In response to months of sustained Hamas rocket attacks, the IDF kicked off its Gaza military operation this morning by dropping a missile onto Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari’s car. From the Israel Defense Forces Twitter feed, a fair warning to any of the late Jabari’s comrades who may have been thinking about taking a drive later today:
We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012
One thing that sets this military campaign apart from similar ones in the past is what you see above — the IDF’s very active social media response. The Israeli government was clearly prepared for a media operation as well as a military one this morning, and immediately began putting out information on Twitter and YouTube, including this video footage of the ultra-precise Jabari strike. In fact, the IDF Twitter stream has been busy all day. Clearly it makes it difficult for Hamas and Hamas sympathizers to claim Israel is intentionally targeting civilians, and for the left to claim Israel is reckless about civilian casualties, if clips like this are made public.
The Israel Project has more on the campaign, which also appears aimed at depleting Hamas weapons stockpiles:
Washington, November 14 — Responding to months of rocket barrages by Hamas-led terror groups targeting more than a million Israeli civilians, the IDF today launched a widespread campaign targeting military infrastructure and operatives in the Gaza Strip. The campaign has been identified by Israeli military officials as “Operation Pillar Of Defense,” and began with a pin-point strike targeting Ahmed Jabari, the commander of Hamas’s military wing and a terrorist linked to hundreds of terror operations over the span of decades. …
Early reports indicate that in addition to targeting Hamas’s senior military leadership, Israel is specifically seeking to degrade Hamas’s stockpiles of these and other advanced weapons. Media outlets are reporting that the Israeli Air Force struck a suspected stockpile of advanced Fajr 5 missiles smuggled into the Gaza Strip from Iran. The weapon’s use in 2006 by Hezbollah, Iran’s Lebanese proxy, had constituted a major escalation during that year’s Lebanon II war with Israel.
Israel is calling it “Operation Pillar of Defense” in English, and “Operation Pillar of Cloud” in Hebrew. The Hebrew name is a reference to the “pillar of cloud” that led the Jewish people through the desert in Exodus.
best tweet ever. n n
You got it, Pontiac.
I'm not sure the IDF is responsible for that exploding vehicle. n nIt looked like a Chevy Volt . . . n n
Let's not gloat. So unseemly. And Jabiri is merely one scorpion. When the burnt remains of his kind are piled in heaps, then gloating will be appropriate.
Defending oneself is necessary, but gloating about "burnt remains" of humans is antithetical to Judaism.
I do not understand why the IDF broadcast a warning to these lowlife murderers. Now, they will hide until the Israeli military activity is halted and, then, they will once again rear their monstrous heads. n nThese Israeli fools are unbelievable. n nAlso, since the IDF clearly has the ability to target these scumbags, one must wonder why the IDF lets these vermin live while so many Israeli lives are irreparably harmed either by fear of being struck by a missile, or by more deadly terrorist attacks? n nIsrael must inflict as much pain and suffering on Gaza as is necessary to PERMANENTLY halt the missiles and terror – this conclusion will only happen if the palestinians will dread the Israeli response to any further arab attacks. n nIf Israel does not so act, then it will have only its leadership to blame, for its leaders are too cowardly, and too afraid of world opinion. n nWhen your life, or that of a family member is at risk, you act accordingly and you do not give a moment's thought to what anyone else may be thinking.
This scares more of them into hiding than Israel could actuall ever kill. nIt's psychological warfare… n
Hopefully the Iranians are paying attention. Similar visits could be on their menu as well.
nAccording to US law, Hamas is on official list of FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, an FTO. n n n n n According to US law, anyone who supports an FTO can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. n n n n n In that context, at a time when the Hamas regime in Gaza continues to launch aerial attacks against the Israeli civilian population,the Jewish Voices for Peace has issued a statement of full support for the Hamas regime in Gaza. WE NEED TO UNITE BEHIND ISRAEL NOT STAB IT IN THE BACK. RABBI DR. BERNHARD ROSENBERG, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER ISRAEL ADVOCACY TASK FORCE IATF
Bloodthirsty comment thread.
The President of Jews for Jew-killers speaks.We are to be impressed by his higher morality.
If you mean Grumpy, I think you mean Jew-haters for Jew killers. If it turned out Grumpy were Jewish, I don't know who'd be more upset – him or me.
I read a letter from a father to a soldier to my congregants friday night and Saturday since I have different groups and I emailed the letter before Shabbat for them to think about it. We had an amazing discussion at both services.. A number of the NON ORTHODOX RABBIS found it convenient to embarass me publicly. for sharing it with them on a rabbinical site. See THE LETTER IN THE Jewish Press. It cautions the son to be careful not to put his life on the line and die because he is overcautious about harming civilians. This is war and people on both sides dies, unfortunately that includes children. We need a cease fire immediately for the sake of all. Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg, founder and president , israel advocacy task force. iatf