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Last update - 11:12 12/01/2007 A tiny, but important, problem By Ze'ev Schiff When Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak returned from his meeting last week with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Sharm al-Sheikh, the Egyptian press attacked Israel for turning the encounter into a failure with its military operation in Ramallah, in which four Palestinians were killed. This operation headed the agenda at Mubarak and Olmert's press conference. How was such an operation authorized, and who ensures that non-military considerations are included in the deliberations? This apparently minor question - because 24 similar, successful military operations have already been conducted in Ramallah - has become important, because Israel Defense Forces' Chief of Staff Dan Halutz did not know about the operation. Nor did Defense Minister Amir Peretz, or Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh. The prime minister was also clearly surprised. The decision was made by the command levels below GOC Central Command Yair Naveh. It would be difficult to assume that the head of the IDF General Staff's Operations Directorate knew nothing about the plans. Advertisement Since it wasn't the senior government or military officials, who took into account the fact that the PM would be meeting Egypt's president the following day? This factor is broader than the operational aspect. Ramallah is a sensitive city because of the Palestinian Authority institutions, television stations and foreigners there. The decision makers should have considered postponing the operation by 24 hours and arresting the wanted person - who was small potatoes anyway - a day later. Surprisingly, the military secretary of neither the prime minister nor the defense minister informed the IDF that a diplomatic event was about to take place between Israel and Egypt. And what about the Operations Directorate? Something seems to be unraveling in the decision-making process of the top levels of Israeli security and government. Israel, an old hand at military operations, is acting like a novice in this field. For years, a weekly meeting has been held to authorize Israel Air Force operations and missions beyond Israel's borders. The meetings, known by the Hebrew acronym MOG, are chaired by the defense minister. The military is represented by the chief of staff, the director of Military Intelligence in the General Staff, the IAF's commander-in-chief and the head of the Operations Directorate. The Ramallah operation proves the decision-making apparatus must be shaken up, and that an additional meeting must be held to authorize special operations in the territories. Another tiny, but important, question concerns the agreement reached between Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Olmert promised restrictions on the Palestinians would be eased extensively. Again, it is evident that discussions and promise-keeping are two separate things. Foot-dragging destroys the leaders' decisions. Nobody verifies whether the prime minister's decisions are being implemented on a daily basis. Despite the random security checks, restrictions at checkpoints bordering northern Jerusalem are still tight. Restrictions have not been eased in northern Samaria. A joint IDF-Shin Bet security service commission has been established; however, most of the earth barriers in Samaria are intact. Although the Gaza Strip should be kept cut off from the West Bank, other restrictions should be eased. The Palestinians' complaints should be thoroughly investigated. The complaints of the women from MachsomWatch sometimes seem exaggerated; nonetheless, their field testimony should not be ignored. In recent Hamas-Fatah clashes, children have been deliberately killed. Last month, the three small children of Fatah General Intelligence officer Baha Balusha were murdered while traveling to school in their father's car. Last week, Hamas attacked the home of a senior official in Fatah's Preventive Security Service, Mohammed Gharib, in Jabalya. The officer begged the assailants to spare him and his young daughters; however, they killed him and four of his bodyguards, and seriously wounded his daughters. A few months ago, the earth shook when Palestinian civilians were killed by the IDF's misguided artillery fire on Beit Hanun. Tempers ran high in the United Nations, and leftist organizations in Israel demanded that an international commission of inquiry be established and that the GOC Southern Command be dismissed. When Palestinians kill Palestinian children - and not by accident - no criticism is heard. Perhaps the professional critics consider such incidents too minor. Bookmark to del.icio.us   His Majesty's envoy Report: Bahraini king taps Jewish woman lawmaker as envoy to U.S. Light unto the nations After five months of suspense, the hoopoe is crowned Israel's state bird.   1.   SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE AFTER A LONG LAY OFF 11:35  |  paul harris 12/01/07   2.   double standards abound 11:43  |  yirmi 12/01/07   3.   media commentary is for wrapping fish and chips 11:46  |  yirmi 12/01/07   4.   The military is not the problem, the diplomacy is....... 11:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/01/07   5.   Schiff is silent about the real problem 12:19  |  Jonathan S 12/01/07   6.   Swiss, please try to dissect the "Arab League offer for peace" 12:35  |  Petra 12/01/07   7.   The brilliant Jewish mind: What happened? 13:09  |  Hannah 12/01/07   8.   # 7 Petra from the EU-land 13:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/01/07   9.   Bigger and More Serious Problems 13:24  |  Jeff Northridge 12/01/07   10.   The Palestinians have no defence forces 13:27  |  Marilyn 12/01/07   11.   #8 BECAUSE OF MUSLIM LAND THEFT HANNAH WE HAVE BEEN 2000 YEARS WI 13:51  |  paul harris 12/01/07   12.   A lesson about talking to Arabs 14:03  |  Mark Lincoln 12/01/07   13.   Mark Lincoln 14:37  |  Betty 12/01/07   14.   this writer is lying 14:44  |  Gazan 12/01/07   15.   paul Harris...Jews lived in Palestine for 150 years 14:47  |  KM 12/01/07   16.   Palestinians killing children 14:49  |  Leftist 12/01/07   17.   IDF is damned if they do and damned if they don`t. 15:25  |  albert amato 12/01/07   18.   hannah and the harvard law school 15:42  |  flashman 12/01/07   19.   marilyn "the palestinians have no defence forces" 15:43  |  flashman 12/01/07   20.   bad management 15:43  |  mg 12/01/07   21.   Natalie #6 15:45  |  Gabe1 12/01/07   22.   marilyn"nothing but bloody qassems" 15:46  |  flashman 12/01/07   23.   marilyn "zeev is quite right to condemn the killing 15:48  |  flashman 12/01/07   24.   is marilyn putting us on? 15:50  |  flashman 12/01/07   25.   gazan this culture you have of misleading 15:54  |  flashman 12/01/07   26.   Hannah #8 15:55  |  Gabe1 12/01/07   27.   Jeff Northridge 16:02  |  ODP 12/01/07   28.   Marilyn, Marilyn #11 16:05  |  Gabe1 12/01/07   29.   Flashman 16:21  |  ODP 12/01/07   30.   Mr. Harris.#12 and similar 16:28  |  Najdt 12/01/07   31.   Natalie Durson does not let facts interfere in her hate for IDF. 16:37  |  Marwan مروان خوري 12/01/07   32.   Not deliberate Gazan? 16:45  |  Jacob Blues 12/01/07   33.   Mr. Harris.#12 and similar 16:53  |  Nahdt 12/01/07   34.   Mark Lincoln. # 13 17:21  |  Victor Smolinsky 12/01/07   35.   For Durson 17:43  |  G 12/01/07   36.   Schiff 18:06  |  Peter in Beirut 12/01/07   37.   #33 YES I AM AMAN OF REASON BASED ON KNOWLEDGE 18:19  |  paul harris 12/01/07   38.   ODP # 28 Of Course Not 18:21  |  Jeff Northridge 12/01/07   39.   #18...only possible because of religion/state separation 18:44  |  Tim 12/01/07   40.   Jeff Northridge 19:14  |  ODP 12/01/07   41.   tricks and treats 19:32  |  Alfred Hitchcock 12/01/07   42.   What is not considered "big deal" 19:37  |  Tosefta 12/01/07   43.   KM 19:55  |  ch 12/01/07   44.   Nahdt 19:56  |  rich 12/01/07   45.   Organizations reflect their leadership 20:34  |  natan 12/01/07   46.   Paul Harris, SCREAMER 21:21  |  paul 12/01/07   47.   tO johnathan 21:23  |  Jose Marcio 12/01/07   48.   ODP # 40 Incursions 21:33  |  Jeff Northridge 12/01/07   49.   Jeff Northridge #48 22:06  |  Gabe1 12/01/07   50.   To Gazan 22:18  |  Jose Marcio 12/01/07   51.   To G 35 22:43  |  Jose Marcio 12/01/07   52.   Is Israel giving up? 22:45  |  Emerson Mason 12/01/07   53.   #48 ADVICE FROM PARADISE ? NOT VALID. 23:22  |  paul harris 12/01/07   54.   #52 YOU MEAN JUST LIKE US APACIFISTS BEFORE WW2 23:24  |  paul harris 12/01/07   55.   Jeff and Gabe #48 and 49...Patton also said 23:28  |  albert amato 12/01/07   56.   Israel is no novice, Arab resistance matured. 23:39  |  Abed 12/01/07   57.   18, Flashman 02:12  |  Hannah 13/01/07   58.   marilyn in oz 03:03  |  bruce 13/01/07   59.   Calling mr Harris 03:11  |  JJ 13/01/07   60.   Rich#44 Please convert 03:18  |  Najdt 13/01/07   61.   Mason #52 03:29  |  JJ 13/01/07   62.   The killing of children, on all sides by all sides. 04:05  |  Maureen Ann 13/01/07   63.   IDF`s job is protecting Israelis, nothing else. 05:09  |  Voice of Reason 13/01/07   64.   always wonder, really 06:51  |  arab 13/01/07   65.   I dont see how 4 terrorists killed is a "failure" 07:02  |  RA 13/01/07   66.   Syriana 07:13  |  Dennis Gordon 13/01/07   67.   israel has NEVER reconsidered murder policy 07:44  |  neutral-man 13/01/07   68.   Let`s not be too negative. IDF is still the best army in the ME 07:45  |  Marwan مروان خوري 13/01/07   69.   #62 MAUREEN IT HAS ALWAYS PUZZLED ME WHY KILLING CHILDREN RATES 08:08  |  paul harris 13/01/07   70.   Ze`ev Schiff 08:37  |  Ah 13/01/07   71.   maureen anne 08:49  |  Aliza 13/01/07   72.   A revealing bit of information 14:33  |  Johnboy 13/01/07   73.   HISTORY = HIS STORY 16:37  |  Brant 13/01/07   74.   Crossed wires and team spirit 18:09  |  sh 13/01/07   75.   Not so tiny problem 20:30  |  TonyL 13/01/07   76.   57~Hannah dearie..... 20:52  |  Ricardo 13/01/07   77.   to KM 21:42  |  citizen zero 13/01/07   78.   #16 Pals killing children & democracy 22:26  |  ballistic 13/01/07   79.   #26 it is pretty easy to do okay 22:31  |  ballistic 13/01/07   80.   The corrosive and pernicious effects of occupation 23:17  |  Mark Lincoln 13/01/07   81.   Betty, an individual screw-up I can understand 01:30  |  Mark Lincoln 14/01/07   82.   I hear you Victor 01:32  |  Mark Lincoln 14/01/07   83.   Johnboy #72 03:40  |  JJ 14/01/07   84.   #77 more threats from CANADA 04:23  |  ballistic 14/01/07   85.   Mark Lincoln - exactly so 04:39  |  Johnboy 14/01/07   86.   Paul Harris, Would you take a crust of bread from a child? 07:14  |  Maureen Ann 14/01/07   87.   #71 Aliza, your ignorance... 07:17  |  Maureen Ann 14/01/07   88.   #76, Dreary, dreary Ricardo 08:54  |  Hannah 14/01/07   89.   Maureen ann I read you correctly 10:23  |  Aliza 14/01/07   90.   how pathetic is this government ? 12:31  |  VIPER 14/01/07   91.   HANNAH #7 06:13  |  Aramis 15/01/07   92.   IDF 22:07  |  Gary 16/11/07   93.   IDF 22:13  |  Gary 16/11/07   94.   to Silvienne 07:24  |  Norman 30/05/08

Read & React U.K. union mulls new move to boycott Israeli academia Responses: 441 Rosner's Guest: U.S. strengthening Iran, says dovish pro-Israel lobby Responses: 65 Olmert to Kadima: Give me time to prove my innocence Responses: 71 Haaretz.com TV: East J'lem Arabs detail violence they face by city's Jews Responses: 102 Meron Benvenisti: Isolation of Gaza is part of Israel's divide and conquer policy Responses: 76 More Headlines 07:38 Source: Messer evidence could help indict Olmert 07:10 Mofaz: Livni conspiring with Barak to break up Kadima 07:09 Olmert's U.S. visit: Business as usual, or farewell tour? 07:12 Britain looked to Israel for lessons in military deception 08:19 U.S. retracts Fulbright from 8 Palestinian students in Gaza 19:47 Germany: Our responsibility for Holocaust commits us to Israel 06:08 Shalit family still waiting for new letter from Gilad 21:17 Peres: If Assad wants peace, he should come to Jerusalem 03:32 Perpetual basketball champion Maccabi T.A. dethroned by Hapoel Holon 23:51 U.S. Homeland Security seeks to adopt Israeli airport standards Previous Editions Select Day 29 may 28 may 27 may 26 may 25 may 23 may 22 may 21 may 20 may 19 may 18 may 16 may

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