Israel after Defeat: Shock, Depression, Anxiety

04/03/2008 Israeli 'Operation Hot Winter' in the Gaza strip ended its
'first 
step', four days after it started, without achieving any notable 
'accomplishment'. The achievement was however on the Palestinian side. The

Palestinian Resistance succeeded in creating a new balance of fear
vis-à-vis 
Israeli forces. Their rocket attacks against Israeli settlements did not 
stop knowing that the main goal of the Israeli military operation was to
put 
an end to such attacks. Furthermore, a new phase in Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict has begun; Ashkelon has entered the range of Palestinian
resistance 
rockets and   settlements beyond 'Asheklon' stand prepared to face such a 
threat.

In this context, Israeli analyst Alon Ben David noted that a new balance
has 
been created. "Any escalation in Gaza now means rocket salvos into
Ashkelon. 
It was im****tant for the Palestinians to have the last say in this round. 
There is no military way to stop these rockets militarily", he said.

The total fiasco of the ground operation as well as the Israeli army's 
unwillingness to pay a high price of its soldiers pushed the Israeli 
leader****p into using a new means of engagement. In addition to IAF raids,

the Israeli political and military leader****ps legalized the bombing of 
civil areas of under the pretext of retaliating to rocket attacks.

Israeli vice Prime Minister Hayim Ramon said that Israeli forces had to 
launch bombs on Palestinian territories instead of sending in soldiers.
"We 
are able to determine within seconds the exact place from which rockets
are 
being launched. The other party has to know that for each rocket launched,

there will be an immediate reaction. This is what we used to do when we
used 
to bomb Lebanese villages," he said.

Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Ma'ariv published a re****t showing widespread

shock conditions among Israeli settlers around Gaza. The re****t said that 
settlers have been seeing nightmares, going through nervous breakdowns and

suffering from pains of unknown causes. "Some of the settlers even become 
paralyzed," the re****t added.

"I have a bad feeling and we are seriously thinking of emigrating from the

country. I'm always depressed. Why do I have to continue living in such an

atmosphere? It would be better for me to go to the U.S. or any other
quieter 
place", one settler said.

For their part, the settlers of the 'Ashdod' city expressed fear that they

might become rocket targets after 'Asheklon'. They warned the Israeli 
government that if this happened, then 'Tel Aviv" would also become in
real 
danger.