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Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hamas Officially in Effect

Nov. 21, 2012 12:41pm Madeleine Morgenstern

Parachute flares illuminate the Gaza Strip for an artillery barrage hours before a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas took effect Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2012. (Getty Images)

Israel and Hamas agreed to a Wednesday evening cease-fire, ending eight days of explosive fighting between the Jewish state and the terrorist group.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the agreement during a joint news conference with Egypt’s foreign minister in Cairo. The deal called for an immediate cessation in violence; for Hamas to halt all rocket fire from militant groups in the Gaza Strip; and for Israel to end its policy of assassinating top Hamas officials. Israel also pledged to ease its blockade of Gaza after a brief cooling off period.

“This is a critical moment for the region,” Clinton said during the news conference, approximately 90 minutes before the cease-fire was scheduled to take effect. “The people of this region deserve the chance to live free from fear and violence.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Israel would “give a chance” to the Egypt-brokered deal.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke a short time ago with President Barack Obama and agreed to his suggestion to give a chance to Egypt’s proposal for a cease-fire, and to give a chance to stabilize and calm the situation before it would be needed to activate greater force,” a Hebrew statement posted on the prime minister’s website said.

Netanyahu thanked Obama for his support for Israel during the operation and for contributing to the “Iron Dome” missile defense system.

“The prime minister emphasized again that Israel will take all the necessary steps to defend the citizens of Israel,” the statement said.

Speaking shortly before the cease-fire was set to take place, Netanyahu made clear Israel would not tolerate the continued smuggling of arms into Gaza, specifically naming Iran as a collaborator.

“It is self-evident that Israel cannot sit and accept as our enemies continue to arm themselves with terrorist arms,” Netanyahu said.

In a statement, the White House announced that President Barack Obama commended Netanyahu for agreeing to the cease-fire proposal “while reiterating that Israel maintains the right to defend itself.”

Obama also spoke with Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi to thank him for his “personal leadership” in brokering the deal, the White House said, and “reaffirmed the close partnership between the United States and Egypt.”

The cease-fire announcement did not mean an immediate end to the violence: Israeli media reported rockets were being launched from Gaza into the southern Israeli cities of Beersheba, Netivot, Sderot and Ashdod after the cease-fire was announced but before it went into effect.

Israel’s Channel 2 reported five rockets were fired toward Beersheba. No injuries were reported.

The Israeli military cautioned all southern Israeli residents not to gather in crowds and to remain in their safe rooms.

An Israeli military spokesperson tweeted approximately 20 minutes before the cease-fire took effect: “A short while ago in #Gaza, the IDF targeted 3 tunnels used for terrorist activity and 2 underground rocket launchers.”

This post has been updated.

TheBlaze’s Sharona Schwartz contributed reporting from Israel.

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Comments (191)

ImJusSayin
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:59pm
WOW shes a regular “Jimmy Carter” LOL

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- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:07pm
  Not good. Hells bells
  
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- YourArgumentIsInvalid
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:23pm
  Jimmy carter is the reason The Israeli’s had a peace deal with Egypt that lasted for over 40 years and has brought stability to the region by taking away one of the anti-israeli pegs. You may hate him now, but if it wasn’t for him and Sadat Israel would still be fighting a 5 front war every 10 years or so.
  
  Report this comment
- SREGN
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:32pm
  If I see her standing in the temple now, I’ll know for sure what I’ve long suspected.
  
  Report this comment
- biohazard23
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:47pm
  Waiting for the other shoe (and rocket) to drop at any time now…..
  
  Report this comment
- naughtycal
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:03pm
  I’m sure that cease firewill last as long as the last…..he77 it might even last a couple days more.
  On another note France just pulled of the afgani. war zone because of the cost effects to it’s economy…….It’s a damn shame we don’t have leadership enough to do the same……
  It’s reallt a shame that we keep making the same Vietnam mistake over and over again fighting a war with against an ideology hidden in amist the civilain population……We need to let that ideology becoem a governing body then when it strikes we have an actual war with a country we keep the U.N. out of it when we win it’s now our country….
  
  Report this comment
- KevINtampa
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:03pm
  WAIT.
  
  This tells us NOTHING of the ACTUAL deal that was BROKERED by Egypt.
  
  My question is: How much money or what resources did Egypt offer Hamas for them to accept this deal and what are the requirements they have to meet to get those assets?
  
  I have a feeling a portion of the billions of dollars we send to Egypt just made its way to Hamas. This is called negotiating with terrorists. Now they know all they gotta do to make money is reign rockets down on Israel every once in a while.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:24pm
  And a reporter on MSNBC was over there talking about the cease fire and about 3 explosions went off behind him. (About 30 minutes ago). They were coming from Gaza into Israel. Some cease fire???
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:27pm
  LOL, Just caught this on Fox, about fifteen minutes after they announce the cease fire, a load of rockets flew out of the Gaza Strip into Israel. Shoot, I figured they would use their time more wisely to rearm.
  
  Report this comment
- AvengerK
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:29pm
  This deal should last until Wednesday 2:00pm EST.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:59pm
  @AvengerK,
  
  Read my post and check the time stamp….
  
  Report this comment
- phishing4men
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 5:52pm
  If she is so good at this sort of thing why couldn’t she get Bill to cease fire, it seems he just kept “coming”:
  
  Report this comment
- MDECKER
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 6:36pm
  Now that, that is solved, will Hillary please get a break so that she can wash her **** and change out of that spectcular pant suit?
  
  Report this comment
- sillyfreshness
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 11:41pm
  Obey your handlers the “chosen people” support Israel at all costs. You are ordered to. Listen to the propaganda…..obey.
  
  Report this comment
- coldnorth
  Posted on November 22, 2012 at 12:34am
  The US dangled the carrot in front of Egypt, actually about 1.5 billion in carrots. Clinton told the Egyptians to control their dogs in palistine or they don’t get any aid.
  
  If you ask me, we shouldn’t send any money that way, it’s just another form of extortion. Muslim countries have been trying to extort the US since the Barbary Coast Pirates of Tripoli. Deal with them the same way we did back then. Sink their ships, bombard their cities.
  
  Report this comment
- Jesse_J
  Posted on November 22, 2012 at 6:31am
  Yeah, this is going to work. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
  Report this comment
congress
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:58pm
Just giving the anti christ more time to come up with his peace treaty deal….Hang on to your hats when that happens.

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- skeptic101
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:09pm
  you’re an idiot
  
  Report this comment
- TROLLMONGER
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:18pm
  Its not nice to talk about Netenyahoo like that…LOL!
  
  Report this comment
- momrules
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:19pm
  Congress………..Right you are but things are going to get even worse before the antichrist makes his appearance. The whole world will be begging for someone to make peace before he pops onto the scene with his peace plan.
  
  We are living in interesting times, aren’t we?
  
  God bless Israel..
  
  Report this comment
- Jezreel
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:51pm
  First, Gog and Magog will happen. The cease fire just gets the armies of Gog the demon king, to assemble and get ready to try to invade Israel. We were reading in Ezekiel 38 on about this destructive battle that will happen. It will take 7 months to bury the dead and when a person travels through the country, if they come across a body or a body part etc, they are ordered to not touch it but mark the place so the cleaners can remove it. That sounds like weapons of mass destruction or radio activity. Since the Muslims want the 12th Iman to appear, causing a big nuclear war will usher him in. The muslims do not care if millions of their own people die in their “holy war”. Those who live in the “isles” shall also receive due payment for being anti semetic. The United States will be hit with nuclear weapons and I am sure the east coast will receive the most of the hits with some of the west coast. Our country needs to be cleaned up anyhow. Fire will purify the country and kill millions of people who stand in defiance and blaspheme God. There will also be a great outpouring of the spirit of Christ. This world has a full cup of filth and rotteness. We need to be paid in full for all the wickedness that the majority of Americans enjoy. Narrow is the path that leads to enternal life and few that go therein and wide is the path that leads to destruction and many that go therein.
  
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- Keatonc333
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 5:53pm
  I still have trouble understanding how people with your mentality have figured out how to use computers.
  
  Report this comment
- Deuteronomy22
  Posted on November 22, 2012 at 5:18am
  Dick Cheney!
  
  Report this comment
- smv803
  Posted on November 23, 2012 at 4:53pm
  shhh….you’re scaring people here! You know the ones; thank God we can’t smell them!
  
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Eirana
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:58pm
So what exactly are the conditions for this cease fire?

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- iamnotu
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:03pm
  Isreal ceases and hammas fires!
  
  Report this comment
- TROLLMONGER
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:19pm
  Hamas ceases and Israel fires!
  
  Report this comment
- dy2000
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:22pm
  Yeah. This is vague.
  
  Report this comment
- S-O-B-E-R
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:24pm
  Hillary, “You want that billion and a half or not?”
  
  Report this comment
- Alky
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:57pm
  Isreal stops it’s aggression, Hamas regroups, lobs hundreds of rockets and Israel retaliates…. again!!
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:33pm
  TROLL, looks like you are about a hundred and eighty degrees out of phase……as usual.
  
  Report this comment
- starman70
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 4:03pm
  WHAAAAAT? Israel “Eases” the blockade so the Hamas loonies can smuggle in more weapons in medicine boxes? Those “Palestinians” who comprise Hamas are about as trustworthy as a banana box full of rattlesnakes.
  
  Israel will not let down its guard.
  
  Report this comment
- skippy6
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 4:36pm
  There will be no cease fire until Israel pushes the Vermin women beating child killing stench called hamas into the sea….
  
  Report this comment
- smv803
  Posted on November 23, 2012 at 5:57pm
  They have 72 hours to vacate the strip before the cleansing begins.
  
  Report this comment
- smv803
  Posted on November 23, 2012 at 6:00pm
  @EIRANA….in addition…
  they can only return if they become Israeli citizens, on Israeli terms.
  
  Report this comment
getourcountryback
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:56pm
Mark Levin called this one two days ago. Hillary to the rescue so she can be a super hero for 2016. Why don’t the “terrorists” just keep the old sow there?

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- smokeysmoke
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:04pm
  but the cease fire isent going to last… we all know that… but it does make hilary look good and when things get worse who will be able to blame her
  
  Report this comment
- Oldphoto678
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:12pm
  They can’t keep her. She’s going to be YOUR next President!!!
  
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- DeathRattle
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:26pm
  Smoke you are correct, the cease fire will not last. This is only being done to give Hamas time to re-group and move men, equipment etc.
  
  Hamas and the Islamic ideology they cling to cannot be changed, for them to die in battle with the “little satan” is the highest honor. Israel needs to go in there, clean them out and never again leave Gaza in the hands of savages. Amazing to me how the “religion of peace” that Islam claims to be constantly contradicts itself and yet blind new people come to it everyday.
  
  Report this comment
- Le Sellers
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:52pm
  That’s not nice. She isn’t “old”.
  
  Mr. O’bama, will there ever BE any Jobs?
  
  Report this comment
LilPinkPuck
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:55pm
Hamas is a terror organization, I am not sure why they are treated any other way. Terror organizations who hate, breed that hate within their children. The violence will not end until all of these “terror” groups are stopped. They are hate mongers who use religion as an excuse to kill innocent people.

The USA is in big trouble because the power seems to be shifting towards these terroristic Middle East countries, and with Iran developing weapons at a fast pace the world needs to worry. Egypt run by a president from the Muslim Brotherhood, Iran under the rule of a psychopath, The extremist/terrorists have a hold on a lot of countries, we cannot cower to these countries because we need to remain a power. I am worried that our Muslim sympathizing administration is more worried about hurting the “Muslims” feelings than it is about protecting our people.

I hope I am wrong about this administration but I fear I am not!

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Gregb
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:54pm
clinton said these words from the home of the muslim brotherhood?
and we are expected to believe these lies?
The next bomb needs to take out the dome of the rock!

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- coldnorth
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:22pm
  GREGB,
  That would be ironic. Hammas’s rockets destroying the dome of the rock. But you and I know that the arab world would blame the Jews for blowing it up.
  
  Just like the Egyptians told the arab world that they were defeated by the Americans in the Sinai. They couldn’t accept they were being defeated by Israelis, so Egyptian generals told their leadership, the iraqis, jordanians, and Syrians that they were winning the war in the Sinai, when in fact they were being routed. This lie gave the Israelis time to turn and drop the hammer on it’s arab enemies. After the fog of war cleared, Egypt said they were fighting Americans, and it had been the Americans who defeated them. Denial isn’t a river Egypt.
  
  Report this comment
SquidVetOhio
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:53pm
It should be noticed that the Palestinians continued their curious tradition of handshaking etiquette by having their off-hand fingers crossed behind their backs.

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banjarmon
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:53pm
Clinton is GIVING TIME to hamas to regroup and re-supply their weapons…..Israel needs to tie hillary to one of the rockets and sen her back to hamas! Her sympathy lies with the muslims!!!!!

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Gregb
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:52pm
this is like a capital BS… a double capital BS.
hamas must be very injured or they would not stop bombing Israel. They will just re-arm and continue their assault on the rightful owner of the land….
oh, and by the way, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel!

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- longknifed
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:01pm
  Several years ago Beck said we needed to have a national dialogue on whether socialism was want America really wanted rather than it being secreted down our throats without us even knowing it. I think that America needs to have a discussion about this “special relationship” with Israel because it is completely one-sided and not worth the cost. Plus, it is unconstitutional because there is not even a treaty stating what this “special relationship” even is.
  
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Popp40
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:50pm
Shall we start a poll as to how long this “peace agreement” will last?

I say not even a week? Any takers?

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- kevinthewriter
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:58pm
  Long enough for Hillary’s check to clear Hamas’ bank account.
  
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- smv803
  Posted on November 23, 2012 at 6:05pm
  @Longkifed…..no one said all Jews are perfect. Just like there isn’t a perfect priest.
  
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resme
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:50pm
prying open my third eye.

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Balrog28
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:50pm
“The people of this region deserve the chance to live free from fear and violence.” So why doesn’t the world listen to the continued threats by Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran/etc that their intended goal is to wipe the Jewish state of Israel off the map? Unless Clinton speaks of people of this region and is excluding the Jews for some unknown reason.

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- Gregb
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:58pm
  the media… need I say more….
  who is our president now?…
  thanks to who?
  the communist media – the alphabet lamestream media…
  why they want America to be a communist society and why they choose to side with the muslims over a rational people… is beyond me.
  
  Report this comment
- Gregb
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:03pm
  the Jews are a peaceful productive people and they have been protecting their homeland…including their capital Jerusalem for many years. back before the time of arafat (who died of aids).
  for some reason the idiot leaders of the world are siding with the evil muslims.
  
  Report this comment
- longknifed
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 4:28pm
  So the JDL is peaceful? How about Irgun and the Stern Gang? So if Meyer Lansky, Arnold Rothstein, George Soros and Bernie Madoff sat in a humus pub in Tel Aviv discussing how to swindle gullible Christians out of retirement savings, it would still be peaceful? You can’t just paint these people gold.
  
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thegreatcarnac
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:49pm
Yeah Yeah Yeah…we’ve heard that before.This will end when one side or the other is destroyed. We already know Israel wins. Anyway…they will tell Hillary anything just to get that ugly winch to go home.

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ANTISOCIAL-IST
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:49pm
for seven years, possibly???

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- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:55pm
  Now that’s scary!
  
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- Gregb
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:56pm
  try seven minutes – 7 days at the most
  
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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:06pm
  This is. Cease-fire, not a peace treaty. The peace treaty will last 7 years, or 2520 days.
  
  Report this comment
- Gregb
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:58pm
  hamas and the muslum brotherhood do not observe “cease fire” only until they re-arm.
  we need to destroy the dome of the rock. … the bombing will continue as it has for the last 20 some odd years. destroy the dome of the rock and it will neutralize everything
  
  Report this comment
Rover_Bump
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:49pm
Bah. Breathing room for Hamas to re-arm. I’m pretty sure Bibi knows that. He’s seen it hundreds of times before.

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- LilPinkPuck
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:56pm
  Amen…. you cannot negotiate with terrorists
  
  Report this comment
- Oldphoto678
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:19pm
  Amen…. you cannot negotiate with terrorists
  
  Why not? Reagan did.
  
  Report this comment
kickagrandma
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:48pm
Can we say, “FAKE!”?

Actually, the first words out of my mouth were, “Ohhhh, bruuuutttthhhhhherrrrrr!”

!!!!!!!!!!!REMEMBER BENGHAZI!!!!!!!!!!!

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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:52pm
  Indeed.
  
  Report this comment
- SimpleTruths
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:59pm
  !!!!!!!!!!! Remember the results of the 2012 Election !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
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The_Jerk
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:48pm
Bets on how long this last:

12 hours.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:07pm
  Great, 12 hours without you bashing the Jews is most welcome.
  
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KickinBack
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:48pm
Ok Hillary, so…how much money are we gonna give Hamas??

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niterider
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:45pm
Yeah, that will last…..until 2:01 pm

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JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:45pm
Trust never, verify we must!

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- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:50pm
  Or as Reverend Al says,
  
  “Resist we much!”
  
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justangry
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:45pm
Whew, and I thought the hostilities between the Palestinians and Israelis would continue…

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- longknifed
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 4:48pm
  Justangry,
  
  You aren’t an American patriot unless you surrender more American sovereignty to Israel. You’re just a traitor if not…wait?
  
  Report this comment
Gonzo
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:44pm
“The people of this region deserve the chance to live free from fear and violence.”
Yea Hill, so do the people of this region, but Obama won’t allow it.

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- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:49pm
  Wait a second! I thought we had peace after Carter’s Camp David Accord. Or was it Bill Clinton’s peace deal? Or was it Bush’s peace deal? Or was it etc…..
  
  Report this comment
- resme
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:54pm
  ““The people of this region deserve the chance to live free from fear and violence.”
  
  Woah, Don’t wish for Obama to really become militant.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:55pm
  There is only one who will bring peace and He’s not here…yet. I think he’s getting close though.
  
  Report this comment
- 65Mustang
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:08pm
  They deserve something better than Obama and dumba** Clinton…she’s a joke and so is the cease-fire.
  
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Lando
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:43pm
lol

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Zipit
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:43pm
In other words, Hamas calls time out to reload!

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- BookMDanno
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:11pm
  AB-SO-LUTE-LY! A truce does not benefit Israel: the rockets remain, the tunnels remain operative, the weak Morsi is admonished to turn the heat up (again) on Hamas in Gaza (something he doesn’t want to do for fear of overthrow or worse), and the world ignores the new anti-Israel policy statement from the new Egypt. If the purpose of the Gaza rockets was a Palestinian state, I fail to see what blowing up a bus of Israeli civilians does to further statehood. What, have a sovereign state devoted to Israel’s destruction even closer?…another anti-Semitic state to strengthen the Arab League, UN cabal, etc?
  
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Gonzo
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:42pm
To be continued…

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- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:05pm
  Never ending story…
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:17pm
  It ends.
  
  Report this comment

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