Friendly fire in northern Gaza claims lives of three soldiers, leaves one critically injured, three in serious condition; 24 others sustain minor injures
Hanan Greenberg

Cleared for publication: Three IDF soldiers were killed and 20 others were injured, one critically and three seriously on Monday evening, in a friendly fire incident in northern Gaza.

Among the fatalities were two officers and a soldier. Colonel Avi Peled, commander of the Golani Brigade sustained minor injuries in the incident.

The injured were rushed to the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba, Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem and the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva. All of the families have been notified.

According to the IDF Spokesman's Unit, the grave incident occurred when a tank accidentally fired a live round at a building which the troops, who were on patrol in the area, were in.

IDF explored the possibility that the building collapsed due to the detonation of explosives in it – an option which was ruled out as the details of the incident unfolded.

The extraction of the injured forces was done under IDF artillery fire, meant to provide cover for the rescue teams.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 05:58 PM | Permalink

Last update - 03:30 06/01/2009

By Amos Harel, Fadi Eyadat, Yanir Yagna, and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents

Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed and about 20 others were wounded, one critically, in the most serious incident so far in 10 days of Operation Cast Lead.

IDF battalion commander Colonel Avi Peled was lightly wounded in the incident, but managed to direct the evacuation of all the wounded troops and call in artillery fire and IAF air strikes on enemy targets before evacuating himself from the scene.

The number of Palestinian dead Monday was estimated at about 100, although no official figure has been given.

The IDF tightened its hold Monday over the outskirts of the built-up area of Gaza City as it traded fire with Hamas militants.

The major firefight started at around 6:30 P.M. Monday in the Sajaiyeh neighborhood in east Gaza City. According to preliminary information gathered by the IDF, Hamas attacked with mortar shells that exploded near the troops.

Troops then apparently took shelter behind the wall of a building, after which a large explosion took place. While the building might have been booby-trapped by the Palestinians, it is also possible that the explosion was the result of another mortar shell.

Twenty soldiers were wounded in the blast, 12 of them seriously. One was evacuated by helicopter to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

Another officer was slightly wounded, but refused to be taken for treatment. He oversaw the evacuation of the wounded until it was completed. Three hours later he came for treatment to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. Evacuation took place under heavy helicopter and artillery cover fire.

Hamas responded with additional mortar fire. In one of the strikes, near the border, two Israelis were wounded, one of them moderately.

Sajaiyeh, together with its adjacent neighborhoods, has been considered a Hamas stronghold for several years.

Sources in the IDF said the advance of the forces into the Strip forced the rocket-launching teams to retreat somewhat, with Sajaiyeh identified as main launch location. Practically no launches were seen from areas in which the IDF had taken control.

Still, over 40 Qassam and Grad rockets were fired Monday from Gaza at southern Israel striking Ashkelon, Ashdod, Sderot, Kiryat Malakhi, near Ofakim, Netivot and Be?er Sheva. Hamas also fired rockets at the area between Ashdod and Gedera. A number of people in Sderot were treated for shock, and in Ashdod a rocket nearly destroyed a kindergarten. Inside Gaza, eight soldiers were slightly injured in other incidents in the Strip yesterday.

Over the past two days there have been at least two cases in which soldiers have been injured in 'friendly fire,' one by machine gun fire and one during the detonation of an explosive device.

Monday was the third day of the ground phase of Cast Lead. Sources in the General Staff said the day was spent 'expanding and deepening' control by forces on the ground. The IDF is now surrounding Gaza on the three land sides and maintaining a sea blockade. The Gaza Strip has also been sliced in two in the area where the Israeli settlement of Netzarim once stood.

IDF troops are going out on ambushes and attacks known as 'response-stimulating' operations.

The General Staff estimated 100 Palestinians were killed Monday in five battles at various locations around the Strip. However, it appears that a large number of the dead were civilians.

The IDF arrested at least 80 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Monday.

The infantry forces advanced yesterday under cover of heavy artillery and helicopter fire.

The Israel Air Force continued Monday to bomb tunnels on the border at Rafah, to prevent their renewed use by Hamas as supply tunnels along the Philadelphi Route.

A few of the approximately 80 Palestinians arrested by afternoon yesterday admitted in their initial interrogation to membership in Hamas. They were transferred to temporary detention facilities inside Israel.

According to reports from the Strip, extended firefights took place Monday in the Zeitun area as well as the northern strip, not far from the former Palestinian Authority liaison offices. The IDF bombarded the area heavily.

Over the past 24 hours, two Palestinian families were killed. In the Shati refugee camp the parents and five children of the Abu Aisha family were killed. In the Zeitun neighborhood, the seven members of the Salmuni family were killed. In another incident, a pregnant Palestinian woman and her four children were killed.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 05:33 PM | Permalink

Tevet 9, 5769, 05 January 09 10:13 by Maayana Miskin

(IsraelNN.com) The latest poll from Channel 2, conducted as the IDF's Cast Lead operation continues in Gaza, shows the Labor party gaining significantly. The party, which was recently slated to receive fewer than 10 seats, is now in third place with 15 seats. Labor is led by Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Labor's gains appeared to be at the expense of parties further left on the political spectrum. The combined Meretz-new leftist party, which was expected to gain two seats for a total of seven, is now expected to receive only five seats, the same number it currently enjoys. The Meimad-Greens coalition is not on the political map at all.

Likud is still in the lead over Kadima, but enjoys only a small margin with 31 expected seats to Kadima's 28. Those surveyed gave Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is Our Home) 13 seats, the same number it received in previous polls.

The hareidi-religious Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties both lost seats in the poll, with Shas at nine seats and UTJ at four. The parties currently have 12 and six seats respectively.

Is the Israeli public really so stupid?

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 04:09 PM | Permalink

By Nir Hasson Haaretz Last update - 05:25 05/01/2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052596.html

Three years after being evacuated from settlements in the Gaza Strip, some
of the evacuees are now returning - in uniform.

Aharon Cruz, a paratroops officer, lived in Netzarim for two years before
the disengagement. On Sunday, he and his unit, to which he had been recalled
a mere day after his wedding last Thursday, were back at the settlement's
ruins in central Gaza.

"On one hand, there's a feeling of 'what did we leave for?'" said his
father, Rabbi Ze'ev Cruz. "On the other hand, there's joy that he is
returning to a place he knows."

The ground operation has aroused strong feelings among the evacuees. Some
see it as a first step toward returning to their former homes. But most
simply want to shout "we told you so!" And the feelings are intensified
among those who have sons serving in Gaza.

"It's a very difficult feeling," said Ami Shaked, former chief security
officer of the Gush Katif settlement bloc, whose son is a paratrooper. "This
is the first war in which my son is defending me instead of me, him."

But beyond that, "everything we said then has come true. What is happening
today reopens the wounds. The thought arises that perhaps we shouldn't have
given in; perhaps we should have been more insistent, ratcheted up the
struggle another notch. But that's history."

Yossi Neuman, a reserve officer in Southern Command who once lived in Neve
Dekalim, was called up over a week ago. His son Itai, a tank commander,
called him yesterday from the ruins of Netzarim.

"It's a destructive feeling," Neuman said. "I'm here on an emergency call-up
and my son is fighting for what we once had. We said missiles would haunt
Ashkelon and they said we were delusional. We lost our homes and our lives
for nothing, for nothing at all in exchange. And in the end, we're returning
to fight there."

For many evacuees, the feelings were heightened by the news that the son of
Zvika Bar-Hai - a West Bank settler who was one of the leaders of the fight
against disengagement - was seriously wounded on the first day of the ground
operation.

But the army's return to Netzarim was particularly emotional for former
residents of that settlement. "I got text messages that said 'stop
everything, we'll soon be back,'" said one, Itzik Vazana. "We're hoping for
the day when we return. I think we've come a long way from the expulsion
until today. We've made a big circle, and in the end, we're returning to
Netzarim. Tomorrow morning we won't return to the settlement, but it's a
process that will ripen slowly."

"It's a stab in the heart," added another, Eliyahu Ozen. "Today it is clear
that when I lived in Netzarim, I was the country's flak jacket. Today, I
live with the feeling that I did my job. Too bad they didn't want it any
more."

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 02:35 PM | Permalink

Tevet 9, 5769, 05 January 09 05:01 by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

(IsraelNN.com) Dvir Bar-Chai, one of the Golani soldiers who was badly wounded in Gaza, was an activist for Gush Katif before the expulsion three years ago. He was carrying an orange flag to raise on the ruins of the destroyed site of Jewish homes when a terrorist fired a mortar shell at his unit. He now is in intensive care, and his condition is stable.

One of 20 soldiers who were hit by the shell, he now is in serious but stable condition at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. Difficulties in evacuating him left with a serious loss of blood, and his condition initially was considered life threatening.

Dvir is the son of southern Hevron Hills Regional Council chairman Tzviki Bar-Chai. Both father and son were active in the campaign against Disengagement program, which resulted in the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif, northern Gaza and parts of northern Samaria. The government plan also brought about the withdrawal of all IDF forces from Gaza.

The soldier, a member of the famed Golani 51 Brigade that years ago was commanded by IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, took the flag with him after a visit home on Friday, explaining to his parents he wanted to place it on the land where he fought for a Jewish presence in Gaza.

He wanted to raise the flag on the ruins of Gush Katif before he was hurt shortly after his unit entered Gaza on Saturday night, his father said. "He was home on Friday and said, 'Dad, I need to find an orange flag. A foolish decision was made, and I hope that this statement will reach the hearts of the entire public.'"

The expulsion was heralded by calls from many politicians, including then-Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, that Jews never again would return to the area.

The wounded soldier is one of many, including several who were expelled, who have returned to Gush Katif in uniform.

Rabbi Zev Cruz, father of a paratroop officer who was expelled from Netzarim, reached the site of the destroyed community during the ground assault against Hamas terrorists. His father said that his son had mixed feelings about returning to Netzarim.

The officer said he asked himself why the government decided to force Jews out of the area, but he also was happy to return to his former home grounds.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 10:37 AM | Permalink

The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition

Jan. 4, 2009
Khaled Abu Toameh , THE JERUSALEM POST

Hamas representatives claimed on Sunday that their militiamen were fighting against IDF troops in the Gaza Strip with weapons confiscated from the Palestinian Authority in the summer of 2007.

They said Hamas had managed to lay its hands on all the weapons that Israel, the US and other countries had given forces loyal to PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas had also seized dozens of armored vehicles used by Abbas's security forces, they added.

After its men took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas announced that it had seized tens of thousands of rifles and pistols, including heavy machine guns, night-vision goggles and bulletproof vests, as well as vast amounts of ammunition.

Sources close to Hamas also claimed that dozens of members of the rival Aksa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, had volunteered to fight alongside Hamas units.

The sources added that gunmen belonging to other armed factions were also involved in the fighting. They included members of Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The Aksa Martyrs Brigades announced that Fatah gunmen were involved in the fighting in several areas, including Beit Hanun, Beit Lahiya and the outskirts of Gaza City, adding that its men had also succeeded in detonating an explosive charge near an IDF vehicle in the center of the Gaza Strip. It said five Fatah men had been wounded, two seriously. It did not say whether its men were fighting together with Hamas.

Meanwhile, jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti sent his greetings on Sunday to Hamas's militiamen and to all the gunmen involved in the fighting against the IDF.

"Fatah and its men are an integral part of this battle and in confronting the aggression," he said in a message from Israeli prison, where he is serving five life terms for his involvement in armed attacks against Israelis during the second intifada.

Barghouti urged all Palestinian factions to put aside their differences and unite their ranks to fight against the IDF in the Gaza Strip.

"The Israeli aggression is directed against all the Palestinians and their cause," the Fatah leader said. "This is the time to join forces in combating the Israeli occupation."

Reports about Fatah gunmen involved in the fighting came despite allegations that Hamas had placed dozens of Fatah activists under house arrest and killed others out of fear that they would exploit the IDF operation to undermine the Hamas government.

Of course the political leaders of Israel and America are in shock that these weapons are being used in the fighting.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 08:15 PM | Permalink

For those who would like to hear me on the radio, I am very pleased to announce that I will be having a weekly appearance on the Middle East Radio Forum, the show is hosted By William Wolf.

You can listen to the show by going to the host radio program web page http://kknt960.townhall.com/

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 09:24 AM | Permalink

Israel to treat more injured Gazans Jan. 2, 2009 Judy Siegel-Itzkovich, AP and jpost.com staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

The Erez crossing to the Gaza Strip will be will be opened on Sunday for injured Palestinians to enter Israel for medical treatment, IDF spokesman Peter Lerner said Friday.

Over 400 Palestinians have been killed and some 1,700 wounded since the beginning of IDF Operation Cast Lead last Saturday. The offensive targets Hamas in the Strip.

Earlier in the week, a seven-year-old Gaza boy who suffered a serious head wound in IAF air strikes was rushed through the Erez Crossing and taken to Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva.

The boy, whose transfer was facilitated by the Peres Peace Center, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, which favors the transfer of Gaza civilians hurt in the bombings, said the Palestinian Authority is unwilling to pay for their medical care in Israel because Hamas is responsible.

The PHR-Israel has urged the PA to facilitate such transfers immediately and argue later about who would finance the treatment to save their lives.
Three other wounded children were also transferred via the Erez Crossing, with help from UNRWA.

Twenty Gazans suffering from serious illnesses unrelated to the fighting were allowed through on Wednesday for treatment in Israeli hospitals.

Would America have done the same during World War Two?

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 09:20 AM | Permalink

IAF hits house of another top Hamas terror operative Jan. 2, 2009 Yaakov Katz, Jpost.com staff and AP , THE JERUSALEM POST

There was no sign of respite in IAF air raids on the seventh day of Operation Cast Lead on Friday, as aircraft destroyed the Gaza homes of more than a dozen Hamas terror operatives, a day after one of the group's top five leaders, Sheikh Nizar Rayyan, was killed in a northern Gaza air strike.

In the latest strike, The IAF hit the house of top Hamas terror operative Imad Akel on Friday afternoon.

It was unclear if Akel was home at the time, but secondary blasts were heard, indicating the presence of weapons and explosives in the home, the IDF said.

Palestinians reported that another of the houses struck belonged to former Hamas refugee minister Atef Adwan.

The air force also bombed the home of Hamas terror operative Muhammad Ma'tuk in Jabalya, northern Gaza, the army said.

The IDF said that the house was used as an arms warehouse and weapons lab, and also contained an opening to a tunnel used by Hamas.

Palestinians and Israeli defense officials said that prior to the air strikes, the IDF either warned nearby residents by phone or fired a warning missile to reduce civilian casualties. IAF aircraft also dropped leaflets east of Gaza giving a confidential phone number and e-mail address for people to report locations of rocket squads. Residents appeared to ignore the leaflets, stepping over them as they passed by.

Most of the targeted homes Friday belonged to Hamas terror chiefs and appeared to be empty at the time, but one man was killed in a strike that flattened a building in the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza. Separate air strikes killed two other Palestinians, according to Gaza Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain.

IAF aircraft also fired missiles as five smuggling tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor. The IDF confirmed hitting the tunnels.

In addition, the IAF responded swiftly to the morning's attacks on Ashkelon, striking the terror cell responsible for firing four Grad rockets at the city.

Fear of IAF attacks led to sparse turnout at Friday's communal prayers at mosques throughout Gaza, but thousands of people attended a memorial service for Rayyan. Throngs of people prayed over the rubble of his home and the destroyed mosque nearby.

Overnight Thursday and early Friday, as Operation Cast Lead entered its seventh day, IAF and naval forces attacked some 20 Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip.

The army said that among the sites targeted was a mosque in Jabalya used as a terror hub by Hamas. The IDF said in a statement that the mosque was used as a storage site for a large amount of Grad missiles and additional weaponry.

The strike set off a lengthy series of secondary explosions and a large fire, caused by the munitions stockpiled in the mosque, continued the statement, adding that the mosque was also used as a center of Hamas operations, as a meeting place for its terror operatives and a staging ground for attacks. The mosque was identified with Rayyan.

Also targeted in the overnight and early morning strikes were: the headquarters of the Hamas military wing, a vehicle transporting anti-aircraft missiles, a tunnel used to smuggle weaponry, rocket launchers loaded and prepared for use, as well as weapons manufacturing and storage facilities, said the army.

The IDF reiterated that it would continue to target infrastructure used by Hamas and
other Gaza terror organizations, and would not hesitate to strike those involved both directly and indirectly in attacks against Israelis.

More than 400 Gazans have been killed and some 1,700 have been wounded since Operation Cast Lead began on Saturday, Gaza health officials said. The number of terrorists and civilians killed is unclear, but Hamas said around half of the dead are members of its security forces and the UN said more than 60 are civilians.

Meanwhile, following Rayyan's death, Ismail Radwan, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, called on Hamas's armed wing to harm "Zionist interests" everywhere, Israel Radio reported.

The attack on Rayyan's Jabalya home liquidated him and wiped out nearly his entire family. All four of his wives were killed along with eleven of his dozen children.

His one surviving son told Al-Jazeera that the children were aged 1-16. He said he was not expecting the air force to be targeting his father.

I pray to G-D that the IDF does not go in on the ground, risking our boys for this obscene game that Barak, Livni and Olmert are playing in an effort to keep the hard left in power after the next election.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 06:17 AM | Permalink

Israel Air Force Attack on the House of Nizar Rian

Israel Television Channel 2 reported that Israel warned Rian on the phone to evacuate the building with his family but Rian opted to stay with his family in his house.

Israel Air Force Attack on the House of Nizar Rian

The IAF attacked the house of Nizar Rian, a senior Hamas terror operative,
in Jabaliya. The attack was carried out based on IDF and ISA intelligence.
Many secondary explosions were identified as a result of the attack, thus
proving that the house was used for storing weaponry. It was also used as a
communications center. In addition, a tunnel was located under the house and
was used for the escape of terror operatives.

I have verified this from several sources as being true.

In short Israel did not want to kill this terrorist scum, we were only able to do so because he refused to heed our warning.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 03:35 PM | Permalink

IDF: We're ready for battle

Military officials say IDF ready to face 15,000-men Hamas army; Israeli troops expected to face massive roadside bombs, Palestinian snipers. 'Anyone who thinks we'll be conducting ourselves gently is wrong,' senior officer tells Ynet
Hanan Greenberg

IDF prepares for major Gaza battle: Israeli forces are ready to embark on a ground assault in Gaza, a senior military officer told Ynet Wednesday, adding that "anyone who thinks we'll be conducting ourselves gently is wrong."

"Hamas has indeed prepared for this, but so did we," the IDF official said.

IDF officers say they are closely familiar with Hamas' military buildup but add that troops are prepared for the mission ahead. Ever since the Second Lebanon War, the IDF has been engaged in intensive training sessions and preparations ahead of a possible clash in the Strip. A ground assault on Gaza will be a challenge, yet military officials are saying loud and clear: "We're ready."

In recent years, Hamas has been engaged in a military buildup ahead of a possible IDF incursion. IDF officials familiar with the group's efforts say the organization comprises more than 15,000 troops, including Special Forces members and intelligence personnel.

Hamas' army has been built in a hierarchical manner, and includes divisions, regiments, and platoons. The group's forces underwent an orderly training program, with some Hamas members sent for training in Syria and Iran. Moreover, Gaza Strip tunnels, some of which were destroyed in IDF bombings in recent days, have been used for smuggling in large quantities of explosives, the IDF says. The weapons that poured into Gaza include anti-tank rockets.

Hamas 'surprises' for IDF?
Army officials say IDF troops should be expecting "nature reserves," similarly to what soldiers encountered in Lebanon while fighting Hizbullah. Hamas is believed to have prepared numerous underground sites containing various weapons.

Military officials estimate that similarly to Hizbullah, which had some "surprises" for the IDF during the Second Lebanon War, Hamas may also be in possession of arms that Israel has no knowledge of.

"During the confrontation, Hamas will attempt to operate in an orderly manner and utilize many types of arms, such as explosive devices, snipers, and cells that will attempt to hit our forces," an IDF officer said. "We prepared in terms of protective equipment and also engaged in training exercises in order to address these threats.

The IDF's first challenge in case of a ground assault will likely be in the form of roadside bombs aimed at targeting tanks and armored vehicles. Hamas is believed to have dug pits in many Gaza roads and placed powerful explosive devices underground before covering them with cement. However, the Air Force's massive assault in the early days of Operation Cast Lead damaged dozens of Hamas facilities and may undermine the group's efforts.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 05:14 PM | Permalink

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel news, denmark, hamas

A group of Arab youths opened fire Wednesday evening on a number of Israelis working at a mall in the Danish city of Odenza, some 200 kilometers north of Copenhagen.

The Israelis, who were operating a stall in the shopping center, were lightly wounded in their legs. There is no apparent danger to their lives.

The Foreign Ministery is following the reports closely, and Israelis emissaries in Copenhagen were headed to the site.

It is unclear whether the assailants have yet been arrested by Danish authorities. The Foreign Ministry believes that the attack was related to anger over Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 07:57 AM | Permalink

I just spoke with one of my contacts who reported that Fatah has been working to keep Hamas under control in Judea and Samaria. To the point that there has been Arab on Arab gun fights in the city where this contact is serving.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 07:42 AM | Permalink

31 December 2008
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8710111941

TEHRAN (FNA)- Several Gazans wounded in Israel's devastating five-day-old
onslaught on the Palestinian territory have been transferred to Iran for
treatment, Health Minister Kamran Bagheri Lankarani said.

"A small number of the injured have been transferred to Iran for treatment,"
Lankarani told the state broadcaster.

He did not specify how many had arrived in Iran but complained that the
Egyptian government had not agreed to Iran's offer to provide more extensive
treatment for wounded Gazans in Iranian hospitals.

He added that the Iranian Red Crescent and medical association were also
ready to send volunteers to Gaza.

At least 390 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's aerial pounding of
the territory, according to medics. A further 1,900 people have been wounded
but only a tiny number of those have been evacuated across the border to
Egypt.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 07:39 AM | Permalink

Humanitarian Aid Transferred to Gaza

(IsraelNN.com) Israel allowed the transfer of 106 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza Wednesday afternoon. The trucks crossed through the Kerem Shalom terminal.

The aid contained medical equipment, food, and medicines. Gazans also transferred two children to Israel for emergency medical care.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 07:29 AM | Permalink

Youth vote won't be a big factor here come February By Ayala Tsoref Haaretz 30 December 2008 www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1051014.html

Israeli prime ministerial candidates like to compare themselves and their
policies to United States president-elect Barack Obama. But whereas Obama
managed to shake American youth out of their indifference and get them to
stand in line for hours to fulfill their democratic right to vote, Israeli
contenders have yet to affect the same change.

Israelis have proven that the stereotype of the politically apathetic youth
is more than just a superficial image. About 33 percent of voters aged 18 to
25 said they don't plan to vote in the general elections in February and 15
percent said they were undecided on the question of voting, according to a
survey carried out by the Panels institute on behalf of TheMarker. In all,
48 percent of young voters either won't vote or are still deliberating the
issue. Advertisement

About 40 percent of voters aged 26 to 35, many of whom have young families
and are members of the middle class, said they won't vote in the elections
and another six percent haven't made up their minds.

Voter turnout last election stood at 67.8 percent.

"Young voters' indifference stems from the sense of disappointment and
disgust of politics," said Guy Toledano, the Meretz campaign manager. "On
the public relations side of things, political parties should try and raise
the sense of commitment among young voters. Other polls unrelated to
politics show many young people feel strongly about getting involved in a
wide area of activities. When it comes to voting they are just fed up with
politics and politicians."

Respondents in the survey gave two main reasons for why they were not
interested in the upcoming elections. About 58 percent said they distrusted
the candidates. Others said, "the issue doesn't interest me."

"Unfortunately, the data we are receiving from polls confirm the serious
fears shared by all parties that many young voters are undecided and the
others are simply not interested," said Ziv Poplovski, the joint director
general of the Leomek Hatoda'a public relations firm that specializes in the
youth market. Leomek Hatoda'a also participated in the survey.

The poll was carried out a few days before the start of Operation Cast Lead
by the Israel Defense Forces against Hamas in Gaza began. Poplovski believes
that had elections been held now, the fighting may have influenced turnout.

"If elections were held today turning in the public in general and among
youths in particular may be higher because of the sense of consensus in the
righteousness of the war," he said. "But wars tend to be consensual in the
beginning and later split the public into separate camps and so I believe
that by the time the elections come around the war won't have any influence
on the turnout."

Likud, which is leading in the polls, also has an edge among young voters.
Meretz, too, draws a disproportionately high number of young voters in
comparison to any other age groups. Labor, on the other hand, is crashing
among voters under age 25 and is predicted to garner only four Knesset seats
from them. Contrary to popular opinion, the issue of the environment has not
managed to rally many young voters; the Green Party is expected to gain
between two to three Knesset seats.

"Young and middle-aged voters may be the key to victory this election," said
Menahem Lazar, the head of political research at Panels. "In 2006, for
instance, the pensioner vote was all-important. Figuring out how to drum up
the support of young voters may win the election. But to do that politicians
will have to figure out how to overcome the sense of alienation and lack of
trust among young voters."

Respondents of the survey answered a questionnaire distributed via the
internet last Wednesday. About 501 Jewish Israelis participated in the
survey, which had a margin of error of 4.4 percent.

I am not in this age demographic but I also will not vote for any party in the next election for I am done with voting for the lesser of two evils, in the end you are still stuck with something that is evil.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 05:22 PM | Permalink

Barak reprimands Majadele over boycott

Labor chairman sends letter to science, culture and sports minister following latter's absence from cabinet meeting on Gaza operation. 'I believe such conduct does not befit your responsibility as a minister in the Israeli government,' he says
Attila Somfalvi

After Prime Minister Ehud Olmert canceled Science, Culture and Sports Minister Raleb Majadele's trip to Jordan and Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel called him "cheeky" due to his absence from Sunday's cabinet meeting on the Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza, Majadele was also reprimanded Tuesday by his party's chairman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Barak sent a letter to Majadele slamming his conduct. "I believe that such conduct does not befit your responsibility as a minister in the Israeli government," he said.

The Labor chairman began the letter by saying, "I was surprised to learn that you chose not to attend the weekly cabinet meeting held in the midst of the fighting in the south.

"As you very well know, the IDF embarked on an operation meant to protect the citizens of southern Israel – all citizens regardless of race or creed – against acts of indistinguishable acts of aggression against the State of Israel."

He added, "I view your decision to be absent from the cabinet meeting as extremely severe. I believe this conduct does not befit your responsibility as a minister in the Israeli government.

"As a minister as behalf of the Labor Party, you are expected to act in a reasonable manner befitting a minister and fulfill your duty as a member of the Israeli government.

Majadele was also "punished" by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who decided not to approve the Muslim minister's trip to Jordan. Cabinet Secretaty Oved Yehezkel telephoned Majadele and told him, "You made the wrong decision. The prime minister finds this unacceptable."

It must be noted that the first casuality of the IDF in this campaign was 38-year-old First Staff Sergeant Lutfi Nasraldin. The soldier, a resident of the western Galilee Druze village of Dalyat el-Carmel, was killed when Gaza terrorists shelled his base near the Nahal Oz Crossing on Monday night

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 03:45 PM | Permalink

The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition

Dec. 30, 2008
jpost.com staff, yaakov katz and Abe Selig , THE JERUSALEM POST

Palestinian terrorists on Tuesday night fired at least two rockets at Beersheba, adding some 187,000 residents of the largest city in the Negev into the ever-widening range of the rockets attacks.

There were no reports of casualties in the attack but one of the rockets landed in a kindergarten, causing damage. Rescue forces were searching for the impact site of another rocket.

Shortly afterwards the army announced that The IAF had bombed the Grad launcher as well as the terrorist cell responsible for the Beersheba rocket attacks. Military sources reported that the targets were hit.

Meanwhile, one person was lightly wounded by shrapnel when two Grad rockets impacted in the center of Ashkelon. The rocket caused extensive damage to nearby businesses and vehicles.

Earlier, Hamas-fired rockets landed in Ashdod and Ashkelon, where two people were killed in attacks Monday.

Palestinian terrorists continued to rocket southern Israel Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total number of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip to over 30 since morning.

Two Kassam rockets that were fired at the Eshkol region landed in open areas and did not cause wounded or damage. A rocket fired at a Sha'ar Hanegev kibbutz crashed into the communal dining room and caused damage but no casualties.

Meanwhile, emergency forces were searching for the impact sites of some four Kassam rockets that were fired at the area south of Ashkelon. There were no reports of casualties or damage in those attacks.

Several rockets also fell in the Sderot area late Tuesday afternoon, causing neither casualties nor damage.

Earlier, the Sdot Negev region absorbed two rocket attacks. There were no reports of wounded or damage.

On Tuesday morning a rocket landed in Kiryat Malachi, the first time that the town was hit by a projectile fired from Gaza. Several people suffered shock in the attack, though there were no reports of casualties or damage.

Earlier, a Sderot man was lightly wounded when a Kassam fired at the city hit a house. The building sustained damage in the attack.

The rockets were fired as Israel let some 100 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies from Jordan, Turkey and international aid groups into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

In addition, five new ambulances donated by Turkey were allowed into the Strip.

Earlier Tuesday, three Kassams and at least 10 mortar shells pounded the Eshkol region. No casualties were reported in the attack, though one house sustained damage.

On Monday, three Israelis were killed in Ashkelon, Ashdod and Nahal Oz as over 80 rockets and mortar shells hit southern Israel.

In response to the barrages, Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday declared a "special situation" for communities located within 30 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.

The move, the first of its kind, would give the security establishment authority to close factories, cancel conferences and events, and to conduct other civilian activities. It would allow the security establishment to play an active role in city affairs alongside local authorities.

The cabinet is required to approve the special status over the next two days, as it has already done for Gaza belt communities.

Schools were to remain closed within the 30-kilometer range on Tuesday, including in Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, Ofakim, Sderot and Kiryat Malachi.

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i told Israel Radio on Tuesday that Gaza-belt communities were well prepared for further rocket attacks, and called on residents of the South to heed instructions from authorities.

Monday's Ashdod fatality was identified as Irit Sheetrit, 36. She was killed Monday night when a Grad-type rocket struck a bus stop where she had run for cover. Four other were hurt in the attack, one was in serous condition.

Warrant Officer Lotfi Nasraladin, 38, from the Druse village of Daliat el-Carmel, was killed when rockets struck near Nahal Oz. Five others were wounded in the attack, two seriously.

Following continued IAF attacks on Hamas targets in the Strip, Palestinian terrorists intensified their efforts, firing on Ofakim and Yavne. One person was moderately wounded in the attack on Ofakim.

Earlier Monday, an Israeli construction worker identified as Hani al-Mahdi, 27, of the Beduin town of Aro'er in the Negev, was killed and over a dozen others were wounded when a Grad-model Katyusha hit a construction site in Ashkelon.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 03:43 PM | Permalink

IDF Spokesman December 30, 2008 1:25 AM

An IDF soldier was killed Monday evening when a mortar shell struck a
military base in the western Negev.

The soldier's family has been informed.

Another IDF soldier was severely wounded and four others sustained light
injuries in the attack.

The soldiers received emergency medical assistance at the scene before being
evacuated to a hospital for additional treatment.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 06:45 PM | Permalink

PRC spokesman urges IDF troops to 'fight like men'

Gaza group's spokesman urges Israel to launch ground incursion; death toll in Strip tops 350
Ali Waked

A spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees told Ynet Monday night that Palestinian groups in Gaza are preparing for the "real battle," urging Israel to launch a ground operation in the Strip.

"If Israeli soldiers are such men, they should fight on the ground, the PRC's Abu Abir said. "The defeat they suffered on the ground in Lebanon would be even greater in Gaza…yet I know that we are dealing with cowards who ever since the 1980s have feared a face-to-face confrontation with us."

While admitting that the first day of Israel's operation was not an easy one, the spokesman said the clash was now entering a new phase, "where we jump at the enemy, pursue it, and invite it to engage in battle."

Meanwhile, the death toll in the Gaza Strip topped 350, yet Palestinian armed groups are undeterred said Abu Abir, claiming that they were not hurt at all.

"We are inviting the Israelis to embark on the great challenge of ground combat," he said.

The PRC spokesman added that "the entire Palestinian people understand that this is an all-out war, and that the resistance and its organizations are the only way to salvage Palestinian honor. The Israelis can continue to pulverize us from the air, and we shall continue to pulverize them with the means at our disposal….just like the Israelis trained and prepared, so did we."

Addressing Israeli phone message and leaflets aimed at influencing Gaza residents, Abu Abir said that those behind the move "do not hear the Allahu Akbar ("God is great" in Arabic) calls emerging from homes when rockets are fired."

The spokesman added that Palestinian groups were unimpressed by the fact that as opposed to the Lebanon war, Israel's campaign this time around is being led by a more experienced defense minister and army chief.

"We know both of them and they don't scare us," he said. "The determining factor is the result at the end of the campaign, rather than the declarations made by the leaders. They threaten us, and we'll continue to prepare and expand the fighting."

I still do no favor Israel going in on the ground at the same time that we are providing supplies to the enemy, let the Gaza be closed for a couple of months while the IAF is bombing Gaza then send our boys into Gaza. Sending in ground troops without a clear mission and the goals of that mission defined will be a huge mistake.

Posted by Yoni Tidi at 06:32 PM | Permalink