Gaza Ceasefire

Well I was right again - a 'unilateral ceasefire' - and with two clear days to make sure none of this features prominently during Tuesday's inaugural address. Not on completion of any military objective: lots and lots of objectives were destroyed, for sure, but Hamas lunched another 16 rockets, one of which actually hit a target, prior to dictating their own ceasefire terms, so even if the objectives were accomlishable (doubtful), they certainly haven't been accomplished.

No, this is just politics. (please ignore the pile of stinking corpses behind the curtain.)

A lot of what is being said on TV with straight faces would make Goebbels blush, but today's favourite, for me, is that the ceasefire is more accurately being described by the IDF as a 'halt in offensive operations.' Not a cessation of hostilities, not a withdrawal, not relief of the seige, not even recognition that you can speak to or reason with the enemy, but a temporary and unilateral halt in the 'offensive' operations.

Imagine for a moment that I gouged my thumb into your eye. This is an offensive operation - if you've ever suffered an eye injury you will agree how very offensive it would be. Now imagine I agree to halt those operations unilaterally. You might be surprised to find my thumb still in your eye. But there it is nonetheless.