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Last update - 02:12 17/12/2007
The numbers don't lie
By Moshe Arens
Tags: Israel

The Olmert government continues to offer lame excuses to the residents of Sderot and the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip for not providing them the security to which all Israeli citizens are entitled. In answering the petition brought to the High Court of Justice calling for the government to provide protective reinforcement against rockets and mortar shells for buildings in Sderot, the government had the effrontery to plead that it was not obligated to provide security for the citizens of the country.

The inane slogans offered as excuses for not putting a stop to the rocketing of Sderot, such as "there is no magic solution," or there is no "bang, and it's over," may at first have seemed convincing to some, but as the rocketing continues, nobody but fools take them seriously.

The army's chief-of-staff has said what everybody, other than this government's ministers, knows - that the only way to stop the rockets from coming down on the heads of the population living near the Gaza Strip is for the IDF to move in and move the rockets out of range.
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So now comes the turn of the lie to excuse the government's inaction. It is said that "even when the IDF was in Gaza, Qassam rockets were raining down on Israel." In other words, what is the use of sending the IDF into Gaza, when our past experience has shown that this was not effective.

But they neglect to inform the public that the IDF left most of the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Oslo agreements, almost 15 years ago, and that from the limited areas in which the IDF was present prior to the disengagement, no rockets were fired against Israel. There is no reason to expect that rockets will be launched from areas which the IDF controls.

What's more, the launching of rockets against Israel has increased drastically since the disengagement. Just look at the graph provided by The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center on the annual distribution of rocket fire.

These figures don't lie.

Now, so-called "government sources" have added a ludicrous and non-sensical "cost-benefit" analysis, which is presumed to show that when the cost of the IDF's entry into the Gaza Strip is compared to the cost of the continuing rocketing of Israel, the present situation is to be preferred.

Who are the idiots who have concocted this nonsense? What is the true cost of the government not protecting its citizens, or the cost of certain areas in Israel becoming unlivable? As for the presumed cost of the IDF's entry into the Gaza Strip, this is pure speculation. After months of preparation and training, and given the almost unlimited superiority of the IDF over the militants in the Gaza Strip, there is no reason why the cost should turn out to be prohibitive.

In any case, all agree that the cost will only escalate as time goes by. Those who consider it difficult at this time will surely find it impossible in the future. So what they are saying is "get used to it," or "every day brings us closer to the IDF's entry into the Gaza Strip" - another piece of foolishness, that does not seem to impress those launching the rockets.

And finally comes the argument to end all arguments: "We may know how to get in, but we may not know how to get out." It is just this mindset that led to the fiasco of the Second Lebanon War and the rocketing of northern Israel by Hezbollah for more than five weeks.

The prime minister's management of that war was labeled as a "failure" in the Winograd's Committee's interim report. No need to await the final report, the conclusion is clear. But although the government claims to have implemented this report, they seem to have learned nothing. We are seeing daily a repetition of this failure in Sderot.
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  1.   Good article as usual 03:11  |  Frank 17/12/07
  2.   olmert, netanyahu,peres? 10:11  |  Shoshanna 17/12/07
  3.   No other government on earth would allow this 10:15  |  Jasmine Murphy 17/12/07
  4.   When Israel enters Gaza... 10:17  |  Moshe 17/12/07
  5.   For Moshe # 4 10:40  |  Clickfool 17/12/07
  6.   #3 Name some other govts that "allowed" this? 10:45  |  Johnboy 17/12/07
  7.   Israels logic : War will bring peace 10:57  |  Swiss (Dino) 17/12/07
  8.   Problem is Olmert/Livni would blow The Gaza Op so #1; Dump Kadima 11:06  |  Pavel 17/12/07
  9.   The Numbers dont lie 11:16  |  Dagma 17/12/07
  10.   No need to enter 11:36  |  Dav 17/12/07
  11.   Arens has it wrong... 11:53  |  Esther 17/12/07
  12.   LEAVING Gaz is the answer not entering it! 12:09  |  Haim 17/12/07
  13.   IDF incursions have been a band-aid for cancer 12:57  |  Ivar 17/12/07
  14.   Israel`s excuse to continue ethnic cleansing. 13:01  |  Nick Ferriman 17/12/07
  15.   Esther states the case perfectly: hear hear! 13:07  |  Ivar 17/12/07
  16.   Move Haim to Sderot - let him enjoy his peace theories over there 13:07  |  Dudu 17/12/07
  17.   it won`t happen 13:14  |  sam 17/12/07
  18.   #12 Haim 13:19  |  Eugene 17/12/07
  19.   # 4 WOW! that`s quite a statement, moshe! 13:22  |  eric 17/12/07
  20.   #14 nick and ignorance compile rose manure 13:46  |  victor hardman 17/12/07
  21.   A QASSEM every 3 hours.What do Hamas expect will happen 13:58  |  PETER SM 17/12/07
  22.   NFERRIMAN Israel has millions of Arabs.How many Jews in the areas 14:01  |  PETER SM 17/12/07
  23.   NATO must move into WB to curb settlers 14:04  |  John 17/12/07
  24.   Esther knows better than Hamas about Hamas 14:10  |  Israeli 17/12/07
  25.   JOHN There Are NO Israelis in Gaza.Did not stop the Arabs even 14:18  |  PETER SM 17/12/07
  26.   To Mr Clickfool...Israeli research among `50 most significant sci 14:23  |  The stupid ant 17/12/07
  27.   JOHNBOY Did the IRA have a charter for thedestruction of Britain? 14:32  |  PETER SM 17/12/07
  28.   The Crime Syndicate would like to invade Gaza,but they know it 14:47  |  lakshmi 17/12/07
  29.   why Olmert will not go into Gaza unless forced to 14:53  |  Zev 17/12/07
  30.   14Nick Ferriman,true! but israel can also be brought to trial 14:53  |  lakshmi 17/12/07
  31.   Dealing with Neighborhood Bullies 15:05  |  Yehudit 17/12/07
  32.   For "The Stupid Ant" # 26 15:06  |  Clickfool 17/12/07
  33.   LAKSHMI You forget Israel just had a ground operation in Gaza 15:06  |  PETER SM 17/12/07
  34.   #28 more tindalooo curry from lack smile 15:10  |  victor hardman 17/12/07
  35.   #4 Moshe, the fundamentalist mullah 15:17  |  Leser 17/12/07
  36.   Clickfool`s usual arrogance 15:48  |  utagawa 17/12/07
  37.   To #8: Dumping Kadima is not enough 15:57  |  Frank 17/12/07
  38.   Moshe Arens article : wise but wasted 16:02  |  RAY 17/12/07
  39.   the charge of the tank brigade 16:10  |  vera alfred 17/12/07
  40.   Israel snatching defeat from the jaws of victory 16:40  |  Tosefta 17/12/07
  41.   Arens` Roach Motel 16:58  |  Tosefta 17/12/07
  42.   Israel must do what is necessary 17:04  |  Walter 17/12/07
  43.   Iakshmi # 30 On What Charge? 17:06  |  Jeff Northridge 17/12/07
  44.   43Howdy Jeff Northridge, "International armed conflict" is the 17:22  |  lakshmi 17/12/07
  45.   # 44 lakshmi 17:32  |  tbora 17/12/07
  46.   #40toosofta and the impossible dream 17:36  |  victor hardman 17/12/07
  47.   SERIOUSLY LACKBRAIN ENUFF ALREADY 17:36  |  Elizabeth 17/12/07
  48.   Tosefta # 40 Obsolete Information 17:50  |  Jeff Northridge 17/12/07
  49.   Here`s sex-change Paul Harris again # 47 17:54  |  Clickfool 17/12/07
  50.   to(32) Mr Clickfool...only an ant can understand the english of 18:17  |  The stupid ant 17/12/07
  51.   This is a political subject, Jeff Northridge #48 18:45  |  Tosefta 17/12/07
  52.   #41 Tosefta wins the prize 18:47  |  Ray 17/12/07
  53.   More Tosefta rubbish 19:21  |  Another Ray 17/12/07
  54.   Israelies - Getting Dumber 19:25  |  Tod Zuckerman 17/12/07
  55.   Iakshmi # 44 War Crimes 19:30  |  Jeff Northridge 17/12/07
  56.   clikcfool # 5 19:36  |  dan 17/12/07
  57.   The choice is binary 19:50  |  Mark Lincoln 17/12/07
  58.   Tosefta # 51 It`s Also A Military Matter 20:01  |  Jeff Northridge 17/12/07
  59.   we MUST stop the attacks from Gaza! NOW! 20:11  |  felix 17/12/07
  60.   The Gaza choice (Mark Lincoln #57) 20:19  |  Tosefta 17/12/07
  61.   Chinese wisdom for Jeff Northridge 20:21  |  Jee Peh Toh 17/12/07
  62.   Je Peh Toe 20:36  |  Jiminy Cricket 17/12/07
  63.   55Howdy jeff Northridge,aha so you do admit:"I`m not saying the 20:36  |  lakshmi 17/12/07
  64.   Bringing Israelis to trial (Lakshmi #30; re Nick Ferriman) 20:38  |  Tosefta 17/12/07
  65.   Dan, Dan the lying man # 56 20:46  |  Clickfool 17/12/07
  66.   # 66 21:13  |  dan 17/12/07
  67.   For #60 Tosefta - Refusal Of Cease-Fire Offer 21:19  |  chet 17/12/07
  68.   anybody thicker than lockshen? 21:22  |  peter 17/12/07
  69.   64 Tosefta,here it is once more: 21:53  |  lakshmi 17/12/07
  70.   To the various apoligist for both sides 21:56  |  John Phee 17/12/07
  71.   I can read a map Tosefta 21:59  |  Mark Lincoln 17/12/07
  72.   When the time comes to go into Gaza, I hope the IDF will 22:09  |  Pssd off American 17/12/07
  73.   Two questions (Lakshmi #69) 22:14  |  Tosefta 17/12/07
  74.   Jeff re Tosefta 22:28  |  Danite 17/12/07
  75.   Do not "invade Gaza", DESTROY HAMAS DOWN TO LAST MAN 22:48  |  Mark Hamil 17/12/07
  76.   The advantage of having a pair of blockheads (Peter the Great#68) 23:25  |  Tosefta 17/12/07
  77.   To Mr Clickfool...go to YouTube Hava Nagila(Baby Let`s Dance) 23:30  |  The Dumbite Kid 17/12/07
  78.   Jeff Northridge # 48 Cease fires and other trivia 23:54  |  American in NY 17/12/07
  79.   CHET if you are right why not just stop the Qassems? 00:03  |  PETER SM 18/12/07
  80.   CHET NIE report was announced with "moderate confidence" 00:06  |  PETER SM 18/12/07
  81.   Two questions (Lakshmi #69) 00:13  |  Tosefta 18/12/07
  82.