The Iranian training that Hamas is getting is making their terrorists more deadly and effective.

Three Givati Brigade soldiers were killed Wednesday morning during intense clashes with a Palestinian terror cell near the security fence in central Gaza. Three other soldiers sustained light to moderate injuries in exchanges of fire that erupted in the area.

[...] At around 6 am soldiers manning an IDF observation post identified a terorr cell which reportedly consisted of six Palestinian gunmen approaching the security fence near Kibbutz Be’eri in an apparent attempt to infiltrate Israel. A force from Givati’s Tzabar Battalion that was called to the scene entered 500 meters deep into Palestinian territory.

The terror cell managed to flee to a nearby vantage point, and two gunmen were sent to set off explosives near the Israeli troops. Two of the soldiers who were hit died of their wounds a short time later, and another was pronounced dead some two hours later at Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center. Two of the wounded soldiers were being treated at Soroka, while another soldier was evacuated to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.

[...] According to Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’ military wing, eight members of the organization split into two cells ambushed the Israeli soldiers.

“When the force advanced it ran into our cell, which launched mortars and opened fire at the soldiers,” he said. “The IDF force began retreating but was then attacked by the second Hamas cell, which opened fire with automatic weapons.”

Obeida said the operation was part of a defense tactic the group refers to as “Field of Death”, adding that the incident was a mere prelude to the violence that will erupt in Gaza “if the siege continues”.

Putting aside all the Glorious Soldiers For Allah bullshit, this is a shift in tactics that drew the IDF soldiers into an ambush.

Dr Gadi Shaked, head of the trauma ward at Soroka, said that three of the injured soldiers arrived at the hospital via helicopter at approximately 8 am. According to him, one of them arrived in serious condition with bullet wounds to his limbs and died on the way to the operating room.

Dr Shaked said another soldier was evacuated with moderate gun wounds to his stomach, and a third arrived at the medical center with light injuries to his arm.

It was a good ambush. And this is not good news:

An initial investigation into the incident found that the soldiers acted in accordance with IDF procedures.

Then IDF procedures are going to have to be changed. The terrorists have trained in Iran and are no longer semi-trained terrorists with guns. They are now terrorists with guns who know how to shoot, set an ambush, and kill the soldiers who respond to their trap. The kill ratio in this operation was four Hamas terrorists for three IDF soldiers—ambush or not, that’s extremely unusual.

As for the AP, they don’t mention the wounded Israeli soldiers in the lede, but they mention Hamas wounded. And there’s a new boilerplate about the kassam rockets fired into Israel on a near-daily basis:

Israel’s army frequently raids the Gaza Strip or launches air strikes to target militant squads that launch rockets at Israel almost daily. The inaccurate rockets wreak panic on southern Israel and occasionally cause casualties.

Because gee, there’s nothing inherently wrong with firing rockets into a civilian population on a regular basis. Hey, what’s a little panic and an occasional casualty? Walk it off, Israel. Walk it off.

Completely unreported by the AP was this mortar attack, and subsequent hit on an Israeli house:

On Tuesday, Givati Brigade and Armored Corps troops operating in the Kissufim area fired at a Kassam launching cell, and confirmed hitting it, the IDF said. The soldiers came under heavy mortar and anti-tank fire. No troops were wounded.

[...] In addition, an Israeli home was hit as Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, near the Gaza border, came under heavy mortar fire. No one was wounded, but the roof sustained mild damage.

Yep, those occasional panic attacks and casualties? Nothing to write home about, eh, AP?

Bret Stephens nails Jimmy Carter:

That’s not quite what Mr. Carter said, however. He said the dictator “speaks” for “all” the people, just as the people in a democracy speak for themselves. Taken at face value, this is a reflection of every dictator’s conceit: that his will is also the general will, whether the people agree with him or not. This is what Fidel Castro meant when he praised Cuba’s elections, in which only the Communist Party is on the ballot, as “the most democratic in the world.” Perhaps Mr. Carter has harbored similar views about the relative merits of his opinion versus the people’s since he was turned out of high office by 44 states.

(via memeorandum)As I’ve noted before Jimmy Carter has used his prestige to legitimize the likes of Hugo Chavez and Yasser Arafat. Maybe it’s because he was turned out of office so ignominiously that he has contempt for the will of the people.

John Podhoretz adds:

Those who believe this kind of relationship is the most and the best Americans can expect from a difficult world usually think of themselves as hardened by experience — serious, appropriately cynical, tough, and without illusion.

Incredibly Ha’aretz, with no sense of irony, claims that Israel owes Carter a debt of gratitude.

Whether Carter’s approach to conflict resolution is considered by the Israeli government as appropriate or defeatist, no one can take away from the former U.S. president his international standing, nor the fact that he brought Israel and Egypt to a signed peace that has since held. Carter’s method, which says that it is necessary to talk with every one, has still not proven to be any less successful than the method that calls for boycotts and air strikes. In terms of results, at the end of the day, Carter beats out any of those who ostracize him. For the peace agreement with Egypt, he deserves the respect reserved for royalty for the rest of his life.

Peace with Egypt was largely the result of Sadat’s running from Carter’s efforts to re-engage the Soviets in the Middle East. Here success was the residue of ineptitude. It’s important not to give Carter too much credit here. As president Carter reached bottom; as ex-president - despite some successes - he continues to dig.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

J-Street is a new group that calls itself “…political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement.”Matt Stoller of Open Left writes:

It’s a significant moment for progressive Jews who have previously not had our voices represented in the foreign policy realm, drowned out by right-wingers intent on the most hawkish policies out there.

This is not a lie.

It is not a statistic.

It is a damned lie.

Remember after Israel forced thousands of Israelis from their homes and made Gaza Judenrein? This was supposed to be the first test of Palestinian self government.

Israel reasonably wanted to keep control over the Rafah border, but Secretary of State Rice prevailed upon Israel to leave its security in the hands of European observers.

And who voiced their support of this policy? Why it was the very progressive forces who claim that they’ve been silenced all these years.

Don’t take my word for it. Let’s roll the way-back machine.

Here’s an APN action alert from November 2005:

The arrangements you helped broker in the November 15th accord are enabling Palestinians, for the first time, to control entry and exit from Gaza, via Rafah. They will also lead to the upgrading and expansion of other crossing points between Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, and the expediting of the export of this season’s agricultural goods from Gaza. In addition, the accord paves the way for the passage of people and goods between Gaza and the West Bank, and should lead to a reduction in the obstacles to movement within the West Bank. The agreement will permit the Palestinians to begin, for the first time, to construct a seaport, and recognizes the importance of continued discussion regarding the re-opening of a Palestinian airport. The components of this breakthrough will dramatically increase investment in Gaza by the private sector as well as financial assistance from donor countries.All of these developments will take place in the context of providing for Israeli security. This includes, among other things, the presence of the European Union as third-party monitors at Rafah, the provision of high-tech security equipment and appropriate training for personnel working at border crossings, coordination between Israel and the Palestinians with respect to travel of certain individuals, and explicit recognition in the agreement that “security is a prime and continuing concern for Israel and that appropriate arrangements to ensure security will be adopted.” The agreement also stipulates that security services from Israel, the PA, the U.S., and Egypt will continue to coordinate on security issues and will participate in the security working group.

I’ve highlighted some of the more egregious examples of failed expectations, but the short story is that Israel’s ceding of control of Rafah has brought neither prosperity to the Palestinians nor security to the Israelis. It has strengthened Hamas. Hamas now has 20000 men under arms and is regularly increasing the quantity and lethality of the materiel it possesses. (Now like minded folk are advocating talking to Hamas!) The prescription Americans for Peace Now - represented on J-Street by its CEO, Hillary super delegate, Debra Delee - advocated has failed miserably. Is APN expressing its regrets? Or condemning Hamas?

No, it’s still claiming that the main obstacle to peace is Israel’s failure to cede enough territory and the Administration’s failure to press Israel to cede more. (This applies not only to APN but to the other constituent groups and individual who populate J-Street.)

Does it matter that when the administration did press Israel and Israel acceded to the pressure that it led to more violence and less security for Israel? No. They still advocate more of the same. So not only do they advocate policies that failed in 1996 (when Israel withdrew from cities in 1995, it led to an increase in terror in 1996), in 2000 (when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon it strengthened Hezbollah) and in 2005 (Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza strengthened Hamas), these progressive organization advocate policies that increase violence and hurt Israel. Yet they have the chutzpah to claim that they are pro-peace and pro-Israel. They are neither.

These same people couldn’t wait to get rid of PM Netanyahu, yet when Netanyahu was Prime Minister, Israel saw a lessening of terrorism and Palestinians were more prosperous.

The morally bankrupt groups claim that it is skeptics of the peace process who threaten Israel and who are ideological rather than realistic. But the progress (if you can call it that) of the past 15 years has shown a much different story. I’m not the only one who sees that J-Street is anti-Israel. (via memeorandum)

I should also point out that these progressive groups get plenty of attention. They are regularly featured in the Forward. James D. Besser who reports on politics for nearly every single American Jewish weekly, is sympathetic and give them plenty of coverage. What’s remarkable is how much attention they get despite the fact that their views are a distinct minority, not just among Jews but among Americans generally.

J-Street is full of crap. And it’s time that someone called them on it.

I wrote previously about J-Street.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.