Israel (again) vows strong response to bombing
By Stan Goodenough
December 6th, 2005
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The Israeli government has said it will respond strongly to Monday’s bombing attack by an Arab terrorist who blew himself up in Netanya killing five Israelis and wounding nearly 50 more.
And in a refreshingly unequivocal way, the Bush administration is apparently prepared to back Israel’s responses to the hilt.
“Israel has a right to protect its residents in every way and America will support every one of its moves,” US Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said with double emphasis Tuesday.
Just how strong Israel’s response will be, and how fully the US will support its Middle East ally this time, remains to be seen.
Typically after “suicide” attacks – which have become common fare in the terror war against Israel – the Jewish state has immediately promised harsh retaliation, with the Bush administration voicing its general support.
Within days or even hours, however, as the shock and outrage has begun to dissipate, Israel’s responses have been toned down.
And even these relatively restrained actions have been only partially backed by Washington, which has tempered its supportive statements with the caveat that Israel should be aware of the future consequences of what it is doing.
If it lasts, this time, a reason for the unambiguous American support could be that Washington is itself fielding fresh fire for the manner in which it is waging war against Islamic terrorism.
Israel’s intensified military hit-back will be aimed both at the terrorist groups responsible for sending “suicide” bombers on their murderous missions, and those who launch Kassam rockets “into” Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Those rocket attacks had become more frequent in the days immediately before Monday’s massacre.
An Israeli cabinet meeting convened shortly after the Netanya attack agreed on a number of measures, including:
stepping up anti-Islamic Jihad operations in Judea and Samaria
aiming artillery strikes at built-up areas in the Gaza Strip, (and not just at empty fields as has been the case up to now)
the demolition of homes belonging to families of “suicide” bombers and,
in line with an announcement made earlier by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, the resumption of targeted killings of terrorist leaders.
Meanwhile, IDF troops swept into the village from which the Netanya killer came Monday, arresting his father and brothers.
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