A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

November 3, 2009 - Hamas Tests Missile That Can Reach Tel Aviv

Today Military Intelligence Chief General Amos Yadlin told the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee that Hamas recently test fired a missile that has the ability to reach Tel Aviv. The missile was not built locally and no doubt smuggled into Gaza from Iran. Yadlin further stated that Hamas has more than replenished its arsenal of missile from before the Gaza War. What does all this mean? None of the 'news' is unexpected. Clearly, next time there is confrontation, the Tel Aviv area (at least the southern part) could be attacked by Hamas missiles. What it means is that if there is a next time, the IDF will not have the luxury of a slow advance into Gaza, but instead will have to move quickly to occupy the whole region. The missiles ultimately do not change the strategic disadvantage that Hamas has: it is in a small area that can be readily captured. This, of course, is not the case with Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is important to keep in mind that in less than a year Israel will begin deploying its short range anti missile system. It should be effective against the larger missiles.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke in the US Congress today in honor of the 20th anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall. She devoted part of the speech to discuss the Iranian threat to Israel, which she called "unacceptable" and demanded an immediate answer from Iran to the current proposal. Merkel joins the leaders of France and England in demanding that Iran stop prevaricating. President Obama remains largely silent on the matter, preferring to have Secretary of State speak on behalf of the US.