Where I’m From This is “Fighting Talk”
Now of course, this isn’t a patch on split pants but…. from Ynet and widely reported in Israel:
IDF Northern Command chief says in any future war Israel would use ‘ disproportionate’ force on Lebanese villages from which Hizbullah will fire rockets at its cities. ‘From our standpoint, these are not civilian villages, they are military bases,’ Maj.-Gen. Eisenkot tells Yedioth Ahronoth
and further down:
“This is not a recommendation. This is a plan. And it has been approved,” Eisenkot added.
The whole point of announcing this kind of thing is that the other side know it and believe it. You’ve got to follow through and damn the UN.
In other news the UN schedule all the planning sessions for Durban II (the next bash Israel on a major scale conference that they’re planing) on Pessach and Yom Kippur while taking days off for every major Muslim holiday. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Filed Under: General
About the Author: Besides blogging here, Brian of London hosts 
You said, "The whole point of announcing this kind of thing is that the other side know it and believe it. ". Boy how wrong you are (unfortunately) ! These are words to allay the fears of Israelis. Israelis have proved to be very gullible and naive. It's to take their edge off until the crisis blows over, or until a bigger crisis calls for different tactic to assuage. Need an example? They were told before the stripping away of Gush Katif that once the Palestinians are given this land, then even one missile will be tolerated. Until then, they were told, the army cannot do anything serious about the luanchings because the terrorists do not comprise a state in and of themselves, but as soon as they have their own teritory, then any new missile attack will trigger a powerful retaliation. That calmed the people and they gave in. Now it's a good 7 years that the missiles continue to rain down and where is the IDF to counter this invasion by a foreign, autonomous power? With their heads between their knees.
Brian, "Fighting talk" you say? It's more like Gerry postulates. IDF, asa mouthpiece of the liberal government now, delivers some tough talk and this way the leftist government can continue its ruinous policy without provoking dissent. This "tough talk" is really the new way to keep potential political turmoil as anodyne as possible. It's the masses' sleeping pill. Long gone are the days of the "Entebbe" spirit. The last war in Lebanon is a good indication of just how tough the IDF has become. What with liberalism on the loose in Israel, you've got plenty of Muslims and homos and lefty squealers in the army now, and more young men have found it easier to skip army duty altogether. The army uniform is no longer a proud mark of distinction. Who wants to fight the enemy when the enemy is freed after having been captured over spilled blood? Or who wants to join an army where they have to be shot at before you return fire, or where you have to shoot rubber bullets, or where you have to stand trial in case you "overprotect" yourself? Remember Murtha? Israel's got them all over the system. They got Arabs as police, Arabs as justices, Arabs as neigbors, Arabs as workers, and Arabs as 5th wheels all over the country spying for their brethren outside the country, slowly cooking the Israeli goose.
Gerry and Rafael: I'm in the camp with you guys. The level of cynicism I'm developing toward the Israeli government and almost all its politicians is probably only a hair's breadth behind yours. I guess I was just hoping that for once Israeli people would hold their leaders to account.