Israel Matzav

Former Def.Min. Moshe Arens: "Northern Gaza Must be Recaptured"

Former Defense Minister Moshe Arens' name has been coming up a lot on this blog over the last couple of days. Today, Arens has a frightening warning covered on Arutz Sheva (and nowhere in the Israeli MSM - let alone anyplace else). Speaking on Arutz Sheva's radio station today (which is now available only on the Internet thanks to the Israeli government and 'Supreme Court'), Arens said:

"I fear that the government is refraining from sending IDF troops into Gaza to stop the Kassam rockets because it doesn't want to admit its mistake in withdrawing from Gaza in the first place."

Arens said that a military ground operation is necessary because the "IDF's artillery barrage on northern Gaza is totally futile, as the terrorists fire the rockets from densely populated areas while Israel shells empty areas."

"The security establishment must not forget," Arens exhorted, "that the Kassams being fired on Ashkelon are being fired from areas that were abandoned as part of the Disengagement. The army must therefore return and conquer these areas, and only in this way will we be able to stop the rockets from being fired at us."

Arens had tough words to say about the withdrawal and the uprooting of the Jews of Gush Katif and northern Shomron. "To forcibly uproot [nearly 9,000 Jews] from their homes, and to use the IDF to do it, was a barbaric act," he said.

On the day the Disengagement began last summer, Arens spoke on IsraelNationalRadio and called the disengagement a “self-inflicted wound” and “the biggest internal crisis that Israel has ever faced. It will leave some serious scars behind. It’s going to be very bad, and I’m sorry I can’t be more optimistic.”

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:45 PM