By
Monique Lester
Israel News Agency
Jerusalem
--- December 28, 2008...... Jews and Christians from around
the world are joining a Facebook community forum to express
their support for the men and women of the Israel Defense Forces
in their fight to counter terrorism against innocent civilians
in Israel from Gaza.
The
Facebook group is located at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=69810300128
Facebook
is the largest Web 2.0 social networking Website on the Net,
ranking as the fifth largest Website in the world with over
140 million active users.
The
pro-Israel, pro-democracy and anti-terrorism site named: "I
Support the Israel Defense Forces In Preventing Terror Attacks
From Gaza" was created by Internet journalist, marketing,
PR and SEO pioneer Joel Leyden.
The
Facebook site states: "Responding to unprovoked terror
rocket attacks from Hamas terrorists in Gaza against Israeli
civilian populations, the Israel Defense Forces has launched
a massive counter attack. This Facebook forum supports the brave
men and women in the Israel Defense Forces who by air, water
and ground protect Israel's democracy and sovereign borders.
The
Hamas government leaders and operatives, which activate terror
from within civilian population centers, are the sole bearers
of responsibility for Israel's military response. This response
is crucial for preserving Israel's security interests.
The
IDF Spokesperson states that anyone sponsoring terror, hosting
terror in his house, housing terror in his basement and sending
his wives and children to serve as human shields - is considered
a terrorist.
The
IDF will continue its activity against terror activities according
to operational assessments held by the Chief of the General
Staff. The IDF is ready to widen and deepen its activity against
all terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, as long as it is
necessary.
In
addition, the Israel IDF Homefront Command and emergency authorities,
have taken all necessary measures for preparing the civilian
population.
http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English
The
group is open 24/7 as public opinion directly affects life on
the ground. Please forward this Facebook room to your family,
friends and the media. Let them know that Israel wants peace
but will defend herself when attacked."
Since
11:30 Saturday morning, the IDF attacked dozens of targets affiliated
with the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip. The targets
included command centers, training camps, Hamas installations,
rocket manufacturing facilities and storage warehouses. The
vast majority of the casualties are terror operatives.
A
total of 110 rockets and mortar shells were fired at the western
Negev on Saturday, including a Katyusha rocket which exploded
27 kilometers from the Gaza border.
Netivot
resident Bebert Vakhnin was murdered and six other Israelis
were wounded in the strikes.
The
Israel Air Force bombed over 170 targets in Gaza yesterday,
killing more than 230 Palestinians, as Israel launched "Operation
Cast Lead," aimed at putting a stop to Hamas rocket attacks
against the South.
In
two waves, over 100 fighter jets and attack helicopters dropped
dozens of smart bombs and hundreds of tons of explosives on
Hamas training camps, headquarters, weapons storehouses, underground
missile silos and command-and-control centers scattered throughout
the Gaza Strip.
"The
Israel Air Force destroyed over 40 tunnels in less than 5 minutes
found on the Gaza side of the border. Those tunnels, we believe,
were used for smuggling weapons, explosives and sometimes people,"
an IDF spokeswoman told the Israel News Agency.
The
cabinet on Sunday approved the mobilization of thousands of
reservists to support Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.
The
Israel Cabinet approved a call-up of 6,500 IDF reservists today
to serve as reinforcements in Gaza ground operations.
Ministers
okayed defense officials' request to call-up of 4,500 reserve
troops, in addition to 2,000 who were mobilized on Saturday.
The
additional troops were to be allocated to the IDF home front
as well as the reinforcement of ground forces.
Israel
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet that "the perseverance,
resolution and patience of Israelis in the home front will determine
our ability to attain our goals as we defined them."
"Israel
has opened a military campaign in order to restore quiet to
the citizens of the South, who have suffered restive times and
disruptions to the normalcy needed by any sane person. The home
front has become in recent years a target of attacks which overshadow
the lives of hundreds of thousands of people," Olmert said.
At
a noon press conference broadcast on Egypt television, Egyptian
FM Gheit harshly censured Hamas, placing responsibility for
the current situation on Hamas.
Israel
President Shimon Peres made a special statement today regarding
IDF Operation Cast Lead (Israel's attack on the Hamas terror
infrastructure in Gaza) and the ongoing Palestinian terror rocket
fire on civilian areas in southern Israel:
"It
is the first time in the history of Israel that we, the Israelis,
cannot understand the motives or the purposes of the ones who
are shooting at us. It is the most unreasonable war, done by
the most unreasonable warriors.
The
story is simple. Israel has left Gaza completely, out of our
own free will, at a high cost. In Gaza there is no single Israeli
civilian or soldier. They were evacuated from Gaza, our settlements,
which called for a very expensive cost. We had to mobilize 45,000
policemen to take out our settlers from there. We spent $2.5
billion. The passages were open. Money was sent to Gaza. We
suggested aid in many ways - economically, medically, and otherwise.
We were very careful not to make the lives of the civilian people
in Gaza difficult. Still I have not heard until now a single
person who could explain to us reasonably: why are they firing
rockets against Israel? What are the reasons? What is the purpose?"
Peres
concluded: "As a nation, we feel united. As a nation, there
is wholehearted support for the army, the way they handled it,
their restraint, their discrimination, and their responsibility.
The great winner can be reason, and reason will lead to peace.
We are very serious, in a serious mood. Many of our children
are still in the shelters, and we would like them, like the
children of Gaza, to breathe fresh air again. This is the story,
and whoever asks us to stop shooting - they have to change the
address. Let them turn to Hamas and ask them to stop shooting,
and there won't be shooting."
The
above news content was edited and SEO optimized in Israel for
the Internet by the Leyden Communications Internet Marketing
SEO Group - Israel, London, New York.
Support
Israel with a Birthday Card!