease the threat to southern Israel from Palestinian rocket fire.

In a telephone briefing for a group of foreign correspondents, a senior Israeli military official said that Israeli troops would hold the areas they have taken inside Gaza at least for the duration of the operation to prevent militants from returning to fire rockets from there.

Smart for PR purposes as the reason to attack was to prevent rockets from being launched into neighboring towns like Sderot.

Tactically, this is going to be tough for the IDF; Hamas members will hide among the civilian population much as al-Qaeda and the Fedayeen did in Iraq. It seems the Israeli's have something that we did not however, excellent intelligence. I would venture that intel collection has been ongoing since they vacated Gaza in 2005 and judging by the accuracy of hits on senior Hamas leaders, it appears the Mossad has been pretty successful.

Allah asks some important questions:

Question: Are we to infer from the timing that Obama greenlit the operation? I remember people like John Bolton speculating months ago that the IAF would make a run on Iran sometime between the election and the inauguration, partly to avoid putting the new president on the spot and partly to eliminate the possibility that he’d stop them from acting once in office. This ain’t Iran, but the principle still applies. Did The One sign off on this, or did Israel act now precisely so that he wouldn’t have to?

Isn’t this operation destined to be finished by Inauguration Day or very shortly thereafter? Obama’s not going to complicate his peace plans by tolerating a long Israeli incursion right out of the chute. They’re on the clock.

I wrote that President Bush had increased attacks on al-Qaeda in the case Obama was elected. Could the same thing be happening here? Israel as a nation is not quite sure how Obama will view them and given the latest poll, it doesn't appear that they can count on many Dems to go to bat for them. So they invade now and kind of take Obama off the hook since he's not been inaugurated but also in case he has misgivings about the operation, they won't be stopped or have weapons withheld.

Bush seems more than ready to let the IDF do what they can to eliminate Hamas over the next several weeks going so far as to stop Arab nations from halting the operation:

The U.N. Security Council ended emergency consultations that began late Saturday without reaching an agreement on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

France's U.N. ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said there were "strong convergences" among the council's 15 members about the need for a fully respected ceasefire.

But diplomats said the U.S. blocked Libya's attempt to call for an immediate halt to the fighting.

Exit thought: How long until we see Nasrallah and his Hezbollah goons start making some noise to try to relieve some of the pressure on Gaza?

More updates here and here.

Update: You can never underestimate the venom of liberals when it comes to Israel defending their citizens from rocket attacks.

Update: Hamas terrorists are taking out Fatah to preclude them from filling the power void. Yeah, they should have their own country.

Update: There's a lot of good commentary on this around the blogosphere. This would be among them.

Hamas Supporters Show that Islam Is About Love and Peace...Or Not

It's only hate when it's not directed at Israel:



I believe I saw the required Che poster as well as International A.N.S.W.E.R. ones as well. But more importantly, note how the Sun-Sentinel reported whitewashed the event, no mention of the woman with the head scarf and kaffiyeh screaming "go back to the ovens" or "your mother is a whore".

Excellent work by Tom Trento.

The Hamas-supporters got quite violent as the event went on and it took the work of a guy with a video camera to get the inside story.

Note the guy who creepily says that once people understand Islam they "will have no choice but to accept it as part of their nature" at about the 6:00 mark. Islam does mean submission.

Thanks to people like Trento and Zombie, we get a great insight into how the anti-war, terror-supporting groups agitate and work their followers up into a lather. One of these events will get violent real soon.

Why Do Jews Still Vote Democrat: Installment XI

I am not so stupid as to say that all Jews support Israel and the military actions they are forced to take, but I feel confident that an overwhelming majority of Jews support the tiny state.

That said, I find this polling info interesting:

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Republicans back Israel’s decision to take military action against the Palestinians, but only half as many Democrats (31%) agree. A majority of Democrats (55%) say Israel should have tried to find a diplomatic solution first, a view shared by just 27% of Republicans.

Once again, Democrats go against Israel when Israel is in the right and is acting in self defense. Every time Israel finally reacts after having it's civilians targeted by suicide bombers, having it's soldiers kidnapped and murdered or watching Hamas continually launch rockets into schools the political left blames the victim. If it ain't anti-Semitism, it's a close relative. Either that or they prefer to take the side of those who cheered when 3,000 died in the 9/11 attacks.

Here's video in case anyone forgot:



Either way, they are opting to support terrorism over a country protecting itself.

Pamela Geller has some thoughts here.

Of course, the liberal blogosphere is all worked up and of course the most misguided, inane comments come from Glenn Greenwald at Salon:

...By stark constrast, Republicans, as one would expect (in light of their history of supporting virtually any proposed attack on Arabs and Muslims), overwhelmingly support the Israeli bombing campaign (62-27%).

Emphasis mine. Perhaps Greenwald was busy committing random acts of sock puppetry when we helped Muslims in the Balkans and freed an Arab-Muslim nation during the first Gulf War. Not to mention that Iraq is now a free nation with an elected government that has established itself quite nicely thanks to our actions. Also, when Greenwald accuses us of supporting attacks on Arabs and Muslims, would he have a problem with us taking out Ayman Zawahiri or Osama bin-laden if given the opportunity? My belief is that he would.

But our hero couldn't stop his idiocy there:

Equally noteworthy is that the factional breakdown regarding Israel-Gaza mirrors quite closely the factional alliances that arose with regard to the Iraq War. Just as was true with Iraq, one finds vigorous pro-war sentiment among the Dick Cheney/National Review/neoconservative/hard-core-GOP crowd, joined (as was true for Iraq) by some American liberals who typically oppose that faction yet eagerly join with them when it comes to Israel. Meanwhile, most of the rest of the world -- Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East, the U.N. leadership -- opposes and condemns the attack, all to no avail. The parties with the superior military might (the U.S. and Israel) dismiss world opinion as essentially irrelevant. Even the pro-war rhetorical tactics are the same (just as those who opposed the Iraq War were demonized as being "pro-Saddam," those who oppose the Israeli attack on Gaza are now "pro-Hamas").

Um, Glenn, you can't have it both ways. You either support Israel or you support Hamas. One nation pulled out of Gaza and allowed them to try to self-govern themselves, signed a cease fire and lived up to it. The other continuously lobbed incendiaries into the first country with no regard for women and children. No nuance here, bro.

Liberals use extreme pretzel logic while slamming Israel and defending Iranian proxies like Hamas. They're knee-jerk anti-Israel at all times and will defend anyone who provokes them into military action regardless of how many Israeli's were murdered or how egregious the breach of a ceasefire was.

I ask again, why the hell do Jews continue to support liberal Democrats?

Israel/Gaza Thursday Update

Reporters--even those covering the battle--don't get it. That's because they've never understood the issues of the region as a whole and the Israel-Palestinian situation in particular. Perhaps that's why they are so quick to paint Israel as the aggressor every time the situation flares up.

The ground invasion preparations continue and the situation still remains fluid. Talk of a truce is ongoing but the Israeli's would be wrong to stop before taking out as much of the terrorist leadership as possible.

The IAF bombed a mosque being used to for rocket storage. The media will portray the IAF as heathens for bombing it just like they always do. The Arabs attacked Israel on its holiest day once and a Hamas once blew up innocent civilians during a seder but the biased media can't abide the IAF taking out a mosque that ceased being one once the terrorists hauled rockets into it. All in all, the IDF is using Internet-disseminated video to their advantage.

I feel so much better knowing the feckless UN is about to get involved. The international community has always been fair with regard to Israel.

To be clear, I'm not a supporter of bombing innocent women and children. Yet, when the Iranian-backed "government" in Gaza continues to bombard Israel with rockets that have no other purpose than to indiscriminately kill and situate those rockets in heavily populated residential areas, they deserve to answer to their fellow Palestinians exactly why they've adopted this tactic.

Israel has the latest weapons supplied by us and use the same doctrine we do: avoid civilian deaths at all costs.

Update: The IAF sent senior Hamas leader Sheikh Nizar Rayyan to meet Allah and enjoy his 72 virgins. The mission appears to be going according to plan.

Update: By the looks of this pic, it seems as though the Iranians are having problems resupplying Hamas. Perhaps they should ask Cynthia McKinney for assistance:

Those living in Israel always keep their sense of humor, Yisrael.

Israel/Gaza Update

The battle continues:

The IAF struck at a network of tunnels in Raffah.

Cynthia McKinney continues to be on the wrong side while increasing her terrorist street cred and simultaneously piling up her anti-Semitic credentials.

It's always funny to hear a major part of the worst presidential adminsitration in history--the Carter years--insult someone elses intelligence about Israeli history.

Obama takes heat on his non-stance with regard to the actions of Hamas and the Israeli retaliation.

Via Hot Air, Greg Jarrett dismisses a Palestinian hack on Fox:



Update: The IDF started a You Tube channel with vids showing the real situation. Google evidently took issue with at least some of the videos. Here's the latest where they took out a military building:

Israel Continues to Defend Itself in Gaza

Imagine sitting out on your back deck enjoying a beverage and listening to some sporting event and a rocket comes out of nowhere and damages your house where your kids are playing injuring one of them. Further imagine that said rocket was launched from a neighboring nation that seeks not only to destroy your country but destroy your entire race.

Now imagine it has been happening for months and it has effected your family and neighbors on a daily basis--killing several of your close friends. Would you want your country to hold back and do nothing?

That is the situation Israel finds itself in once again. Hamas terrorists have been launching small incendiaries into towns such as Sderot for a long time and Israel finally said enough after numerous warnings:

Israel says that its onslaught — its most ferocious against Palestinians in decades — is designed to prevent Palestinians from attacking towns in southern Israel with missiles. But Hamas fired more than 60 rockets into southern Israel on Monday, killing an Israeli Arab construction worker in Ashkelon and wounding several others.

A long-range rocket also struck the Israeli city of Ashdod some 18 miles from Gaza, where it hit a bus stop, killing a woman and injuring two other people. Thousands of Israelis huddled in shelters.

Israel has to defend herself in the most easily understood way--the only way the Palestinians understand--violence on a harsh scale. Talking hasn't worked and threats haven't worked so that leaves essentially one recourse and the Israeli's are utilizing that recourse.

In the linked piece above, the NY Times reports that 350 are dead of which 60 are civilians. That means 290 were terrorists and the others were collateral damage injured because Hamas locates their rocket launchers in civilian areas thus putting innocent people at risk.

Israel left Gaza in 2005 and allowed the Palestinians autonomy. They immediately fought amongst each other with Hamas chasing out Fatah. Israel offered the chance at some self government and instead of peace and creation of a better state, Hamas chose destruction, bitterness, poverty and war.

As an aside, this has to be the single stupidest post I've read this week where this idiot blames President Bush for remaining on vacation while the two sides battle it out in Gaza. Bush Derangement Syndrome isn't gone yet.

In roughly three weeks, this will be Obama's problem and it seems that his people are naive in the extreme.

More here. Pamela comments here. JG comments here.

Saturday Morning News and Notes

I took a few days off for Christmas. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday and to my friends who celebrate Channukah Hannukah Hanuka Chanukah, you have another couple of candles to light so enjoy them.

Anyway, here's the latest from around the web.

The American military leadership has learned the great skill of winning hearts, minds, and...other things in the battle against the Taliban.

Don't global warming hysteria pieces seem so passe and tedious right about now? Again, for the obvious slow learners; climate change is cyclical, seas rise and fall, ice melts and re-freezes. It's not carbon dioxide and it's going to happen whether or not we throw a zillion doallar at it or not. Will these people please just please go away? Watch this (via Ed):



Israel goes after Hamas hard. It's just another phase in the big battle and wiping out Hamas could make things..if not better, different.

Sarah Palin, a sitting governor of a major state was ridiculed as "inexperienced" and other put-downs. Enter a woman whose resume consists of being born into a (shady)political family. Juxtapose the two.