Word: israelism
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...pictures of Israel's deadly assault on Gaza...
...Israel is also acutely aware of the diplomatic clock. The Israelis certainly want the operation over before Barack Obama enters the White House on Jan. 20, so as not to demand of him a crisis response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And the diplomatic moves already afoot by the U.S. and Europeans - and the mounting pressure on Arab regimes, including that of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, to intervene even if their unstated preference is to see Hamas hobbled - suggest that Operation Cast Lead's diplomatic window of opportunity will close a lot sooner. For all the above...
...more than a week now, Israel's armored columns have been poised at the edge of Gaza, carefully drawn battle plans in hand, ready to launch the ground component of the military campaign to deter Hamas from firing rockets into Israel. Even as the Israeli air force pounded Gaza for a seventh day and Palestinian rocket fire continued, the soldiers living in and around their tanks and armored personnel carriers in the winter cold, on a constant state of high alert against mortar fire and possible guerrilla raids, were wondering out loud about what's holding back their political leaders...
...most senior figures has been interpreted by Hamas as an intentional body blow - and may yet prompt a furious retaliation - Israeli officials did not characterize it as a "targeted killing." Indeed, Israeli military-intelligence sources tell TIME that Rayan was killed when he remained in his home after Israel had phoned and ordered those inside to evacuate - before striking to destroy command facilities in the house. Israel says it has used this "knock on the roof" practice of phoning warnings about strikes on the homes of Hamas leaders throughout the current campaign. Israeli officials say the campaign thus...
...answer to the question of what's restraining Barak and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from launching a full-scale ground attack may be found in the goals of the Israeli operation and the time available. Israel has made clear from the outset that its objective is to attain a cease-fire on its own terms that will last at least a year or two. While they hope to weaken Hamas, Israel's leaders are aware that they're unlikely to destroy the organization, and among their primary concerns is to avoid getting dragged into a quagmire. Destroying Hamas would take...