"However, the recent operations attributed to Israel against Iranians arms in Sudan and against Syrian targets are more than a hint that this balance of terror no longer exists." Ronen, I hope above is true.

"Cast Lead" might not repeat itself. The main reason for Israel's success was Fatah and Egypt collaboration against Hamas. Unfortunately, Livni and Barak failed to turn the the IDF's success into a political victory, and instead strengthened Hamas. In the next round, Mubarak will probably not be ruling and the next Egyptian regime will probably support Hamas. Fatah has realized that Israel won't overthrow Hamas so, as Dahlan declared, Fatah will have to stop collaborating with Israel and will also support Hamas.

For long Israel has boasted it posesses a long arm ( meaning the IAF ) and I'm almost sure arab regimes have understoood that. Consequently, in response,many arab countries still hostile toward Israel have adopted another method of " long arm " , mainly the long-range missiles and rockets that could hit the "deepest depth of Israel " as the late Anwar Sadat said in his 1973Yom Kippur War speech. In that war Egyptian air force launced a score of Soviet-made " AS-5 Kelt " air-launched,air-to-ground missiles at Israeli targets in Sinai and two missiles at Tel Aviv ( but both missiles were reportedly shot down before hitting that city ).Syria too launched almost a dozen Soviet-made FROG ( Free Rocket Over Ground ) rockets at Israeli cities,towns,and kibbutzes ( Migdal Ha'emek, and Gvat in the Galilee ). In the 1991 Desert Storm War Iraq pounded Israel's big cities with Soviet-built SCUD missiles. And in the 2006 Israel-HIZBULLAH War the Lebanese organization responded to the harsh IAF raids by launching long-range rockets at almost all cities,towns,and kibbutzes in northern Israel, including the cities of Hadera and Beit She'an , right ? The late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser wanted in the early 1960s to launch " Project 333 " which basically was Egypt's attempt to manufacture home-made " Al-Qaher " and " Al Zafer " rockets with the help of German scientists as a deterrent force against Israel's Dimona nuclear reactor, but Israel's MOSSAD foiled the project by assassinating many of those Gernman scientists. Besides, even HAMAS is now often pounding Israel's southwestern cities and towns with crude " Qassam" rockets ... To sum up : Arab air forces are considerably weaker than the IAF and consequently the Arabs are compensating that weakness by acquiring and developping long-range missiles and rockets that could practically destroy Tel Aviv itself. Your article is one sided because it tackles the capabilities of the IAF but does not deal with arab long-range missiles and rockets...

The world saw it's reuslts at the jewish center in Argentina a few years back!

The Hezbollah and the Hamas can pose an existential threat to Israel only if we let them do so. Objectively, their ability to inflict casualties is small. If we are serious about beating the terrorists, Israeli society has to prepare a resolute population and give the home population confidence in the measures taken to protect it. Tactical solutions to the threats posted by the enemy are important too, but without an orderly and determined population and a united political leadership, tactical solutions will never be enough, as there will always be some casualties. What remains to be done at : http://xrl.us/bi5de

There has never been a small trace of evidence that Iran has supplied any weapons to Hamas. And they are not remotely affiliated with each other. You jews in Israel are the most deluded and paranoid clowns on earth.

Iran is #1 at sponsoring terror around the world. And bombing a jewish center is a very proud thing for cowards like you! Israel, with the help of the US and the EU will always go after terror and cowardice...so don't be shocked when your heors start drpping like flies. Fool!

coming soon to you terrorist criminal Islamonazis-a country that's flat, black, lifeless and glows in the dark for the next 10,000 years-courtesy of Israel's long arm

You analysis is flawed as no army in the world relies on missles alone, as that is the whole point of an air force, it can carry out sustained attacks over a period of weeks or months, where as rockets run out, have to be replaced, re-stocked and then launched from out in the open. A scud missle or a Kassam, or the Shahab's from Iran are one shot wonders, they are launched, then another one has to be built/prepared/set up for launch... while the air force, can have a much quicker turn around and less chance of failure than a rocket. If you take the recent war in Gaza as an example, look what happened once Hamas used their missles up, or had then blown up. They were useless in an kind of response, and the same is true of Iran and Syria, with Hizb, yes they fired over 3000 rockets at Israel, but look at the results of those rocket attacks when compared to the response from the air force. And what happens once those missles run out? Would they be resupplied and how? So your response is flawed as rockets are not a battlefield weapon, but a terror weapon, or a support weapon at best.

Wow, attacking a cultral centre full of civilians, those Iranians sure are tough to be able to do that.

I believe there is a hole in your argument: "To sum up : Arab air forces are considerably weaker than the IAF and consequently the Arabs are compensating that weakness by acquiring and developping long-range missiles and rockets that could practically destroy Tel Aviv itself. Your article is one sided because it tackles the capabilities of the IAF but does not deal with arab long-range missiles and rockets..." Arabs learned that any open armed conflict with Israel will be a disaster and shifted their efforts to clandestine war via various proxies. As a result they are no capable of achieving anything meaningful because power of proxies is very much limited for obvious reasons. Take HA or Hamas. Yes they can hurt, yes they can bring grief to individuals and families and even have some effect on overall moral but threat to Israel they are not. The moment they will become something more serious than they are today they will be goners and along with their sponsors. Its a delicate balance that both sides are maintaining.

It is a 600-mile flight down the Red Sea and the coast of Egypt before Israeli planes could arrive at the Sudanese coast, and then get further inland for the actual strike. But Israel has aerial refueling capability and strike fighters capable of the inland leg that could then be refueled over the Red Sea before returning to base. That Israel has the capability to do something like this is impressive. That Israel has the willingness to do something like this is why Jews throughout the world are safe in the rising climate of hatred for Jews and Israel. We have been to Entebbe, to Argentina, to Iraq, to Lebanon, to Tunisia (and probably a great many other countries that I don't know about) and now, if reports are to be believed, to Sudan. What I find troublesome, however, is that the United States has an air base in Djibouti, and could have done this action with considerably less difficulty. Did they refuse? Probably. So, it would seem that, as always, Jews and Israel must ensure our own safety and security. It's probably true that someone else's participation would be more of a hindrance than a help. I do get so tired, though, of Israeli lives being put on the line in the performance of actions that, ultimately, benefit the entire world. Remember Osirac? Would have been quite a different Gulf War in 1991 had Israel not taken out the Iraqi reactor. Same thing with destroying Syria's nuclear ambitions (do you think Israel benefited from that as much as Turkey did?). Just once, I would like to hear some head of state say "Thank you." Just once.

7. Gaza war against Israel was really the rest pf the world against Israel, those been sent to get lost there you never know which languages they have spoken. 9. Gaza war prouved Israel can be reached easily and this time in its own playground, now sure more than ever it is guaranteed that will be always a descent foreingsponcership to any war against Israel. 11. Weapeon flow from sudan it is for a purpose. 12.US military softwears in Afganistan are failling somehow; Us armoured bombs softwear detectors are under attack from Millitary Shadow satelites on the ground, death toll will arise.. 11. Russian haulocaust is when they burned deep see those who failled KGB_Pass between 1991 till 1997, they were 25 to 30 enginners researchers and nuclear military personnel. 13. Correption hit deep in high ranked US Military Corp everywhere. This to be followed... 4. International High Court retreat! Thanks to China. 10. Somebody says: Здравствуйте! to Indaia and Brazil. All this by coincedense perhaps! 6.From now Israel must take official responsibility for operations deep in enemy territory, Political Stand-Up speeches are not the ones that corresponds to this era somebody is getting laid-off here my liege. End F.

You've showed that even though the "long arm" of Israel is directed at arms depots and terror heads, the Arab "long arm" is directed at population centers and civilians. Just one more reason why Arabs must be stopped at all costs. Their goal is not defense and protection, it's revenge and genocide based on Arab supremacy and racism.

Because it doesn't seem like you're even on this planet! There is tons of evidence that Iran supplies Hamas with weapons, same with Hizbullah and a few other global terror groups. Ok - I will give you that the global intelligence units haven't briefed you on their findings....shame on them, right:? But publicly, Commader of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran admitted that Iran helps these groups with weapons, money, and training, while the President admits only to "moral support". Either way, Iran's tentacles are long and many are calling foul. The latest Iran incursion is their support of Shias and spreading Shiite thought in Morocco.

Never any proof that Iran supplies Hamas, you say? Wrong, wrong, wrong. You should not make statements that are not supportable by the facts. Here are a few links for you to peruse. http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1219 http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1233304773805 http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/021191.php http://thentherewaslight.com/341_iran-faces-consequences-caught-transporting-weapons-hamas-syria-hezbollah/

what is the use of having long arms,while at the same time these leftist criminaly insane traitorous enemy colaborators will not defend their own cities of sderot, ashkelon,ashdod,and all of the southern negev, and are ready to give away 95% of the heartland of israel to our sworn enemies

it is called military intelligence darling. You know...the sort of stuff that is classified from brutes like you.

Sarah, you are great!

where it's easier and embarrasses Egypt? that must have been to extort more money from the American taxpayer.

Contemplate the possibility that the goal was merely to destroy weapons destined for Hamas, and not to embarrass Egypt or -- to use your words -- "extort" more money from the American taxpayer.

Those in the West who insist that Israel doesn't really have enemies at best have their eyes and ears shut to the overt loud threats from Iran and the constant stream of incitement and bigotry (not to mention missles and bullets!) from the Arab world. At worst ,they believe that it is moral to threaten and kill Jews. But if you refuse to trust our media and you refuse to access what's being said in Arabic and Persian, then you might just believe what Hamas says on the subject: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3512014.ece

Are you advising Israel should start war with Egypt? Leave keyboard alone, genius!

U really are talking out of your anal orofice. Do u really think that those vicious moronic Hamas thugs could produce those weapons of war withought Irans help & who do you think those killers are affiliated to, the Vatican!!!!

it is becouse of israil long arm and thenhamass now it will be tabarakalla in sudan .. this is becouse the 800 dead have relatives it is the only couse to have tabarakalla

It is clear Israelis like everyone else are trying to look the otherway.Iran is gradually and incremnetally going for the power in the region: Israel.The israelis are likely to try to find out if there isa chance for a detente but alas Iran is circling Israel with minumum cost and unusual ablity to find serious subcontarctors.Israeli defense is likely to be waek short of all out war with Iran .Hence, the risks are huge for all espeically Israel.

If you know anything remotely about world history and recent history you should know that we Jews are the most persecuted people on earth in world history and we have more enemies per capita than any other nation on earth and our enemies are hundreds of times our numerical size. 2000 years of Christian anti-Semitism, 1400 years of Arab/Muslim anti-Semitism is "paranoia"? Iran calling for Israel's death is "paranoia"? Arab wars of aggression in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, 1991 and 2006, and countless number of terror attacks on Israel, Arab-Muslim cooperation with Nazi Germany during WW2 and the final solution to kill all Jews - there are documents for that my dear - and Arab/Muslim boycotts of Israel, world pressure, international threats and blackmail against Israel, the world intruding into our national affairs and our domestic affairs and our integrity, independence, sovereignty, territory, borders, air space and waters is "paranoia"? My dear lady, if you Anglo Saxons in Australia would be exposed to a fraction of the pressure we Jews have to go through on a weekly basis, you would have fallen apart a long time ago.

You just gave yourself away Marilyn with your statement "You jews in Israel are the most deluded and paranoid clowns on earth". Your arguments don't stem from facts, logic or morality, but from your antisemtism and deep hatred for Jews!