DOCSLIB.ORG

How Israel Wins Its Wars

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

25 FEBRUARI 2018 HOW ISRAEL WINS ITS WARS THROUGH THE STRONG ALIGNMENT OF ITS CLAUSEWITZIAN TRINITIES, ITS WESTERN WAY OF WARFARE AND ITS PRACTICAL DOCTRINE - A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR WINNING WARS - NICOLAAS VAN MIERLO UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM Military History 11388838 “The trinity is a uniquely powerful framework for understanding the phenomenon of war. It cannot hope to answer all the strategic problems we face today – that was simply not what Clausewitz intended – but rather constitutes a mental guide for anyone interested in the subject, from commanders to university students. It focuses attention on the central underlying forces of war in their endlessly complex interaction” (Waldman). Page 1 Introduction The writing of this paper has been an interesting journey that started with a curiosity on why a country that fights wars against all odds can be very successful. David always (or at least often) seems to win against Goliath. We were not satisfied with the answers to be found in the literature so far, mainly because it is descriptive or analytical only in one of the aspects that provides an explanation. This did bring us to the question if it would be possible to develop an encompassing and powerful theoretical framework to explain results in warfare. A framework that would describe the three most important levels that affect and are affected by warfare i.e. the interplay between the relevant actors in a nation- state, the basic principles how that nation approaches warfare and the practical execution in the political and military arenas. That would benefit a description of the Israeli military history and provide us with a strong analytical and comparative tool. A decisive factor for success in warfare is the strength of the unity of a nation-state within the derived Trinity of the People-Army-Government in the primordial violence, hatred, and enmity against a common enemy or threat. We will call that the alignment of the People-Army-Government. The second factor is the way in which a country approaches warfare, the basic principles, and for our theoretical framework we have chosen the Western way of warfare as primarily described by Parker. The Trinities and the Western way of warfare need to be translated to the political and military arenas. This is the third factor that we will call the practical Doctrine. Therewith we have united society, strategies and tactics into a powerful descriptive, analytical and comprehensive theoretical framework. This has not been done before and will substantially contribute to another view on the military history of Israel. As with the Trinity the other two factors have to show internal strength and unity which we will also call the alignment. Actually, there is an implicit 4th factor and that is, apart from the alignment within each factor, the alignment between the three factors. There can be no success when the three factors are not aligned as we saw e.g. in the Vietnam War. We will unite these three factors and the derived fourth factor into an encompassing theoretical framework and test it to explain the successes of a nation-state that wins wars against all odds i.e. Israel. We will first describe the three levels of the theoretical framework. Are we able to decompose the original Trinities of von Clausewitz and use the elements as building blocks for our theoretical framework? It has to be kept in mind that von Clausewitz has only provided a very short description of the Trinities and therewith only provides a skeleton. Moreover, as confirmed by Waldman, von Clausewitz believed that his theories were always ‘work-in-progress’. There are linking pins between the Trinities and the Western way of warfare that can be considered as a blue print for effective and successful warfare. These are, amongst others, the role of the army in the forming of a society, the direct link between the society and the army in the delivery of the soldiers and the priority of politics in warfare. What are these linking pins and how can they be operationalised? We will lard the description of the theoretical framework using the Israeli circumstances and occurrences. Actually, in On War there is an implicit link between the Trinities and Doctrine. Von Clausewitz describes elements that can be considered doctrinal e.g. on centres of gravity, defence. It therewith links the Trinities to doctrines. Moreover, it shows that we need to operationalise the Israeli Doctrine and describe the constant factors over time. What are the linking pins between the Israeli Trinities and its Doctrine? An effective and practical Doctrine does translate all this to the battle fields. It is the strength within and between these three different levels that determine the potential for success in warfare. We need an understanding of the kinds of wars that Israel has been fighting to be able to apply our theoretical framework to different circumstances and situations. It allows us to show the robustness of the theoretical framework. Finally, we will summarise a carefully selected number of armed conflicts as case studies and we will draw our conclusions. This will provide an alternative approach to describe the military history of Israel. Page 2 Contents Introduction........................................................................................................................................2 List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................4 List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................4 A Theoretical Framework for Warfare .................................................................................................5 Contribution to Field of Military History ..............................................................................................8 Historiography ....................................................................................................................................9 Trinities – the Level of the Society ..................................................................................................... 12 Western Way of Warfare – the Basic Principles ................................................................................. 21 Doctrine – the Political and Military Arenas ....................................................................................... 26 The Nature of Israeli Wars and Operational Strategies ...................................................................... 31 Israeli Wars ....................................................................................................................................... 35 1947-1948 War – The Beginning of the Trinities ............................................................................ 36 The 1967 War – Alignment of Trinities, Western way of warfare and Israeli Doctrine .................... 38 The 1967-1970 War of Attrition – Counter Doctrinal Behaviour and the Weakening of the Trinities ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 The 1973 War – Cracks in the Doctrine and Blurring of the Roles ................................................... 43 The Gaza War 2014 – Adaptation of the Practical Doctrine ............................................................ 46 Conclusions....................................................................................................................................... 49 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ 51 Appendix 1: Qibya (1953) – Always Retaliate Excessively .................................................................. 52 Appendix 2: Israel – Facts and Figures ............................................................................................... 55 Bibliography...................................................................................................................................... 57 Page 3 List of Tables Table 1 Examples of Israeli Politicians with Military Backgrounds ...................................................... 18 Table 2 Major Wars of Israel ............................................................................................................. 34 Table 3 1947-1948 War ..................................................................................................................... 36 Table 4 1967 War .............................................................................................................................. 38 Table 5 1967-1970 War of Attrition ................................................................................................... 41 Table 6 1973 War .............................................................................................................................. 43 Table 7 Gaza War 2014 ..................................................................................................................... 46 Table 8 Qibya Raid ............................................................................................................................ 52 List of Figures Figure 1 - Theoretical Framework for Warfare – Levels of Alignment ..................................................7 Figure 2 & 2a - 1947-1948 War ........................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Israel Resource Cards (Digital Use)

    Israel Resource Cards (Digital Use)

    WESTERN WALL ַה ּכֹו ֶתל ַה ַּמ ַעָר ִבי The Western Wall, known as the Kotel, is revered as the holiest site for the Jewish people. A part of the outer retaining wall of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, it is the place closest to the ancient Holy of Holies, where only the Kohanim— —Jewish priests were allowed access. When Israel gained independence in 1948, Jordan controlled the Western Wall and all of the Old City of Jerusalem; the city was reunified in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Western Wall is considered an Orthodox synagogue by Israeli authorities, with separate prayer spaces for men and women. A mixed egalitarian prayer area operates along a nearby section of the Temple’s retaining wall, raising to the forefront contemporary ideas of religious expression—a prime example of how Israel navigates between past and present. SITES AND INSIGHTS theicenter.org SHUK ׁשוּק Every Israeli city has an open-air market, or shuk, where vendors sell everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to clothing, appliances, and souvenirs. There’s no other place that feels more authentically Israeli than a shuk on Friday afternoon, as seemingly everyone shops for Shabbat. Drawn by the freshness and variety of produce, Israelis and tourists alike flock to the shuk, turning it into a microcosm of the country. Shuks in smaller cities and towns operate just one day per week, while larger markets often play a key role in the city’s cultural life. At night, after the vendors go home, Machaneh Yehuda— —Jerusalem’s shuk, turns into the city’s nightlife hub.
  • Ian S. Lustick

    Ian S. Lustick

    MIDDLE EAST POLICY, VOL. XV, NO. 3, FALL 2008 ABANDONING THE IRON WALL: ISRAEL AND “THE MIDDLE EASTERN MUCK” Ian S. Lustick Dr. Lustick is the Bess W. Heyman Chair of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of Trapped in the War on Terror. ionists arrived in Palestine in the the question of whether Israel and Israelis 1880s, and within several de- can remain in the Middle East without cades the movement’s leadership becoming part of it. Zrealized it faced a terrible pre- At first, Zionist settlers, land buyers, dicament. To create a permanent Jewish propagandists and emissaries negotiating political presence in the Middle East, with the Great Powers sought to avoid the Zionism needed peace. But day-to-day intractable and demoralizing subject of experience and their own nationalist Arab opposition to Zionism. Publicly, ideology gave Zionist leaders no reason to movement representatives promulgated expect Muslim Middle Easterners, and false images of Arab acceptance of especially the inhabitants of Palestine, to Zionism or of Palestinian Arab opportuni- greet the building of the Jewish National ties to secure a better life thanks to the Home with anything but intransigent and creation of the Jewish National Home. violent opposition. The solution to this Privately, they recognized the unbridgeable predicament was the Iron Wall — the gulf between their image of the country’s systematic but calibrated use of force to future and the images and interests of the teach Arabs that Israel, the Jewish “state- overwhelming majority of its inhabitants.1 on-the-way,” was ineradicable, regardless With no solution of their own to the “Arab of whether it was perceived by them to be problem,” they demanded that Britain and just.
  • (Title of the Thesis)*

    (Title of the Thesis)*

    WATCHING THE WAR AND KEEPING THE PEACE: THE UNITED NATIONS TRUCE SUPERVISION ORGANIZATION (UNTSO) IN THE MIDDLE EAST, 1949-1956 by Andrew Gregory Theobald A thesis submitted to the Department of History In conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada (May, 2009) Copyright ©Andrew Gregory Theobald, 2009 Abstract By virtue of their presence, observers alter what they are observing. Yet, the international soldiers of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) did much more than observe events. From August 1949 until the establishment of the United Nations Emergency Force in November 1956, the Western military officers assigned to UNTSO were compelled to take seriously the task of supervising the Arab-Israeli armistice, despite the unwillingness of all parties to accept an actual peace settlement. To the extent that a particular peacekeeping mission was successful – i.e., that peace was “kept” – what actually happened on the ground is usually considered far less important than broader politics. However, as efforts to forge a peace settlement failed one after another, UNTSO operations themselves became the most important mechanism for regional stability, particularly by providing a means by which otherwise implacable enemies could communicate with each other, thus helping to moderate the conflict. This communication played out against the backdrop of the dangerous early days of the Cold War, the crumbling of Western empires, and the emergence of the non- aligned movement. Analyses of the activities of the Mixed Armistice Commissions (MACs), the committees created to oversee the separate General Armistice Agreements signed between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, particularly those during the 1954 to 1956 tenure as UNTSO chief of staff of Canadian Major-General E.L.M.
  • Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2004 - 2005

    Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2004 - 2005

    Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2004 - 2005 BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency & Refugee Rights i BADIL is a member of the Global Palestine Right of Return Coalition Preface The Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons is published annually by BADIL Resource Center. The Survey provides an overview of one of the largest and longest-standing unresolved refugee and displaced populations in the world today. It is estimated that two out of every five of today’s refugees are Palestinian. The Survey has several objectives: (1) It aims to provide basic information about Palestinian displacement – i.e., the circumstances of displacement, the size and characteristics of the refugee and displaced population, as well as the living conditions of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons; (2) It aims to clarify the framework governing protection and assistance for this displaced population; and (3) It sets out the basic principles for crafting durable solutions for Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons, consistent with international law, relevant United Nations Resolutions and best practice. In short, the Survey endeavors to address the lack of information or misinformation about Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons, and to counter political arguments that suggest that the issue of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons can be resolved outside the realm of international law and practice applicable to all other refugee and displaced populations. The Survey examines the status of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons on a thematic basis. Chapter One provides a short historical background to the root causes of Palestinian mass displacement.
  • Taking the Initiative: Reflections on Ariel Sharon Parashat Bo January 4, 2014 Rabbi Carl M

    Taking the Initiative: Reflections on Ariel Sharon Parashat Bo January 4, 2014 Rabbi Carl M

    Taking the Initiative: Reflections on Ariel Sharon Parashat Bo January 4, 2014 Rabbi Carl M. Perkins Temple Aliyah, Needham In today’s parashah, we read of the increasingly tense standoff between Pharoah and Moses. Last week, and again this week, we read about plague after plague, as the struggle continues. And yet we know that this conflict will eventually come to an end, with the Israelites victorious as they depart Egypt defiantly, b’yad ramah. The Israelites will defeat their foes in a manner that is almost impossible to conceive of today: without lifting a finger to defend themselves; in fact, without at all fighting their enemies. They’ll be free because God is on their side. Throughout the Exodus story, the use of physical force by humans is disparaged. We do have that story of the Egyptian taskmaster beating the Israelite. Moses intervenes, but is then not fully appreciated, and is even condemned the next day. The bottom line is that the entire people is rescued in a cosmic, mythic, epic scene that is far different from the battlefields of modern warfare. For generations, this model worked very well. For two thousand years, in fact. But although the story inspired liberation struggles all over the world among the powerless against the powerful, although the story bought hope to millions, it had nothing to offer those who were actively fighting for their freedom. It was of limited value to those actually fighting for their freedom. In fact, it was ultimately rejected by those who believed that it was necessary to fight, and not only to pray, for freedom.
  • Military and Strategic Affairs Strategic Affairs Volume 1 | No

    Military and Strategic Affairs Strategic Affairs Volume 1 | No

    Military Military and Military and Strategic Affairs Strategic Strategic Affairs Volume 1 | No. 3 | December 2009 Volume 1 Volume Hizbollah’s Force Buildup of 2006-2009: Foundations and Future Trends Guy Aviad | No. 3 No. Intelligence and the Challenges of High Trajectory Fire | December 2009 Amir Kulick War and Victory Gabriel Siboni The IDF and the Road to a More Professional Military Yuval Bazak The US Military in Iraq and the IDF in Judea and Samaria Giora Segal Warfare against Insurgencies: 1 The Theory behind the Practice Tal Tovy ÈÓ‡φÔÂÁËÈ·†È¯˜ÁÓφÔÂÎÓ‰ THE INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES INCORPORATING THE JAFFEE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES AT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY ·È·‡≠Ï˙†˙ËÈÒ¯·È‡ ÈÓ‡φÔÂÁËÈ·†È¯˜ÁÓφÔÂÎÓ‰ THE INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES INCORPORATING THE JAFFEE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES AT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY ·È·‡≠Ï˙†˙ËÈÒ¯·È‡· Military and Strategic Affairs Volume 1 | No. 3 | December 2009 CONTENTS Hizbollah’s Force Buildup of 2006-2009: Foundations and Future Trends | 3 Guy Aviad Intelligence and the Challenges of High Trajectory Fire | 23 Amir Kulick War and Victory | 39 Gabriel Siboni The IDF and the Road to a More Professional Military | 51 Yuval Bazak The US Military in Iraq and the IDF in Judea and Samaria | 69 Giora Segal Warfare against Insurgencies: The Theory behind the Practice | 83 Tal Tovy Military and The purpose of Military and Strategic Affairs is to stimulate Strategic Affairs and enrich the public debate on military issues relating to Israel’s national security. Military and Strategic Affairs is published three times a year within the framework of the Military and Strategic Affairs Program at the Institute for National Security Studies.
  • International Co-Operation in the Use of Elite Military

    International Co-Operation in the Use of Elite Military

    INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE USE OF ELITE MILITARY FORCES TO COUNTER TERRORISM: THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE EXPERIENCES IN THE EVOLUTION OF LOW-INTENSITY OPERATIONS BY JOSEPH PAUL DE BOUCHERVILLE TAILLON A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 UMI Number: U615541 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615541 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 F 7 0 XJl\lbj6S3 ABSTRACT J. Paul de B. Taillon "International Co-operation in the Employment of Elite Military Forces to Counter-Terrorism: The British and American Experience With Special Reference to Their Respective Experiences in the Evolution of Low-Intensity Operations." This thesis examines the employment of elite military forces in low-intensity and counter-terrorist operations, and in particular, placing the principal emphasis on the aspect of international co-operation in the latter. The experiences of Great Britain and the United States in such operations are the main elements of the discussion, reflecting their heavy involvement in such operations.
  • Yoni) Netanyahu

    Yoni) Netanyahu

    Heroism Science Volume 5 Issue 2 Special Issue - The Downside of Article 5 Heroism 2020 A Lion’s Blues: Heroism, Heroic Self-Representations, and Emotional Distress in the Life and Character of Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu Golan Shahar Ben-Gurion University, [email protected] Raz Bauminger Ben-Gurion University, [email protected] Shai Itamar Ben-Gurion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/heroism-science Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, and the Leadership Studies Commons Recommended Citation Shahar, Golan; Bauminger, Raz; and Itamar, Shai (2020) "A Lion’s Blues: Heroism, Heroic Self- Representations, and Emotional Distress in the Life and Character of Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu," Heroism Science: Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 5. DOI: 10.26736/hs.2020.02.05 Available at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/heroism-science/vol5/iss2/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Heroism Science by an authorized editor of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 SHAHAR, BAUMINGER, & ITAMAR YONI NETANYAHU Heroism Science: An Interdisciplinary Journal (ISSN 2573- 7120) https://scholarship.richmond.edu/heroism-science/ Vol. 5 No. 2 (2021) pp. 1-47 A Lion’s Blues: Heroism, Heroic Self- Representations, and Emotional Distress in the Life and Character of Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu GOLAN SHAHAR 1 RAZ BAUMINGER SHAI ITAMAR Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel [email protected] Please address correspondence to Golan Shahar, Ph.D., The Stress, Self & Health Lab (STREALTH), Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 800 Ben-Gurion Avenues, Beer- Sheva 84105, Israel.
  • Profiles in Modern Jewish Courage

    Profiles in Modern Jewish Courage

    CHAPTER VI Profiles in Modern Jewish Courage In 1965 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is presented an award by his old friend Rabbi Jack Rothschild who organized the first official interracial dinner in Atlanta, in honor of King’s winning the Nobel Peace Prize (Courtesy of the Ida Pearle and Joseph Cuba Community Archives and Genealogy Center of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum) TABLE OF CONTENTS, CHAPTER VI Profiles in Modern Jewish Courage A. Cultures of Heroism • Courage, Bravery and Cowardice: Definitions and Famous Quotations . 238 • The Rabbis’ Heroism: Self-Conquest. 239 by Yeshayahu Leibowitz Raoul Wallenberg • The Changing Face of the Rabbis’ Hero. 241 by Noam Zion • The Greek Tragic Hero . 242 by Bernard Knox • The Crisis of Heroism in Contemporary Society: Everyone’s Need to be a Hero. 245 by Ernest Becker • The Righteous Gentiles: The Psychology of the Rescuers and the Origins of Moral Courage . 246 by Samuel and Pearl Oliner and Krzysztof Konarzewski • The “Ordinariness” of the Righteous Gentiles. 252 by Samuel and Pearl Oliner B. In the Cause of Human Rights: Acts of Civil Courage 1. The Prophetic Preacher: Jack Rothschild and the Temple Bombing (segregationist Atlanta, 1958). 255 by Melissa Fay Greene Marshall Meyer 2. The Community Organizer, Saul Alinsky: “Let Them Call Me Rebel” (the Chicago Slums, the 1960s) . 263 by Sanford Horwitt 3. “Silence is Deadly:” Marshall Meyer and Argentina’s Reign of Terror (Buenos Aires, 1976-1983) . 272 234 C. In the Service of Human Needs: Tzedakah Heroes and Miracle Workers 4. Beit Shalva’s Founders: Malky and Kalman Samuels and the Dream House for Special Needs Children Yossi & Kalman Samuels (Jerusalem, 1999) .
  • Obituaries, Subjectivities, and Perceptions of Ariel Sharon

    Obituaries, Subjectivities, and Perceptions of Ariel Sharon

    History in the Making Volume 7 Article 14 January 2014 Obituaries, Subjectivities, and Perceptions of Ariel Sharon Sean Switzer CSUSB Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making Part of the Islamic World and Near East History Commons Recommended Citation Switzer, Sean (2014) "Obituaries, Subjectivities, and Perceptions of Ariel Sharon," History in the Making: Vol. 7 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making/vol7/iss1/14 This In Memoriam is brought to you for free and open access by the History at CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in History in the Making by an authorized editor of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. In Memoriam In Memoriam Obituaries, Subjectivities, and Perceptions of Ariel Sharon By Sean Switzer Introduction The day after his brother’s death in April, 1888, Alfred Nobel opened a Parisian newspaper only to discover his own obituary. The erroneous obituary, which confused Alfred for his late brother, Ludvig, disheartened him as he realized the gloomy state of his legacy. The article’s headline read, “Le Marchand de la Mort est Mort!” (“The Merchant of Death is Dead!”). Nobel was dumbfounded. His invention of dynamite had backfired on him. He had never intended for dynamite to kill human beings; yet, brutal assertions such as, “Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people, faster than ever before, died yesterday,” highlighted this obituary. Those words condemned Nobel by proclaiming him to be the liaison between dynamite and its victims.
  • Israel's War on Terrorism

    Israel's War on Terrorism

    Israel Studies: An Anthology - Israel's War on Terrorism Israel's War on Terrorism: A Historical and Political Perspective By Arie Perliger (April 2009) Introduction March 2002 was a devastating month for the citizens of Israel. The country was in the midst of the Al-Aqsa intifada and the suicide attack campaigns of the Palestinian organizations had reached their peak. Eleven times during this month, suicide bombers blew themselves up in the streets of Israel’s cities, causing more than 579 casualties including 81 fatalities. [1] On another six occasions that same month, the Israeli security forces thwarted attacks before the suicide bombers were able to complete their missions. The Israeli political leadership, however, was not ready to increase its response to the Palestinian attacks. The Israel Defense Forces were instructed to continue limited raids on the infrastructure of the Palestinian organizations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, actions which included mainly arrests and intelligence gathering operations. This policy of restraint changed after the night of March 27. In the evening hours of that day, 250 guests were sitting in the festive Park Hotel dining room, cheerfully celebrating the Passover holiday seder. Around 8:00 pm the celebration was halted. A Hamas operative by the name of Abd al-Basset Muhammad Odeh walked into the room and detonated an explosive device that was attached to his upper body. The aftermath was appalling. Twenty-nine Jews were killed and another 144 were injured. [2] The particular horrors of the attack and the fact that it was carried out on the Jewish holiday that celebrates the freedom of the People of Israel created a public and political environment that essentially left Israeli policy makers with no option but to respond with force.
  • Sharon: Hardliner Who Ended Otherwise (Sort Of)

    Sharon: Hardliner Who Ended Otherwise (Sort Of)

    Sharon: Hardliner Who Ended Otherwise (Sort of) Ariel ‘Arik’ Sharon, 1928-2014: Hardliner Who Ended Otherwise By Thomas G. Mitchell and Ralph Seliger After almost exactly eight years in a coma, the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon finally succumbed on Jan. 11, 2014. He was known for bold, even reckless moves, both as a career military officer and as a politician. Reviled by the Left as a hawk and worse, for most of his life, he ended up seen as a traitor by the extreme Right, while considered a moderate and potential peacemaker by many others. Over decades, he championed Israel’s extensive settlement of the West Bank and Gaza Strip (viewed by most of the world as illegal and counterproductive to peace), but also stunned the world by unilaterally evacuating settlers and soldiers from Gaza and part of the West Bank in August 2005. Sharon was born Ariel Scheinerman on February 27, 1928 in the cooperative farming village of Kfar Malal in the coastal plain of Palestine known as the Sharon, from which he would later take his name. He is said to have inherited a life-long distrust of Arabs from his father during their rough-hewn frontier existence. He joined the mainstream Hagana militia as a teenager in 1945 and fought in Israel’s War of Independence in 1948 as a platoon leader. Severely wounded during the battle of Latrun in May 1948, he barely made it off the battlefield. In 1953, he was chosen to lead Unit 101, commandos tasked with responding to Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians.