MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

Hamas fires rockets against innocent civilians in southern Israel, yet Turkey blames Israel for the crisis? The reasoning coming out of Turkey is truly fowl …

Reuters – “ISTANBUL – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan decried Israeli’s air strikes on Gaza on Friday as a pre-election stunt and said he would discuss the crisis with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo this weekend.

Under Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party, Turkey has sought to use its clout as a rising democratic power in the Muslim world to increase its influence in the Middle East, distancing itself from former ally Israel.

Erdogan said he would speak by phone with US President Barack Obama later on Friday and that Ankara was also seeking talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the prospect of a full Israeli ground invasion.

The United States says it has asked Turkey and Egypt to encourage the Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza to cease rocket fire into Israel, but Erdogan laid the blame for the deepening crisis firmly on the Jewish state.” Source – The Jerusalem Post.

Rockets Fired At Jerusalem For The First Time In Over 40 Years – “… the air raid siren that was sounded in Jerusalem and the surrounding area late Friday afternoon marked the first time since the Hamas terror organization took over Gaza that such an attack was aimed at Israel’s capital city. Hamas immediately took credit for the attack, claiming to have shot “an improved Kassam. The Iranian-made Fajr 5 rocket fired at Tel Aviv by Palestinian militants has a far greater range than the home-made Qassam rockets used by Hamas in Gaza …” Read more.

500 Targets Struck In Gaza As Hundreds Of Missiles Rain Down on Israel – “About 500 rockets have been fired into Israel over past two days, with 184 intercepted by Iron Dome missile defense system, the army’s spokeswoman said, speaking anonymously in accordance with military regulations. Israeli air strikes have hit almost 500 targets in Gaza, she said. Hamas, which governs Gaza, said the Israeli attacks continued.” Read more.

Israeli PM: We Are Going to Continue Hitting Hamas Hard – “‘We are going to continue hitting Hamas hard and we will continue to strike hard at the missiles targeted at Central and Southern Israel,’ Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday. Netanyahu met with President Shimon Peres in light of the recent escalation in the South. ‘Hamas deliberately targets our children, and they deliberately place their rockets next to their children,’ Netanyahu said.” Read more.

Ma’an News Agency – “RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli forces as demonstrations were held across the West Bank to support Gaza on Thursday, witnesses and officials said.

Nine women were detained on Thursday evening after they climbed the walls of Israel’s Beit El settlement near Ramallah. The protesters carried banners and draped the Palestinian flag across the wall. A number of protesters escaped arrest, witnesses said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said a number of people were arrested for trying to ‘infiltrate a military base,’ but she could not confirm the number of detentions.

The rally was held in support of Palestinians in Gaza, after Israeli forces killed 15 Palestinians in the coastal strip over 24 hours. Three Israelis died on Thursday morning after militants returned rocket fire.

Protesters clashes with soldiers in nearby Ofer military base outside Ramallah at noon on Thursday, witnesses said. No injuries have been reported. An Israeli military spokeswoman was looking into the incident.

Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinians held a sit-in at Manara square in central Ramallah to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The crowd, addressed by Palestinian political leaders, chanted slogans against Israeli aggression and called for the international community to intervene.” Read more.

Hundreds of Tunisians protest Israel attacks on Gaza – “Hundreds of Tunisians demonstrated on Thursday against Israel’s deadly attacks on Gaza, as Israeli planes pounded armed groups in the Palestinian territory for a second day, an AFP journalist reported. Several hundred protesters, gathered on Habib Bourguiba Avenue in the centre of Tunis, shouted slogans such as ‘No to reconciliation,’ and ‘The people want to criminalise normalised relations with the (Zionist) entity.’ Youth supporters of Tunisia’s ruling Islamist party Ennahda also called for a demonstration on Friday, ‘after the odious crimes committed by the Zionist entity, which has violated the land and places that are sacred.'” Read more.

Egyptians protest Israeli assaults on Gaza outside Arab League – “Hundreds of Egyptian protesters converged on the Arab League’s Cairo headquarters on Thursday evening to demand an immediate halt to ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, which have so far claimed the lives of 15 Palestinians. Protesters further demanded that Egypt cut formal relations with Tel Aviv in retaliation for the latest round of Israeli aggression against the besieged coastal enclave… ‘Arm us, arm us and to Gaza send us,’ demonstrators chanted in unison as some set fire to Israeli flags.” Read more.

Worldwide Protests Against Israeli ‘Aggression’ in Gaza – “Here is a list of Emergency Global Actions for Gaza being planned around the world. This list is being constantly updated, please check here for the latest.” Read more.

Until confirmed by other news agencies, take this with a grain of salt …

“It has been reported that Egyptian tanks backed By commandos are moving into the Sinai desert in order to fortify positions in the case of an all out war between Israel and Gaza after an Israeli operation killed the head of the military wing of the Islamist group Hamas in a missile strike on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and launched a campaign of air strikes on the enclave.

The armed wing of Hamas – the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades announced that ‘the occupation has opened the gates of hell on itself’ by assassinating its top commanders.

The two sides appeared to be on the cusp of a fresh war and the attacks marked the biggest escalation between Israel and Gaza militants since a 2008-2009 conflict. It came despite signs on Tuesday that neighboring Egypt had managed to broker a truce in the enclave after a five day surge of violence.

It appears that the Egyptian brokered truce has failed spectacularly and reports are coming in that Egyptian tanks are racing across the Sinai Desert in order to fortify positions along’s Israels borders. This action indicates that Egypt takes the all out threat of war in the region very seriously and is protecting their borders with extreme caution.

Sources in the Egyptian government say they have [been] extremely concerned about the recent shellings in Gaza by Israel. It is understood to have put extreme pressure on the military as they are hesitant to increase tensions in the area.” Source – Cybertribe News Network.

There Will Be War In The Middle East – “The military action that we are watching in the Middle East right now is just a preview of coming attractions. Tensions in the region are rising with each passing day, and all sides have been anticipating future conflicts and preparing for war for decades. It would be wonderful if everyone could sit down, forgive each other and agree to quit fighting, but that is not going to happen. Most of us that live in the western world have a very difficult time understanding the mindset of those immersed in these conflicts. In the Middle East, there are vendettas and grudges that go back literally thousands of years.” Read more.

By Gil Ronen, INN – “Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and residents were told to head for shelter Thursday evening. An explosion was reportedly heard. Magen David Adom said that there were no casualties.

Voice of Israel public radio said that the rocket is believed to have struck in a southern suburb of Tel Aviv, but Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter said that the rocket apparently fell into the sea near Bat Yam.

Minister of Public Security Yitzchak Aharonovich gave a conflicting account and said that a missile fell into the sea.

The IDF is amassing ground forces near Gaza and preparing for a possible assault. Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) told Voice of Israel that Gaza is in for an ‘unprecedented attack.’

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday approved the call-up of 30,000 reserve soldiers, who can be called into action by the military at any point, the army’s official spokesman said.

‘We are in the process of expanding the campaign,’ Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai told Channel 2 television as Israel pressed a massive air campaign against Gaza terrorists.

‘The Defense Minister approved a few minutes ago, based on the army’s request, the recruitment of another 30,000 soldiers. We will determine how many of them will be called in,’ he said. ‘All options are on the table.’

The United States is calling on Egypt to use its sway with the Palestinians to try to end the violence from Gaza, a top U.S. official said Thursday, adding Hamas must stop its rocket attacks on Israel.

‘We ask Egypt to use its influence in the region to help de-escalate the situation,’ deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, adding that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had spoken with her Egyptian counterpart.

Egypt’s prime minister is to visit Gaza Friday.” Read more.

Related: Muslim Brotherhood Mobilizes for Hamas – “… the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt is doubling down on its support for Hamas, Gaza’s ruling terrorist organization, and has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel. U.S.-based Islamists and their non-Muslim allies can be counted on in the ensuing days to pressure the administration to throw Israel under the bus in favor of the Islamist rulers of Egypt. If Egypt takes action, the administration will have to choose between its relationship with Israel or its relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. There is no middle ground to straddle.” Read more.

Debka – “The first three Palestinian missiles reached the Tel Aviv conurbation, Gush Dan, Thursday night, Nov. 15. shortly after a long-range missile exploded in Rishon Lezion southeast of Tel Aviv and sirens sounded in outlying towns of Holon, Ness Ziona, Gan Raveh and Beer Yacov. None report casualties or damage. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered 30,000 army reservists drafted. The IDF spokesmen earlier reported units of the elite paratroop and Givati Brigades were mustering outside the Gaza Strip on the second day of Israel’s counter-terror operation Pillar of Cloud.

From debkafile’s earlier report Thursday: As the rockets kept coming through Wednesday night – and the first three fatalities Thursday morning, Nov. 15 – the cautious lift in Israeli spirits generated by the death of Ahmed Jabari, who fashioned Hamas into a paramilitary machine of terror, and the destruction of dozens of missile sites in Gaza, gave way to resignation for a long haul before southern Israel is free of its decade-long rocket nightmare.

Thursday morning, a rocket from Gaza killed three Israelis in Kiryat Malachi. By then, some 120 rockets – mostly targeting the major towns of Beersheba and Ashdod, but also smaller locations – had followed Jabari’s death. Iron Dome intercepted 27.The first reserve units had been mobilized for possible ground action in Gaza to supplement the air offensive against the Palestinian missile arsenal.

But Operation Pillar of Cloud’s first part showed a favorable balance: Palestinian missile fire was as erratic as ever, although intense; Iron Dome filtered out the rockets aimed at Israel’s major towns; Israeli casualties were relatively low though painful; and the enemy in Gaza was decapitated – for now.

But most of all, the Palestinians and their allies in Tehran and Hizballah suddenly discovered that the old IDF had come roaring back.

In the only former major Israeli operation in Gaza, Cast Lead (late 2008, early 2009), the IDF was slow, unwieldy and unfocused. Its counter-terror offensive was foreshortened by heavy diplomatic pressure before achieving anything, owing to the government’s lack of resolve. In the 2006 Lebanon War, the army was stalled before developing an effective tactical offensive.

The IDF of 2012 is in a different class, recalling its rapid-fire performance in the Six-Day War then fought on multiple fronts.

In just a few hours late Wednesday, Nov. 14, Pillar of Cloud achieved more than Cast Lead managed in weeks: It was driven by clockwork, integrated intelligence by the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence, precise, surgical air force strikes and a command-and-control with fast reflexes which recalled Israel’s military skills of 45 years ago.” Read more.

Baby Injured in Kiryat Malachi

Fox News – “JERUSALEM – Israel moved closer to an all-out ground war with Hamas Thursday, as Israeli planes, tanks and gunboats pounded suspected militant positions in Gaza in retaliation for another day of Hamas rocket attacks that left at least three Israelis dead.

Tel Aviv residents say they heard an explosion following an air-raid alert across the city, raising fears of a Gaza rocket strike on Israel’s commercial capital.

Israeli authorities were trying to determine where the rocket may have landed on Thursday. Eli Bean, the head of Israel’s rescue service, says no injuries have been reported.

Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai says nothing landed on the ground, raising the possibility it fell in the sea.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Thursday that Israel could no longer stand repeated attacks on its southern towns. He said that Israel has “made it clear” it won’t tolerate continued rocket fire on its civilians.

Earlier, Netanyahu had declared, ‘If there is a need, the military is prepared to expand the operation. We will continue to do everything to protect our citizens.'” Read more.

• Related: Tel Aviv Residents Scramble For Cover As Rockets Fired Into Economic Capital
• Related: Residents Scrambled For Bomb Shelters Along Israel’s Central Coastal Cities
• Related: Egypt’s Al-Azhar Grand Imam Slams Israel For Defending Itself Against Terrorism
• Related: Iran, Syria Condemn Israel For Defending Itself Against Terrorism

AFP – “Egypt’s Islamist Freedom and Justice Party, formerly headed by President Mohammed Mursi, said on Wednesday Egypt would no longer stand by as Israel attacked Palestinians after air strikes killed a Hamas leader.

The FJP, the political arm of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood movement, said Israeli air strikes that killed top militant Ahmed al-Jaabari in Gaza earlier on Wednesday required ‘swift Arab and international action to stop the massacres.’

The party, which fielded Mursi in a June election to replace toppled president Hosni Mubarak, said Israel ‘must take into account the changes in the Arab region and especially Egypt.’

Egypt ‘will not allow the Palestinians to be subjected to Israeli aggression, as in the past,’ the party statement said.

Mubarak, overthrown in early 2011, was criticized by his opponents for his response to an Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2008-2009 following rocket fire by Palestinian militants.

Mursi, a vociferous supporter of the Palestinians before his election, had been expected to open up to the blockaded Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, but his government has backed off from his pledges.” Source – Al Arabiya.

Israel Calls Up Reservists, Gets Ready for Gaza Invasion – “The operation, called ‘Pillar of Defense’, has been launched by the Israel military. Many of the buildings in downtown Gaza City are on fire after being attacked by Israeli warplanes, RT’s Arabic correspondent Saed Swerky reports on Twitter. The IDF says all options are on the table in Gaza, including a ground operation. Israeli warships have struck ‘terror sites’ in the Gaza Strip, the military forces confirmed… Israel has started emergency call up of reservists, while saying they are preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza…” Read more.

Flashback: Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Leader Calls For Jihad Against Israel To ‘Save Jerusalem’ And ‘Cleanse Palestine’ – “This would be the same ‘leader’ of Egypt’s new president, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Muhammad Morsi—and the man whom some have even portrayed as the true power behind Egypt’s presidency, with Morsi acting as his puppet. According to last Thursday’s edition of Al Wafd, during his weekly sermon, ‘Muhammad Badi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide, confirmed the necessity for every Muslim to strive to save al-Quds [Jerusalem] from the hands of the rapists [Israelis] and to cleanse Palestine from the clutches of the occupation, deeming this an individual duty for all Muslims.’” Read more.

Flashback: Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Holds Venomous Anti-Israel Rally, Vows to ‘One Day Kill All Jews’ – “Arab hate: A Muslim Brotherhood rally in Cairo’s most prominent mosque Friday turned into a venomous anti-Israel protest, with attendants vowing to ‘one day kill all Jews.’ Some 5,000 people joined the rally, called to promote the ‘battle against Jerusalem’s Judaization.’ The event coincided with the anniversary of the United Nations’ partition plan in 1947, which called for the establishment of a Jewish state… Speakers at the event delivered impassioned, hateful speeches against Israel, slamming the ‘Zionist occupiers’ and the ‘treacherous Jews.’” Read more.

By Barney Henderson, The Telegraph – “The military wing of Hamas said in a statement that the assassination ‘has opened the gates of hell’.

Israel’s military said the strike was the ‘start of targetting Gaza militants’, according to AFP.

Witnesses say Jabari was travelling in his vehicle in Gaza City when his car exploded.

Jabari is the most senior Hamas official to be killed since an Israeli invasion of Gaza four years ago. He has long topped Israel’s most-wanted list, the Associated Press reported.

Israeli officials had said in recent days that they were considering assassinating top Hamas officials following a wave of heavy rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence service confirmed it had carried out the attack, saying it had killed Jaabri because of his ‘decade-long terrorist activity’.

‘One citizen was killed and another moderately injured in a Zionist strike on a car in Gaza City,’ spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP.

Another Israeli military spokesman, Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai, said the aerial assault on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday could draw cross-border Palestinian rocket attacks and stretch into days of fighting.

‘The days we face in the south will, in my estimation, prove protracted,’ he told Channel 2 TV. ‘The homefront must brace itself resiliently.'” Read more.

Israel Strikes At Least 20 Targets In Gaza – “The IAF struck and killed Hamas’s head of military operations Ahmed Jabari in central Gaza on Wednesday. The airstrike marked the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense to target Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations in Gaza, IDF spokesman Yoav Mordechai said. ‘The first aim of this operation is to bring back quiet to southern Israel, and the second target is to strike at terror organizations,’ Mordechai said. Shortly afterwards, the IDF struck over 20 underground rocket launchers belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in an airstrike.” Read more.

• Related: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood calls on president Mohammed Morsi to reassess relationship with Israel
• Related: Israel: “We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead”

By Robert Maginnis, Human Events – “It is a twist of fate, or perhaps by design, that President Barack Obama’s Syria policy puts America in league with al Qaeda and other hardline Islamists helping to oust another dictator. We may come to regret our Syrian policy.

Our policies that help Islamists are becoming a dangerous pattern for American Mideast interests.  Remember, President Obama called for the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and now that country has an anti-American Muslim Brotherhood-run government.  Obama joined NATO’s efforts to oust Libya’s dictator and as a result we got the Benghazi consulate attack tragedy and another Arab country brimming with Islamic extremists and criminal militias.

The same is happening with Syria.  During the presidential debate Obama said Syrian President Bashir al-Assad ‘has to go’ and ‘we are going to do everything we can to make sure that we are helping the opposition.’  But that commitment means something very different today than it meant last year when the Syrian opposition wasn’t so radicalized.

Over the past year Islamic extremists have nudged their way into the Syrian opposition, which means once the dictator is gone, Islamists will play a significant role in yet another Mideast country.  The consequences are serious: another anti-American country in the region that will likely embrace Sharia (Islamic) law and host more terrorism.

The Arab Spring revolution movement reached Syria March 15, 2011, when residents took to the streets and that government responded with heavy-handed force.  Today, a full-blown civil war rages in Syria and 40,000 people, mostly civilians, are dead, tens of thousands arrested, more than 400,000 Syrians have fled the country, and millions either need aid or are displaced domestically.

Now the fighting is spilling over into neighboring countries like Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq in part because Syrian government forces are too weak to stamp out the rebellion.  Meanwhile, the Syrian rebels are losing crucial public support because of their poorly planned missions, internal quarreling, senseless destruction and criminal behavior.

The rebels’ ineffectiveness coupled with the belief Syrians have been abandoned by the outside world created an opportunity for Islamists, especially al Qaeda, which is seeking to exploit the turmoil and reinvigorate its regional ambitions in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Last winter, American counterterrorism officials said Sunni militants with ties to al Qaeda in Iraq moved into Syria to exploit the political turmoil.  By this summer, al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists were Read more…