At 1:32 AM Tuesday, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari tweeted: “The IDF is now attacking military targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanese territory, more details to follow.” Every single Israeli media outlet ran the story, which came down to that cryptic tweet, but no details followed.
At 7:28 AM Tuesday, Hagari tweeted that over the past day, the IDF attacked more than 200 military terrorist infrastructures of the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad throughout the Gaza Strip. Fighter jets attacked the operational headquarters of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and eliminated terrorist operatives.
Also, a bank used by Hamas to finance terrorism in the Gaza Strip and several underground terrorist tunnels in the Strip were attacked. In addition, in recent days naval fighters attacked with precision weapons several military targets of Hamas, which include operational headquarters in the center of Gaza City and warehouses containing weapons.
The right-wing group Torat Lehima responded: “We want dead terrorists, not infrastructures.” And several X users complained that Hagari was recycling attack videos from previous days. And one user tweeted: “Attacking buildings is the most important thing since it is well-known that it was the buildings who slaughtered whole families. Keep fighting the buildings, they are the enemy.”
More Israelis, mostly on the right, but the feeling is spreading, suspect that the fix is in and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reluctant to enter Gaza with tanks and infantry forces, just as he has been since he first returned to power in 2009.
General (Ret.) Giora Eiland, the former head of the National Security Council, made the rounds on Monday advocating a heavy siege on the Gaza Strip that would eventually force Hamas to come out of its tunnels, starved and ready to surrender. Considering that the Netanyahu united war cabinet has already succumbed to US pressure and resumed the supply of water to Gaza, and on Tuesday is permitting a convoy of trucks to haul in who knows what from Egypt into the Strip, General Eiland’s plan appears as delusional as the Oslo plan, the Gush Katif expulsion plan, and the jobs and cash for peace plan.
I have been advocating for installing in Israel a political system similar to the one in Lebanon, where the president of Lebanon and the commander of the army are Christians, the speaker of the parliament is a Shiite and the prime minister is a Sunni. In Israel, I propose that the Defense Minister must be a Druze, the IDF Chief of Staff a Bedouin, and the head of Military Intelligence a Russian oleh or child of Russian olim. Nice Israeli Jews just aren’t cut up for killing the enemy effectively without skipping a beat.
A case in point: Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi told IDF fighters: “We suffered a blow, but right now the initiative is in our hands. The IDF will win thanks to adherence to the mission, the fortitude of the spirit, and the evils. We will remember our fellow men who charged bravely, fought bravely, and saved many lives. They paid with their lives, but their blood was not absorbed in the land in vain; they are our legacy and we will complete their mission.”
Sounds feisty, right? Except that Halevi carried his brave speech at 6:00 AM on Tuesday, and the speech was a repeat of the one he had given on Monday and Sunday. Someone should tell Halevi that swords are not made just for brandishing.
Speaking of which, “Iron Swords?” Really? The IDF’s annual budget is roughly NIS 70 billion and they pick Iron Age imagery for the war. In its defense, the IDF claims the names for its operations are picked by a computer. But someone had to feed the name into the database.
I asked Chat GPT to choose a good name for an IDF operation against Hamas. I swear, this is what it offered: “Naming military operations is a serious matter, and it’s important to choose names that reflect the goals and objectives of the operation while maintaining diplomatic and ethical standards. Naming operations in a way that avoids escalating tensions or promoting hostility is crucial. A name like “Operation Peaceful Resolve” or “Operation Secure Peace” could be considered more appropriate when dealing with complex situations like those involving organizations like Hamas. It’s essential to prioritize diplomacy and conflict resolution in such cases.”
So, I asked it to choose a good name for an operation against Nazi Germany. It spewed back: “When naming military operations related to historical events like World War II and the fight against Nazi Germany, it’s important to choose names that honor the memory of those who fought for freedom and justice. Here’s a name that reflects this: “Operation Freedom’s Valor.” This name pays tribute to the valor and sacrifice of the Allied forces who fought against Nazi Germany to secure freedom and peace.
Turns out “Iron Swords” is the most combative drivel these machine brains can produce after all.
Just to be sure, I asked Chat GPT: “Choose a name for an operation to punish criminals who kill babies and rape women.” It spewed back: “When naming an operation aimed at bringing criminals to justice, it’s essential to maintain a commitment to due process and the rule of law. A suitable name for such an operation could be: “Operation Justice Pursuit.” This name underscores the pursuit of justice and the rule of law while dealing with heinous crimes.”
And now we know everything. Hamas is safe in its tunnels, seeing as the West is too mired in inane restraints on its own power to kill them.
