A grave mistake

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

and probably the only practical recourse Hamas had.

I would disagree strongly with that. What they are doing now is terrible strategy, nevermind tactics.

I think the basic problem for the Palestinians is that the rest of the Arab world doesn't really care about them.
Did we see Egypt and Jordan make the slightest effort to set up a Palestinian State in 1948-67, when they occupied the land?
And I've made the point about refugees. Saudi says, in very flowery language, that they won't admit any because they might be terrorists.
The other Arabs use the Palestinians as a stick to beat the Israelis and the West with, and care about them about as much as they do a stick.
Many of the Arabs want the Jewish State gone. They can't say that officially any more, so it suits their purposes to have an attack dog like Hamas, who explicitly do want Israel gone, to do it for them.
China, and to a certain extent Russia, use North Korea in the same way.

We should of course mention Deuteronomy 20.16-17 here, as to how the Jews came to occupy the area in the first place. Killing babies is not a new thing in Palestine, but it is now illegal under International Law.

16 However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.
17 Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is the only org. to have suggested a source for the rockets from Syria - Answer A) - Hizbollah, working with a Palestinian faction.
https://www.syriahr.com/en/313540/

Their rockets hit open ground. Israel responded with arty against Syrian regime strongpoints. No comment from Syria officially yet.
I expect Hamas are trying to drag Israel into a two front war, against Syria in the Golan.

EA01 - similar stuff in Canada now. Groups celebrating the Hamas attacks publicly.
I suspect this one isn't going to go away quietly.
Talk that a group of grassroots NDP activists is planning to push for pharmacare to be a make-or-break element of the federal NDP party’s supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals at a policy convention next week.
Interesting that this should be popping up now, clearly far too late to do anything about it on the original timescale.
One suspects that the NDP may be looking for a way to ditch Turdeau soon.
How related this is to the Canadian response to the conflict in the Middle East is unknown.
If the NDP wants the Coalition Government gone, it had better get a move on - a midwinter election in Canada is not a good idea.

[Boac]

I would disagree strongly with that. What they are doing now is terrible strategy, nevermind tactics.

You are confusing "the only practical recourse Hamas had." with good strategy and tactics? In my experience people rarely do sensible things when pushed into a corner.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I agree about people pushed into a corner.
I was disputing the word 'practical'. Other options were practical, but as you say, perhaps unlikely to be considered for emotional reasons.

[OFSO]

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
Confucius.

[Dushan]

... and no doubt provoked this attack, and the current inevitable civilian casualties caused by the terrorist acts of Hamas and the military actions of Israel are both dreadfully wrong.

What "provoked" the attack is the ability of Iran and Hezbollah to supply the missiles and and other weapons to Hamas; the ability being a release of billions of dollars to Iran by Biden administration.

[Woody]

I thought we already had cancelled them, Virgin did earlier this week.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67081696

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

A recent alert on the Northern border with Lebanon has been cancelled - false alarm it seems.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad* appear to be the group involved with Hizbollah.

Israel has formed a coalition government with a core committee of 5 to run the war.
The leader of the largest opposition party has accepted a place on the committee.
Benny Gantz was the IDF Chief of the General Staff before entering politics. Originally a paratrooper who completed the US Green Beret SF course, he conducted two operations in Gaza (2012 and 2014).
He was unanimously approved in post by Netanyahu's government of the time.
He's also a former Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
So, definitely a big boost in both capability and unity for Netanyahu's government.



*Not to be confused with Islamic Jihad in Palestine - splitter!**

**Aside from the Monty Python reference, a literal translation of the group's name from the Arabic does give IJP, but they are known as the PIJ

[Dushan]

Does Benny Ganz have an eye patch?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Contrary to popular belief, it is not a requirement that the Israeli Chief of the General Staff wear an eyepatch.
It is a Hollywood-ism, much as movie pilots are obliged to have a photo of the wife and kids stuck to the instrument panel.

[Boac]

According to the news tonight the Israeli government totally screwed the pooch on preparation and intelligence.

[Boac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67081696

Word went round there was some good snorting to be had in TLV?

[Dushan]

Apologies for aviation content.

Air Canada takes pilot “out of service” for anti-Israel posts following Hamas attack

This wanker was flying in the right seat of 787 performing YUL-TLV sectors among other.

Air Canada takes pilot “out of service” for anti-Israel posts following Hamas attack

Air Canada has confirmed it has taken a pilot “out of service” for vehement anti-Israel messaging displayed publicly and on social media amid escalating tensions related to Hamas’ attack on Israel which has left hundreds dead.

The airline announced on Tuesday that pilot Mostafa Ezzo was removed from service Oct. 9.

“We are aware of the unacceptable posts made by an Air Canada pilot. We are taking this matter very seriously, and he was taken out of service on Mon, Oct. 9. We firmly denounce violence in all forms,” posted Air Canada on X.
We are aware of the unacceptable posts made by an Air Canada pilot. We are taking this matter very seriously, and he was taken out of service on Mon, Oct. 9. We firmly denounce violence in all forms.
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) October 10, 2023


Among the posts that got Ezzo in trouble were a photograph shared on his Instagram account in which he holds a sign that reads “Israel, Hitler is proud of you.” The sign also called Israel a “terrorist state.”

Ezzo also posted on Instagram a poster for the anti-Israel protest in Montreal this weekend with the message “#### you Israel. Burn in hell.”

The message also featured a caricature of a dog urinating on the Israeli flag.

Other concerning posts shared on social media by the pilot included one of him holding a protest sign with a figure throwing the Israeli flag into the trash. The caption on the board reads, “Keep the world clean.”

The timing of Ezzo’s nationwide protests in Canada including major cities like including Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Montreal.

Hamas is a designated terrorist entity in Canada.

“Hamas, the Arabic acronym for the group Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamiya, is a radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization that emerged from the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987. It uses political and violent means to pursue its goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel,” writes Public Safety Canada.
Mostafa Ezzo is a pilot with Air Canada, flying their 787s.

That's the plane Air Canada flies to Tel Aviv.

They should probably keep him off of that route.

Just to be safe. pic.twitter.com/D7dWXTweBL
— Ezra Levant (@ezralevant) October 10, 2023

[Dushan]

For some reason I could not post the picture in the article.
here is a link

https://static.tnc.news/media/2023/10/w ... 96x365.png

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Mostafa Brain-Missing more like, posting all that.

Or perhaps he thought he was untouchable - can't imagine how Turdeau's actions in the last 8 years gave him that idea.

A screenshot of a video on X (first posted on YouTube) shows Khaled Mashal, the former leader and founding member of Hamas, who allegedly called on Muslims earlier this week to unleash a 'Day of Rage' on Friday.

Should be fun...not

[EA01]

As Golda Meir said in '57....."No peace until the Arabs love their own children more than they hate Jews"

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

A good summary of the current situation here, including the wider Arab situation and the declared red lines by assorted Iran-backed groups as to whether they may enter the war.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgr ... er-11-2023

I expect Israel is likely to concentrate on Gaza, including a ground invasion which is likely to take several weeks.
Come December, and after a Gazan ground campaign, they may look to interdict Iran in a number of ways.

This would likely make best use of the situation.
The IDF will be up to speed and fully mobilised
The US and others will have had time to make weapons transfers to Israel to replenish stocks, and potentially enhance capabilities.
Iran can be punished for supplying Hamas
Israel is able to concentrate on one foe at a time.

on the final point, Lebanese Hizbollah can be given a kicking before Iran is interdicted.

It could be concluded from Iran's statements that the reason for them putting Hamas up to this is to derail the Israeli-Saudi diplomatic process. The last thing Iran needs is its two biggest rivals to have a non-aggression pact, especially when both militaries are supplied by the US. The Iranians probably consider the sacrifice of most of Hamas to be worth this.

[tango15]

It seems that Israelis are leaving in their droves. Lufthansa operated a 747-400 out of TLV today, and a Royal Nepal Airlines A330-200 has left on what appears to be a charter, heading east to an unknown destination, (possibly DXB?) - certainly not Kathmandu! Lots of flights, both commercial and private, to LCA, and rumour has it that lots of accommodation is being both bought and rented on both sides of the island. No mention of any of this in the UK MSM, but I suppose it doesn't fit the narrative,
Given that Israel is so proud of its 'Iron Dome', I'm surprised that so many of them are leaving the country, but maybe they fear an all-out attack. Interesting too, the contrasting views of, say, Lufthansa, with those of the two main British carriers. Driven by economics perhaps, on the basis that the outbound flights must have loads of empty seats. Yesterday's BA flight was unusual, to say the least.

[Boac]

Presumably the inalienable right to respond to an attack on a country will extend to Syria if the news reports are true?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Two Israeli Ministers just did a bunk from a hospital they'd arrived at, after the staff berated them for starting another war.

If Syria is a conduit for terrorist arms, then it's a legitimate target.
If.

And the White House has "walked back" - as admitting to lying is now called - that Biden has seen "confirmed photos of beheaded children". And the Israelis have now stated that the reports can't be confirmed.

Welcome to the usual Middle East mess.

p.s. Air Canada has fired the pilot mentioned above.