Hebrew quotes translated by Hillel Fendel
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| An Israeli missile launched from the Iron Dome defense missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, on November 12, 2019. (MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP) |
The IDF is proud of its accomplishments in the two days of hostilities with the Islamic Jihad terrorists of Gaza. Certainly the satisfaction with the army's accomplishments is understandable – but Israel as a whole did not do as well.
IDF Operation Black Belt, which began with the surgically precise liquidation of terrorist chieftain Baha Abu Al-Ata in his bedroom at 4 AM, also went on to accomplish the killing of 25 other terrorists as they attempted to bomb or otherwise attack Israel, as well as the successful targeting and destruction of arms-manufacturing sites, military training compounds, launching sites, weapons storehouses, and more.
IDF spokesman Brig.-Gen. Hedy Zilberman summed up with satisfaction: "Operation Black Belt achieved, in only 48 hours, all its goals quickly and completely."
No numbers were released as to how many rockets were destroyed. The terrorists fired some 450 of them towards Israel during the two days, of which 270 landed in open areas. The remainder were successfully intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system – at a cost of $50,000 per interception. By way of comparison, an hour's flight time of the Israel Air Force's F-16 jets costs nearly that much, between $30,000 and $50,000. National defense is expensive!
And despite the hundreds of rockets fired at Israel, no one was seriously hurt – except for one girl who fell while running towards a shelter when she heard the Red Alert alarm. (See below for an account of perhaps the most amazing miracle of the two days of rockets.)
Despite the above, as respected Israeli journalist Amit Segal wrote yesterday, it appears that Hamas has an edge over Israel. Comparing today to 15 years ago, Segal wrote:
"In 2004, Israel targeted and killed, in an early-morning attack, the arch-murderer Ahmed Yassin, founder of Hamas, on his way to the mosque. Together with him were killed five others. This was the most dramatic such attack in the history of Gaza. What was Hamas' reaction? They fired three Kassam rockets towards Shaar HaNegev; they were unable to fire more.
"This morning, after the liquidation of the middle-level commander of the small [Islamic Jihad] organization, the terrorists fired 200 rockets... [At least 250 more were ultimately fired – ed.] The State of Israel entered into a state of chaos: School was called off for half the pupils in the country, the economy was silenced, and a state of emergency was declared from Be'er Sheva to Raanana."
This, by the way, is why it is important to know how many rockets the IDF destroyed during these two days – and how many (thousands?) remain. But back to Amit Segal:
"How did we reach a situation in which, only 25 years after a simple knife attack from a Gaza terrorist would shock the entire country, today we accept with such tranquility an entire day of battle? ... And why does the Prime Minister feel he must justify the killing of Abu Al-Ata by saying he was a 'ticking time-bomb' – as if all the death and destruction he initiated in Israel until now was not enough to justify his death?"
New Defense Minister
Israel's new Defense Minister as of Tuesday – a few hours after the liquidation of Abu Ata – is Naftali Bennet. He was appointed by Netanyahu in what was widely viewed as a political machination to ensure that Bennet's Yemina party remains in the Likud corner, which it has now officially joined. Netanyahu apparently feared that Yemina would defect to Benny Gantz's Blue and White party, thus paving the way for Gantz to form a government without Netanyahu.
Today, two days later, Bennet held an Operation Black Belt briefing with the IDF Chief of Staff, the head of the Shabak, and other senior security officials. Before entering the meeting, Bennet expressed his appreciation to the IDF commanders and all other bodies that took part in leading the offensive.
Earlier, after the ceasefire was announced, and it was reported that Israel had agreed to cease targeted killings of terrorist leaders, Bennet said, "The rules of the game are clear: The IDF will act with total freedom, with no restrictions."
One of the rockets that landed in Israel was caught on an Israel Highways Company camera – and the video clip shows perhaps the greatest miracle of all: The rocket landed precisely on a highway near Ashdod, a quarter of a second after two cars passed by the spot. Other cars were within meters of the hit. Channel 12's Morning News program's anchor spoke with Rabbi Zamir Maimon, the driver of one of the cars:
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| Miracle on Ashdod Highway |
Q. So how many times have you viewed the video of your near-catastrophe that missed you at the last fraction of a second?
A. I can just say that as the minutes go by, I understand more and more what really happened to me. During the night I looked at the fragments that penetrated the body of the car and the windshield, and I understand that I avoided death by the tiniest of margins. Fragments filled the car up and down, right and left – and yet they didn't touch me. A miracle!
Q. Some people who saw the video were certainly amazed at what they saw, but many also ask: Why didn't you stop when you heard the siren alert, as you are supposed to do?
A. We – myself, and also the bus driver near me whom I spoke to afterwards – didn't hear any siren! I was driving along at 5:10 in the morning, after having received word that the younger children in my charge (I am the assistant director of at-risk youth centers) were having a hard time with all the sirens, so I was on my way there. Generally, I truly do follow all the rules about sirens, as there is a Biblical obligation to safeguard our health.
Q. So what does one do after having experienced such a 'miracle’?
A. First of all I got out of the car and saw that I was untouched, even though the car was not, and I lifted my eyes to the heavens and said, "Thank You, G-d!" And of course this coming Sabbath I will recite the appropriate blessing of thanks for having been extricated from danger... I went home and my entire family was there – we are blessed with ten children and four grandchildren – they all came to the house and we sat and ate and rejoiced. I felt true appreciation for every moment that I am with them; these are times when you truly recognize the blessing that you have, especially when you were just a split-second away from having lost it."