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Text: Mofaz Defines “Operating” so IDF Can Also Retreat from West Bank, by Dr. Aaron Lerner
Full Text;
Question: Will the army remain in the evacuated area?
Mofaz: We will continue operating in the area under every possible situation. We are still operating in Gaza, though not on the ground. We need to reserve the right to operate in all senses of the word. Judea and Samaria is different from Gaza. We pulled the Army out of Gaza, since it was one dense urban area, and staying there would have been difficult. Judea and Samaria is different. But to tell you that once we leave we will return to every place – I don’t know.
The Jerusalem Post interview by Yaakov Katz – 24 March 2006
Explanation: “Operating” in an area doesn’t mean “remaining” there. “We are still operating in Gaza.”
In fact, in answer to the question, Mofaz uses the term “once we leave” in describing the IDF in the West Bank after Olmert’s planned retreat.
Thus, Mofaz is actually indicating that the IDF may very well high-tail it out of the area after razing the Jewish communities.
Unfortunately the interviewer apparently did not ask Mr. Mofaz to explain the gaping differences between what he said prior to the Gaza retreat (that Israel would use decisive force after the retreat in response to the first post-retreat Qassam attacks in order to achieve deterrent effect) and reality (many hundreds of Qassams later, the standard Israeli response to attacks is to shell empty fields later in the day) and why the situation would be no difference after retreating from the West Bank.
