[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA:

"military sources emphasized that their recommendation was based purely on
an apolitical, professional situational assessment of the West Bank theater"

Well. Not exactly.

Apolitical? Are these the same "apolitical" officers in the IDF who for
years "based purely on an apolitical, professional situational assessment"
suggested that we hand over the Golan to Assad in exchange for a piece of
paper, some gizmos and the assumption that the situation would never ever
change?

Apolitical? Are these the same "apolitical" officers in the IDF who for
years "based purely on an apolitical, professional situational assessment"
suggested that we could retreat from the Gaza Strip - including the
Philadelphi Corridor and rely on Egypt to pick up the security slack?

Apolitical? Are these the same "apolitical" officers in the IDF who for
years "based purely on an apolitical, professional situational assessment"
absolutely refuse to entertain the possibility that our Palestinian "peace
partners" are telling the truth when they warn that all bets are off if they
don't get what they want?

Here is the depressing situation: there are high ranking officers serving
in the IDF who are so condescending in their attitude towards the
Palestinians that they essentially dismiss them.

Why do I say this?

Because if they took them seriously and thought just a millimeter "out of
the box" they would be able to project what kind of a serious impact 50
Russian armored troop carriers could have in a time of crises.

And yes, I know that if the only thing the IAF had on its "do list" was to
destroy the 50 Russian armored troop carriers that it would be child's play
to do it in short order. But it is an incredibly dangerous - and yes
embarrassingly stupid - working assumption that if conditions warranted
destroying the troop carriers that the IAF would not have a very long "do
list" - with the troop carriers hardly a top priority.

==============
Israel Mulls Good Will Gesture to Putin, Palestinians
Jun. 22, 2012 - 12:15PM By BARBARA OPALL-ROME
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120622/DEFREG04/306220002/Israel-Mulls-Good-Will-Gesture-Putin-Palestinians

TEL AVIV — As a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrives here June 25, military
officers have proposed that Israel approve a long-delayed transfer of some
50 Russian armored troop carriers to Ramallah.

Moscow donated the used vehicles several years ago to augment the Palestine
Security Forces’ ability to maintain order in the West Bank, but they have
been languishing on the Jordanian side of the border since 2010 pending
Israeli technology transfer approval.

In interviews here, military sources emphasized that their recommendation
was based purely on an apolitical, professional situational assessment of
the West Bank theater, and that the ultimate decision would come from Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the sources, release of the vehicles would not constitute an
operative threat to Israeli forces in the area since they could be easily
targeted for destruction if security cooperation between Israel and the PA
unravels.

On the contrary, military sources said the gesture could actually have a
stabilizing effect by bolstering the eroding standing of PA President
Mahmoud Abbas and diffusing popular resentment at dead-end peace talks,
expanding Israeli settlements and an uptick in Jewish terror attacks against
Palestinians.

“From a purely operational perspective, some type of initiative or grand
gesture is needed to counter the sources of instability percolating in the
Palestinian streets,” a veteran defense adviser on Arab affairs told Defense
News. “Releasing these antiquated, high-signature vehicles — which we would
strike from the air at any given moment — is preferable to allowing more
Kalashnikovs to go in,” he added.

Putin is leading a delegation of some 300 government ministers, business
executives and media scheduled to arrive here June 25 in an air convoy of
four planes. The state visit will be hosted by Israel President Shimon
Peres, and will include discussions on bilateral relations,
Israel-Palestinian peace prospects, the Iranian nuclear issue and the
ongoing crisis in Syria and the wider Middle East, Peres’ office announced
June 21.

Putin is also scheduled for a working lunch with Netanyahu prior to his
departure the following morning to Bethlehem and Jordan.

As of June 22, Foreign Ministry and other government sources said it was
doubtful that Netanyahu would support the military-recommended vehicle
transfer.

Maj. Gen. Adnan Damiri, chief spokesman for the Palestine Security Forces,
said he was not sure if Putin would press the issue in his talks with
Israeli leaders. “What is for sure is that those Russian vehicles have been
gathering dust on the Jordanian side of the border for years, and we need
them now to fulfill our mission.”