Rockets from Lebanon smash down in Israel; IDF returns fire

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: CNN

Rockets coming from Lebanon smashed into northern Israel on Sunday near the town of Kiryat Shmona, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Israeli forces fired toward the source of the launch, the IDF said. At least 20 Israeli rockets landed in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF and the Lebanese official National News Agency.

There were no initial reports of injuries on either side.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the weekly meeting of the Israeli Cabinet, said he blames the Lebanese government for allowing Hezbollah to position rockets in neighborhoods while attacking civilians.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/meast/israel-rockets/

[Archae]

1. Hezbollah is devoted to destroying Jews.

They always will be.

[COLGATE4]

2. ^^ THIS ^^

[Scootaloo]

3. They express this by gouging holes in dirt.

Interesting exchange here.

"You fired a rocket that hit nothing, so we fired twenty that also hit nothing!"

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. More precisely, Hezbollah is devoted to destroying the state of Israel.

And it doesn't seem to like Jews very much, either, although it has generously offered to let Jews who were in the region before 1948 stay there under the care of their Muslim big brothers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah

Attitudes, statements, and actions concerning Israel and Zionism

From the inception of Hezbollah to the present, the elimination of the State of Israel has been one of Hezbollah's primary goals. Some translations of Hezbollah's 1985 Arabic-language manifesto state that "our struggle will end only when this entity [Israel] is obliterated". According to Hezbollah's Deputy-General, Na'im Qasim, the struggle against Israel is a core belief of Hezbollah and the central rationale of Hezbollah's existence.

Hezbollah says that its continued hostilities against Israel are justified as reciprocal to Israeli operations against Lebanon and as retaliation for what they claim is Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory. Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, and their withdrawal was verified by the United Nations as being in accordance with resolution 425 of March 19, 1978, however Lebanon considers the Shebaa farms—a 26-km² (10-mi²) piece of land captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war and considered by the UN to be disputed territory between Syria and Israel—to be Lebanese territory. Additionally, Hezbollah claims that three Lebanese prisoners are being held in Israel. Finally, Hezbollah consider Israel to be an illegitimate state. For these reasons, they justify their actions as acts of defensive jihad.

Attitudes and actions concerning Jews and Judaism

Hezbollah officials say that the group distinguishes between Judaism and Zionism. However, various anti-Semitic statements have been attributed to them. Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, a Lebanese political analyst, argues that although Zionism has influenced Hezbollah's anti-Judaism, "it is not contingent upon it" because Hezbollah's hatred of Jews is more religiously motivated than politically motivated.Robert S. Wistrich, a historian specializing in the study of anti-Semitism, described Hezbollah's ideology concerning Jews:
"The anti-Semitism of Hezbollah leaders and spokesmen combines the image of seemingly invincible Jewish power ... and cunning with the contempt normally reserved for weak and cowardly enemies. Like the Hamas propaganda for holy war, that of Hezbollah has relied on the endless vilification of Jews as 'enemies of mankind,' 'conspiratorial, obstinate, and conceited' adversaries full of 'satanic plans' to enslave the Arabs. It fuses traditional Islamic anti-Judaism with Western conspiracy myths, Third Worldist anti-Zionism, and Iranian Shiite contempt for Jews as 'ritually impure' and corrupt infidels. Sheikh Fadlallah typically insists ... that Jews wish to undermine or obliterate Islam and Arab cultural identity in order to advance their economic and political domination."

Conflicting reports say Al-Manar, the Hezbollah-owned and operated television station, accused either Israel or Jews of deliberately spreading HIV and other diseases to Arabs throughout the Middle East. Al-Manar was criticized in the West for airing "anti-Semitic propaganda" in the form of a television drama depicting a Jewish world domination conspiracy. The group has been accused by American analysts of engaging in Holocaust denial.

In November 2009, Hezbollah pressured a private English-language school to drop reading excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank, a book of the writings from the diary kept by the Jewish child Anne Frank while she was in hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. This was after Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel complained, asking how long Lebanon would "remain an open arena for the Zionist invasion of education?"

[The Stranger]

20. Um, you are omitting so much history that you're post becomes essentially lies.

In 1985, Israel was occupying Lebanon. It had already been doing so for years.

Let me retype this for you, Israel was occupying Lebanon.

So this bullshit about it wanting to kill Jews or Israelis is about those Jews or Israelis who had taking over a huge chunk of their fucking country, and who swore they were never going anywhere.

[The Stranger]

21. 1982-2000

Israeli Invasion

In 1982, the Israeli military began "Operation Peace for Galilee",[14] a full scale invasion of Lebanese territory. The invasion followed the 1978 Litani Operation, which gave Israel possession of the territory near the Israeli-Lebanese border. This follow-up invasion attempted to weaken the PLO as a unified political and military force[15] and eventually led to the withdrawal of PLO and Syrian forces from Lebanon. By the end of this operation, Israel got control over Lebanon from Beirut southward, and attempted to install a pro-Israeli government in Beirut to sign a peace accord with it. This goal had never realized, partly because of the assassination of President Bashir Gemayel in September 1982, and the refusal of the Lebanese Parliament to endorse the accord. The withdrawal of the PLO forces in 1982 forced some Lebanese nationalists to start a resistance against the Israeli army led by the Lebanese Communist Party and Amal movement. During this time, some Amal members started the formation of an Islamic group supported by Iran that was the nucleus of the future "Islamic Resistance", and eventually become Hezbollah.

Occupation period 1982–1985 – the emergence of Hizbullah
Map showing power balance in Lebanon, 1983: Green – controlled by Syria, purple – controlled by Christian groups, yellow – controlled by Israel, blue – controlled by the United Nations

Increased hostilities against the US resulted in the April 1983 United States Embassy bombing. In response, the US brokered the May 17 Agreement, in an attempt to stall hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. However, this agreement eventually failed to take shape, and hostilities continued. In October, the United States Marines barracks in Beirut was bombed (usually attributed to the Islamic Resistance groups). Following this incident, the United States withdrew its military forces from Lebanon.

Suicide bombings became increasingly popular at this time, and were a major concern of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) both near Beirut and in the South. Among the most serious were the two suicide bombings against the Israeli headquarters in Tyre, which killed 103 soldiers, border policemen, and Shin Bet agents, and also killed 49–56 Lebanese. Israel believes those acts were among the first organized actions made by Shi'ite militants, later forming into Hizbullah. Subsequently, Israel withdrew from the Shouf Mountains, but continued to occupy Lebanon south of the Awali River.

An increased number of Islamic militias began operating in South Lebanon, launching guerilla attacks on Israeli and pro-Israel militia positions. Israeli forces often responded with increased security measures and airstrikes on militant positions, and casualties on all sides steadily climbed. In a vacuum left with eradication of PLO, the disorganized Islamic militants in South Lebanon began to consolidate. The emerging Hezbollah, soon to become the preeminent Islamic militia, evolved during this period. However, scholars disagree as to when Hezbollah came to be regarded as a distinct entity. Over time, a number of Shi’a group members were slowly assimilated into the organization, such as Islamic Jihad members, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, and the Revolutionary Justice Organization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Lebanon_conflict_%281982%E2%80%932000%29

[Alamuti Lotus]

10. these stray rocket attacks are rarely the work of Hizbu'llah, actually

When the Party clears its throat, it is to the tune of thousands and there is little room left for suspicion.

This type of activity is usually the product of some obscure Palestinian faction or, increasingly, rogue salafist outfits. The latter are in hyperdrive at the moment and are quite eager to produce provocations that would harm their top enemy, Hizbu'llah. The increasing collaboration between these Salafi fanatics and the zionist regime is a cause for concern, especially when interpreting events such as in the OP. No veiled suggestion should be interpreted from that last sentence.

[The Stranger]

19. Bullshit.

Hezbollah was born out of -- and is the direct result of -- the 19-year Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon.

It formed from the resistance to yet another Israeli occupation of Arab land.

[GoneFishin]

5. I wonder what the true purpose is for these rockets that hit nothing?

There seem to be a lot of them.

[DavidDvorkin]

8. Their true purpose is to hit something and cause death and destruction

Last edited Mon Dec 30, 2013, 11:51 PM - Edit history (1)

Fortunately, they failed this time.

[GoneFishin]

11. No. I am no expert. But it seems they would not be fired into open fields and parking lots

if that were the case.

I wonder what else they might be for?

[Archae]

12. They hit those fields and parking lots because...

They have all the accuracy of a stone thrown blindfolded.

I saw an Israeli army technician firing 3 captured rockets of that type.
One went off at a full 90 degree angle, one went straight but overshot the target by dozens of yards, and the third actually went in the opposite direction it was supposed to go.

These are terrorist weapons. Nothing more.
Hamas and Hezbollah can make these fairly cheaply, put the launchers (a tripod of wood) into any space, light the fuse, and run away while the rocket sails off in any direction.

The effect is about the same as a grenade. With shrapnel.

[GoneFishin]

13. For all the free PR and sympathy these rockets drum up for their enemy, and

considering that they don't work, and that Israel could probably part their hair with a 500 pound bomb at will, it doesn't make much sense.

[Archae]

14. They use them for one reason.

They are cheap.

And Hamas and Hezbollah don't give a flying fuck where they hit, even their own people.

[GoneFishin]

16. Individuals who fire these might ask themselves if they want to bolster international sympathy

and support for Israel and it's expansionists policies, and assure continued military assistance from the west.

Because that seems to be all that is accomplished.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Is there another election coming up in Israel?

[Pterodactyl]

7. Those Lebanese rocket attacks are a war crime.

[Mosby]

9. Lebanon army fires on Syrian aircraft for ‘first time’

BAALBEK, Lebanon - The Lebanese army used its air defence systems against Syrian helicopters on Monday after they carried out a raid inside Lebanese territory, a military source told AFP.

It was the first time the Lebanese army has responded to Syrian attacks on its territory, which have multiplied as the conflict in its eastern neighbour has intensified, the source said.

“In accordance with the orders of the army command, anti-aircraft guns were fired in the direction of Syrian helicopters that bombed Khirbet Dawud near Arsal,” in the area near the Syrian border, the source told AFP. “It is the first time that the Lebanese army has used its anti-aircraft defence systems” to respond to Syrian raids, the source added. Lebanese officials reported no casualties from the Syrian raid. It was not clear whether the retaliatory fire had hit the Syrian aircraft.

The Lebanese army has in the past threatened to respond to cross-border fire from Syria but has not previously done so.
On June 12, it issued a rare warning to the Syrian government, saying it would respond “immediately” to any new “violation” after a raid by the army on the Arsal area, a hub of support for the rebels, which is also home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. But it had not previously carried out its threat, despite repeated spillovers from the fighting over the border.

http://www.nation.com.pk/international/31-Dec-2013/lebanon-army-fires-on-syrian-aircraft-for-first-time

[anasv]

15. IDF attacks Lebanon; Lebanon returns fire.

Kiryat Shmona is an Israeli settlement on the site of a Bedouin village whose inhabitants were driven out by Zionists in 1948.

[jessie04]

17. Nice try.

.

[jessie04]

18. I've seen this movie before.

Hezbollah just fired rockets at Israel

" well, this is unfortunate but you know, Hezbollah is Hezbollah and what are you going to do."



Figure Israel is going to retaliate.

" oh my god, oh my god, oh the humanity, this is is the worst thing in the history of the world!!!!......woe is me. Israel is going to start World War 3....I mean 4....maybe 5. There will be innocent people killed and it will be Israel's fault. This is a catastrophe!!!! Its an act of war...Netanyahu wants to kill and will look for any excuse."


Not in reference to anyone in particular.. Just a little sarcasm.

[EX500rider]

22. Frankly i think they show remarkable restraint..

...imagine if a weaker neighboring country was constantly firing rockets and missiles into say, the US or Russia or China...

The response wouldn't pretty and would be A LOT bloodier.