14 I ORLD NEWSW Passion Islam I March 2010
Olmert says he ordered
Gaza war to topple Hamas
Israeli former Premier Ehud Olmert, number of victims was still slow and
disclosing some secrets behind the the time of war was short, so I decided
Israeli war against Gaza Strip 13 to continue the war and topple Hamas
months ago that killed and wounded and release Israeli soldier Gilad
over 7,000 Palestinians, said the shalit.” Israel launched the its ground,
major objective behind the offensive air and sae assault on December 27,
was to topple the Hamas movement. 2008. During the 22-day aggression,
Olmert, documenting the onslaught more than 1,400
against Gaza in a book, said he Palestinians were killed and 5,
intended to continue the assault until 500 others were injured in addition to
the toppling of Hamas. displacement of thousands others.
Cited by Maariv newspaper’s Israeli said the aggression aimed at
website, Olmert, in his book, claimed stopping the firing of rockets from
defense minister Ehud Barak and Gaza against Israeli towns and cities
himself set a timetable for the war in southern Israel.
against Gaza, and decided to achieve “We were determined to seize
the objectives in a short time with the this opportunity which will never be
least civilian casualties. repeated and to remove Hamas
He said that during the aggression, forever, but with the war dragging
The paper said Olmert was worried
Israeli political and security bodies on for many days I have decided to
that an investigation committee
were reporting false indications stop it and retreat although we did not
would be formed and he would be
regarding the state-of-play including achieve that goal” to topple Hamas
questioned.
number of victims and time remaining and release Shalit,” said Olmert.
The Israeli defense minister’s office,
to remove Hamas from power. Maariv said Olmert decided to stop
in its reaction to the book, said the
Olmert said he decided to continue the war after huge number of civilian
minister and all army commanders
with the war because “I saw that the Palestinians were killed.
acted
Heavy rainfalls hit Makkah
‘Islam has restored
vulnerable to flash floods that can
Religious values’
be caused by unusually strong
Ukrainian Priest
rainfalls. The Kaaba had to be
repaired several times in the past
A Ukrainian Catholic church priest,
after being damaged by floods.
Oleg Giernik, says that Islam has
The rainfalls coincided with the
restored the lost Christian values,
spring school break which usually
Risalehaber reported.
attracts thousands of visitors
He told Ukrainian media that
especially from Saudi Arabia. the reason Islam is developing so
While rains are rare in the rapidly in European countries is the
desert kingdom, about 130 people importance it puts on all aspects of
were killed in November at the
human life.
Heavy rainfalls over Makkah height of the haj season after
He said that Islam has expanded
submerged some districts and streets heavy rainfalls over the city of Jeddah,
faith while in the Christian world
in Islam’s holiest city, Saudi media about 80km west of Makkah, caused
people’s faith has been waning. He
reported, raising fears of a repeat of floods that also damaged hundreds
considered the weakening of faith as
deadly floods in a neighbouring city in of properties due to the city’s poor
a downfall of human societies.
November. sewage system.
Mr. Giernik regretted that atheism
State-owned Al-Ekhbariya tv Abdallah al-Jeddawi, from the
is widespread in Ukraine nowadays
showed a few pilgrims praying on Saudi civil defence, told al-Ekhbariya
and said that Christianity and Islam
wet white-marbled floors of the Grand that no floods had been reported
can together save the society from
Mosque while others walked around in Makkah. ‘Conditions remain
the cubic-shaped Kaaba dome at its reassuring. Some streets and districts
ideological decline.
centre. (in Makkah) did get submerged with
He added that no true believer
Makkah’s location at the heart of water,’ he said without giving more
of Christianity can be afraid of the
a mountainous desert valley makes it details.
development of Islam.
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