Opuscula Iron Dome fails To protect From shrapnel

ISRAEL’S “IRON DOME” anti-missile system is good.

So good, in fact, that even the U.S. is putting it into place.

“Iron Dome” is probably 98% effective — expensive, but effective — in knocking out the missiles fired at Israeli civilians from Gaza and Syria/Lebanon.

But . . .

 

EVEN WHEN “IRON DOME” destroys an incoming missile, civilians — sometimes Muslim civilians — are injured or killed BY FALLING DEBRIS.

Indeed, more injuries and property damage are caused by fragments of incoming missiles that “Iron Dome” destroys than by the few missiles that get past “Iron Dome.”

Always on the defensive

Since its founding, Israel always has been on defense.

In the 50’s and 60’s, Israeli towns were dotted with entrances to underground shelters. (Americans and Russians will remember the bomb shelters of the same period.)

 

Israeli civilians running to shelter to avoid enemy mortars

 

Today, all new apartments include a shelter room to protect from both flying debris and poison gas. (One Israeli child murdered by Hamas died when shrapnel entered the safe room via a window that should have been shuttered.) Older apartments have common shelters.

In the south, where many homes are single-family, the landscape still is dotted with shelters.

60 seconds

By the time an incoming mortar is detected, Israelis have one minute — 60 seconds — to get into a shelter.

They are supposed to stay in the shelter for at least 10 minutes hoping the mortars have creased.

Problem is, Hamas and Hezbollah like to fire mortars, wait a bit, and fire more mortars.

Rushing into a shelter several times over a few hours is demoralizing, even if the shelter is in an apartment.

It also takes a toll on children, pets, and even newcomers to Israel.¹

Fortunately the warning siren’s sound is distinct from that of emergency vehicles.

Mortars, not guided missiles

Despite funding from Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah so far have produced only mortars.

These mortars lack guidance systems.

Why spend money on guidance systems when the intent is to murder indiscriminately.

Unlike Israel Defense Forces (IDF) precision guided missiles that have pin-point accuracy and spare, whenever possible, non military objectives. Hamas and Hezbollah commit war crimes by targeting civilian populations. (The media seem to ignore this not so subtle point of law.)

Never mind that some of the mortars kill fellow Muslims in Israel.

Never mind that a few mortars land inside Gaza and Lebanon, killing their own people.

Mortars are cheap; precision missiles are expensive. Iron Dome anti-missile missiles also are expensive.

The canard is that the U.S. gives Israel dollars for its self defense.

What the U.S. really is doing is funding U.S. arms manufacturers since the “donated” dollars only can be spent to buy American weaponry. Unfortunately, at the same time, Israel is a proving ground for U.S. arms manufacturers.

One day, either Hamas or Hezbollah will fire mortars at Jerusalem and destroy the mosque down to the Temple’s foundation. Will Jordan, that allegedly controls the mosque, try to rebuild? Will Israel allow Jordan to rebuild.

While there IS a “peace” pact between Israel and Jordan, the Jordanians by and large still hate Israel. Most of Jordan’s current population are “Palestinians,” descendants of the same people who tried to overthrow the Jordanian government in what is known as “Black September.” (see https://tinyurl.com/59sjh5es and https://tinyurl.com/5yjw93mr)

Damned if they do, damned if they don’t

It is interesting that despite precision missiles, Israel is accused by the media of disproportionate response. After all, the media notes, Israel has the Iron Dome and Hamas and Hezbollah don’t. (Hamas and Hezbollah could stop firing missiles at Israeli civilians and they would not NEED an Iron Dome.) The “ disproportionate” claim also applies to causalities. Israel protects its citizens; Hamas and Hezbollah hide behind their civilians.

As an aside, if Israel DID flatten Gaza, how would that be different than what England and the U.S. did to Dresden Germany (https://tinyurl.com/w7kxfyww) or the nazis did to London (https://tinyurl.com/evmv7bk), or what the U.S. was forced to do twice: in Nagasaki and in Hiroshima, Japan? (https://tinyurl.com/t2j7f4xz)

Caveat

In case the reader is not aware, this is keyed in Yavne, Israel (see map at https://tinyurl.com/8fb9aprx). This scrivener is on the ground, unlike some of the reporters who get ”news”feeds from those who hate Israel and want to destroy it and the media that disseminates these total or partial untruths.

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Sources

1. This scrivener is not a newcomer to Israel and well remembers mortars being fired at Zefat when he lived in northern Israel c 1977.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Iron Dome failure

Opuscula Return to Sender: How to stop missiles Fired from Gaza

ISRAEL IS — NOT “AGAIN,” BUT “STILL” — BEING ATTACKED BY MISSILES FROM GAZA.

The U.S. and leftists around the world blame Israel for the attacks.

The first shots were fired from Gaza. Missiles fall indiscriminately on children, old people, and people in their homes.

Israel retaliates by leveling Hamas sites; Hamas just changes venues and continues the attack.

Israel could, and in my opinion should, end the attacks by giving back to Gaza what Gaza sends to Israel.

 

Hamas rocket strikes Israel (MAHMUD HAMS | Credit: AFP )

 

TIT FOR TAT

I believe the only way to stop the indiscriminate attacks on Israel is for Israel to fire rockets indiscriminately back into Gaza.

During World War 2, all the warring parties bombed civilian targets. Dresden, London, and Nagasaki quickly come to mind. (The Japanese sent fire balloons over the U.S. west coast causing minor physical damage; psychological damage was something else.)

While there are those who live well in Gaza, shopping in super-malls for ISRAELI-MADE goods (!), most Gazans are reportedly poor and lack what most Americans and Europeans consider “basic necessities.”

I have not been to Gaza and rely only on reports — some pro, some con.

Hamas allegedly rules Gaza with an iron hand and is pressured by other anti-Israel Islamic groups, e.g., Islamic Jihad and Islamic Brotherhood, to maintain control over the strip.

For all the claimed oppression of the people, they have not been pushed far enough to revolt.

So far, all Israeli attacks on Gaza have been precisely targeted and limited to Hamas sites and leaders.

Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland

After WW2, Russia, then the now former USSR, took control of many Eastern European countries, including Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland. The Russians installed Communist dictators to rule the countries.

The USSR ruled with a heavy hand, much as Hamas etc. does today in Gaza.

Eventually, these and other Warsaw Pact countries forced the Russians out, often by successful partisan attacks. (The Russians would call these people “terrorists.” Perspective.)

Russia’s presence was almost over whelming, but the people prevailed.

Granted, there was a cost. Some partisans were injured; some died.

But the Russians were sent packing and the people had control of their countries.

The “bottom line” for the Czechs, the Hungarians, and the Poles was that they had to get rid of the Russians no matter what the cost.

They did.

It can be done. It was done.

Gazans can do the same.

Currently Gazans apparently are willing to put up with Hamas et al’s heavy-handedness, lack of electricity, lack of potable water, lack of employment.

If Israel were to do as Hamas does, and indiscriminately fire missiles into Gaza, one missile into Gaza for every missile fired from Gaza, the Gaza “man in the street” might decide it was time to rid the strip of the despots.

When the children, the seniors, and the average Gazan find themselves under attack by Israeli missiles in retaliation for missiles fired from Gaza, perhaps the people will cast out Hamas et al.

Only Gazans can end Hamas terror

The “bottom line” is that the Gazans must want peace with Israel, a permanent cease fire at a minimum.

The only way this can be accomplished is if the Gazan “man in the street” casts off Hamas’ yoke and forms a government that cares about ALL the people of Gaza, not just Islamic leadership.

It is unfortunate, but the impetus may have to come from Israeli missiles falling indiscriminately on all Gazans.

Israelis and Gazans deserve to live in peace, without fear of missiles falling on them.

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Return to Sender

Tell me about War Crimes

 

There is a lot of talk lately about war crimes.

Mostly the talk is about war crimes allegedly committed by Israel in its aggression against Hamas.

As if war crimes were something new.

Certainly the United States never would commit war crimes. Nor would its loyal ally and former master, England. Or Russia, now or in the guise of the "Soviet Union."

The list can go on and on and on; hardly any nation is exempt.

How about the Federal's Gen. Sherman and his march across Georgia; his "scorched earth" policy. It might not have been a "war crime" then, but it would be now.

How about Germany. Slaughtering civilians - Romas, Jews, Communists, mentally disabled, homosexuals - that's counted as a "war crime."

Likewise bombing civilians in England; London was a prime target of the nazi's V-bombs; fortunately they were about as accurate as a Hamas rocket fired into Israel.

The U.S. and England retaliated and fire bombed the German city of Dresden. There are reports of mothers with babes in arms incinerated by the ally's bombs.

What Japan did to Koreans is not for "G-rated" blogs; but perhaps what the U.S. did to the civilians of Nagasaki and Hiroshima is likewise not stuff for a "G-rated" blog. War crimes?

Is it a "war crime" to bomb civilians?

If it is, then Hamas is guilty of war crimes.

Is it a "war crime" to deliberately put non-combatants into harms way?

If it is, then Hamas is guilty of war crimes.

Is it a "war crime" when civilians and traditionally non-military targets collateral damage when the aggressor places his weapons in highly populated areas and in hospitals and schools?

If it is, then Hamas is guilty of war crimes.

Is it a "war crime" when non-combatants are executed by beheadings broadcast for all the world to see?

If it is, then Muslims are guilty of war crimes.

Is it a "war crime" for military (e.g., the U.S. cavalry) and para-military (e.g., Cossacks) to attack villages and slaughter all the inhabitants simply "because." (Lest anyone forget, America's horse soldiers wiped out some 300 Sioux at Wounded Knee.)

Now reconsider Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The U.S. dropped leaflets telling Japan that in "n" days a horrible weapon would descend upon it. Having warned the nation and having given it a chance to surrender and end the war in the Pacific, the Japanese government refused to end the war.

So who committed the "war crimes" that incinerated Nagasaki and Hiroshima?

Consider Israel and Gaza.

Israel is famous for calling non-combatants and warning them of an impending attack.

It drops leaflets.

It drops warning bombs.

If Hamas keeps the non-combatants in their homes and these people are injured or killed, who is guilty of "war crimes?"

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt KNEW about the nazi's death camps. Despite people begging him to bomb the railroads taking people to the mostly-in-Poland death camps, FDR refused. Like Hitler, FDR would not "waste" resources on saving those headed to their deaths. (Hitler refused to relinquish his resources to the war effort, preferring to make his land "Jew free.") Was FDR guilty of "war crimes?" Was Hitler? Certainly the latter is a "no brainer."

If Israel would burn Gaza to the ground, a la Dresden, THEN Israel would commit a "war crime."

If Israel destroyed schools and hospitals not used as weapons depots or as launch sites for Hamas rockets and mortars, THEN Israel could commit a "war crime."

Given the number of pubic facilities - including the "neutral" UN buildings where Hamas weaponry has been discovered, and often admitted by Hamas or the UN - Israel MUST be given the benefit of the doubt; it's targeting enemy materials and launch sites, NOT public building per se. The "war crimes" lie at Hamas' feet, not Israel's.

Collateral damage happens, but it IS "collateral." Unlike Israel, Hamas fires its weapons at civilian targets in Israel. That is a war crime.

As much as Hamas, the PA, and their sponsor, Iran, might want to haul Israel before a world court for "war crimes," they cannot because they - Hamas, the PA, and Iran - have bloody hands from committing war crimes against others and their own.