With the overnight reports of Israel missile attacks on Mezze Air Base near Damascus certain questions arise:
- Why missiles?
- Has Russia "greenlighted" certain selected attacks by Israel in Syria?
- Is this a warning of a coming attempt to kill Assad?
- Is Russian air defense less capable than reputed?
- What do the Syrians mean by "repercussions?
pl
I can’t fathom why Putin would risk everything in Syria for the zionists. Russia has gained so much, probably the biggest winner in this war if I had to pick one. Why in the world would he greenlight Israel to possibly screw all of that up?
I think the more likely scenario is that Israel was trying to assassinate someone. This seems to be their MO. The only way I can think that Syria might be able to retaliate is in the Golan Heights on a small scale. Maybe an incident or two where zionist agents coordinating with rebels are killed or captured.
I also noticed the Israelis chose missiles rather than their F-16s, probably out of concern of Syrian/Russian air defense capabilities and intentions. While Russian air defense is not some impervious, magical shield, I think the Russians would rather have the Syrians stand up on their own rather than being over-protective. Like letting your child get a few bruises as he learns to fend for himself. Why this attack now? I have no idea.
This is too curious. Too many variables for the “layman” observer to make sense of this.
Why this base? Are there any special targets there?
If missiles, air launched or ground launched?
Was this an area bombardment, or a “surgical” strike?
Can this be an attempt to djinn up a war in Syria before Trump takes office?
There is allegedly an agreement between Russia and Israel that Russia will not interfere in any direct fight between Hizbullah and Israel.
If Israel hits at Hizb weapon transport *towards* Lebanon it is free to do so. (Usually these are missiles on their way from Iran via Mezze to Hizb.)
The attacks are typically carried out by missiles from Israeli planes flying over Lebanon. It is not yet clear how last nights attack was carried out.
Missed Q-5 – repercussions:
There a Syria/Hizb project to turn the Golan into another south of Lebanon zone which implies that any Israeli soldier or settler in the area will become very unsafe …
Re: 1. Standoff. The Izzies are worried about Syria’s air defense capabilities. They want to attack outside of the Syrians SAM envelope. The 9M317’s range is 29 miles, if you factor in kinematics its probably less against an evading target. The Popeye missile’s range is 48 miles. Why the missiles often aren’t engaged I don’t know, probably due to powerful jammers in use by the IDF. Just a WAG though.
Missiles do suggest the Israelis were skittish sending a manned aircraft to do the dirty work.
1] “Why missiles?” – The missiles are a somewhat risk-free way to watch and monitor air defense reactions.
2] “greenlighted?” – No
3] “kill Assad?” – No. This attack and others before it were on Hezbollah targets.
4] “less capable than reputed?” Russian air defense is extremely formidable, but they tend to oversell their effectiveness.
5] “repercussions?” Increased aid to Hezbollah?
b
Ah, another “tabbouleh Line,” this one in the Golan. This is an interesting thought. They would have to fight their way through Israeli air to get to a place where they can “anchor” the line (Kuneitra city ruins maybe?) and they would then have to construct the defenses under fire. pl
The “construction”, I heard, is ongoing and has apparently been ongoing for some time ….
Like trying to start a fire with a big wet log.
Agree with Richardstevenhack — does Israel have the will to withstand a reboot of the Iraqi SCUD attacks of a decade and a half ago?
b
What is the rough trace of the defensive belt front line? This would be a game changer. Maybe it is farther east than Kuneitra City? Is this a Hizbullah project or SAA? pl
Here’s my $.02
1. lower risk than aircraft – common sense
2. yes – they can target Hezbollah stockpiles outside combat zone – based on reports from Elijah Magnier
3. No – would be a declaration of war
4. Wouldn’t we all like to know…;)
5. They won’t do anything – they haven’t so far, and what could they really do? They have enough problems without escalating against the Israelis.
Colonel IMO, and from what I read in Iranian news sites, no one in R+6 want to expand and increase the Syrian war to directly involve the Israelis, although, IMO, against the desires of western, western regional allies and Israelis.
I guess the best missile defence is returning the favor, at later time.
#1 Why Missiles? A few reasons:
– The target was in the Damascus super-MEZ – stand-off weapons pose significantly less risk to Israeli pilots. Also, the extent of Russian integration into Syrian Air Defense is probably not clear to the Israelis in which case it is much more prudent to use stand-off weapons.
– This was likely a pre-planned mission which can give advantages to precision stand-off weapons depending on target characteristics. In short, the weaponeering likely supported the use of stand-off weapons.
#2 Unknown, but it seems unlikely.
#3 Unlikely for a few reasons:
– Israel has conducted very similar attacks in the past near Damascus.
– Israel hasn’t overtly gone after top-level Syrian regime leadership in a long time
#4 Probably not. Most Russian air defense appear to be to the north on the west side the coastal mountain range. It’s unlikely they have line-of-sight to the Damascus area. The Israelis likely timed the strike when Russian (and Syrian) tactical readiness was low. Israel likely knows the location of Russian missile sites and factored them into their planning.
#5 Nothing for now – the Syrians have bigger fish to fry. This will be added to the catalog of Israeli provocations that may be acted on at some future date.
Lots to unpack here.
The Syrians have their own air defence systems that they originally bought from Russia. No where near as good as the modern Russia stuff but workable. If they were going to have it set up any where it would be around the capital but not a word of them even trying to fire it. Did they not see the missile coming? Did they choose not to fire or did Russia tell them not to fire?
Syria will do nothing to retaliate because Russia won’t let them. Israel is an observer state in NATO now and Obama would be chomping at the bit to hit Syria to prove he loves Israel more than the Republicans and Trump would hit Syria to show he loves Israel more than Obama.
At best if there is retaliation it will be in a form we don’t expect like Islamic Jihad in Gaza getting some new weapons and using them. Stir the pot in the South to keep things quiet on the Israel’s Northern border. If Israel thinks they have to go into Gaza or reoccupy parts of the West Bank they won’t want to cause much trouble with Hezbollah or Syria as they won’t want to fight on multiple fronts at once.
While Russia talked a lot of smack when they first came in, what real signs are there that they have any intention of stopping any attack other than one on Russians? Every one and their monkey flies over Syria these days, often with no one knowing. The Russians were recently surprised by a drone attack the US did as they didn’t know the drone was there. Half the alliance claimed to be in on the attack on Dier Azzor.
Every one in NATO would love for the Russians to unleash the S-300 and other weapons on a replaceable missile because they can use it to learn about how the weapon works. The Israelis really care about that as Iran now has the S-300. On the other hand if Russia just sits around and lets people endlessly run air strikes on Syria those foreign S-300 sales will start drying up.
The go to method to shoot up Syria for the Israelis has been with jets. They have been shooting up Syria in sneak attacks with impunity for years and years. There was a great article in one of the Israel papers back just after the war started about the Syrians seeing the jets coming in on an Israeli attack on a University and then their screens going blank. (I will look for the article tomorrow.) So they aren’t afraid of the Syrians.
The Israelis view Trump as a green light to do any thing they want with the US fending off any one that tries to stop them. T-7.
There have been endless stories in the Israeli papers about Netanyahu going to Russia and telling Putin how it is going to be. Don’t believe a word of it.
I don’t know the “line” – if there is any. It is likely not a typical military line – more like cells within the (druze) population, weapon stashes, prepared defense, tunnels crossing the border.
Iran and Hizb announced the creation of this Golan project in early 2015 after an Iranian IRCG General and several Hezb commanders like Jihad Imad Mughniyeh were killed there by Israel.
Wrote a short take about it Jan 2015: http://www.moonofalabama.org/2015/01/israels-golan-attack-turns-heights-into-an-active-resistance-zone.html
As I understand it: A multiyear/decade project – independent of the more standard military war in Syria – south Lebanon in the 1990s, not 2006 (yet).
First I’ve heard of this and it seems very important. More details and ongoing coverage would be great.
b
Well now, that is really interesting. A defensive belt, line or zone does not need to be continuous but the gaps should be covered with fire and the obstacles should canalize the enemy’s advance into kill zones specific to certain targets, tanks, for example. The usual thing for Hizbullah with Iranian advice is to start with existing structures and build strong points under these after reinforcing the ground floors which become the roofs of the bunkers. A solid air defense is of course necessary to screw up pilot aiming. The overall purpose of such a line in this situation would be to move rocket and missile firing positions forward as well as to make a further advance by the Israelis into south Syria much more costly. When dealing with an opponent which is as sensitive to casualties as Israel that is important. I wrote something about this kind of thing once. http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p124201coll1/id/325/rec/1
All, this is what really happens when those sneaky strikes take place in or around Damascus by the Izzies….
Right after their humiliating defeat in 2006, at the hands of Hizbullah, the Izzies placed eyes on the ground.
Those eyes on the ground grew in numbers since 2011…
When a qualitative shipment of weapons arrive to Damascus airports, it stays for a very short time on the ground, Hence “eyes” have to report back to IDF in a timely manner for a precision strike to take place successfully…. That’s the case here, since this shipment wouldn’t have stayed too long in place.
Other strikes, like Jermana research center, target specific people or facility, in a timely manner as well, knowing who is present at the time to be taken out…
As for tank traps and defensive lines in and around Quneitra and throughout the Golan….it’s in the works….and will expand rapidly when war subsides, especially after a real settlement takes place. The whole SAA will be restructured in this fashion more or less in certain areas, to meet with Hizbullah tactics and strategies…
For now, the Resistance camp has other fish to fry….but there are specific eyes always on the lookout for the Izzies and IDF…. in the Golan and South Lebanon….because there is a chance that IDF might be tempted to make a loop and a leap….from the Golan, and instead of Maroun El Rass or Naqoura….. into south Lebanon, in an attempt to outflank Hizbullah from the back…, in a tactic reminiscent of the encerclement of the Iraqi army in Kuwait by the late Schwarzkopf…..
Nothing succeeds like success. With a lot of patience and hard, serious-minded work, Hizbullah put together a defense in southern Lebanon that withstood an organized Israeli attack. Since the situation in the southwestern part of Syria has stabilized to a certain extent, now is the time for such a defensive project in that part of Syria and the Golan Heights if desired, because Russia is there to minimize a large, outside attack on Syria. The border between Syria and Israel is about the same length as the southern border of Lebanon.
I read a number of years ago a general article about how Hizbullah trained its new members. They had a careful, detailed program that took quite a while to complete. I suspect that it is very different from that “vetting” and “training” of “moderate rebels” against Syria that was done for some outrageous amount of money — $500 million? — that produced less than 100 “fighters”.
I was wondering if anybody had a reaction to this story – US intel sources warn Israel against sharing secrets with Trump administration
clonal antibody
I saw this story in Haaretz. I presume that those meeting with the Israelis were the very management people that I have been condemning at CIA. This would of course include Brennan. IMO to say such a thing to the representatives of a foreign power is treasonous. To tell the Israelis, who in fact, are totally dependent on US support and strategic defense that they should not trust the US Government is treasonous. pl
I was looking for another article around the same attack, but thought some one might find it interesting how the Israelis have done attacks around Damascus in the past. It matches up with what b says.
https://www.nytexaminer.com/2013/02/narrative-on-israeli-air-strike-on-syria-starts-to-unravel/
>”Israel might be willing to sacrifice a couple of its pilots to test Russia’s air defenses, but only if they get desperate.”
That isn’t the current Israeli way at all. Two dead pilots could cause the collapse of the government. Israelis have become very risk adverse. They have no problem with killing others but the country has a melt down any time some one in uniform dies.
You’re absolutely right… I have seen it first hand, and I can tell you it’s outstanding, and their biggest strength is discipline and iron clad determination…
All
Yes. Hizbullah is a power that Israel has not a clue as to how to deal with it. If they and their Iranian sponsors succeed in in encircling northern Israel in this way this is very bad news for the Israelis. pl
Very true.
We want it to happen Faster and bigger and wider…, because we are sick and tired of Izzie shenanigans and utter criminality, which always goes unpunished and papered over by the usual suspects.
It’s our way of getting our own ” MAD doctrine ” in this neck of the woods…
There appear to be many people who appear willing to engage in treasonous acts at this point of time. Such overt actions are the first I have seen in my 60 plus years of memory.
Off topic, but the sentencing hearing for retired Marine/Navy pilot and Marine Corps Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright that was set for this coming Tuesday, 17 January, has been rescheduled to 31 January. The criminal case, when filed, was assigned to Judge Richard Leon, in a federal district court in Washington D.C. Maybe more on this later.
When the debate was going on about expanding the war in Afghanistan, Gen. Cartwright reportedly spoke against such a move and policy–
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/gen-james-cartwright-on-tap-to-lead-pentagon-became-target-for-criticism/2011/05/27/AG9j4WDH_story.html?utm_term=.c4b437dd9580
Also there was this little snippet – In His First Foreign Trip As President, Trump Plans To Meet With Putin In Reykjavik
richardstevenhack
Well, we disagree on the nature of the present Israeli-Hizbullah “dance.” IMO and that of some of the IDF’s advisers Israel does not have a satisfactory course of action for dealing with the Hizbullah rocker and MISSILE force. You seem to think that Hizbullah’s armory is stocked with the kind of homemade junk that the Palestinians pitifully shoot out of Gaza. That is not the case. Hizbullah has at least 20,000 rockets and missiles that will range as far south as Tel Aviv. These are not point target weapons but hitting a town does not require point target weapons. The Hizbullah defensive belt along the border with Israel exists for the purpose of insuring that the missile and rocket force can be salvoed into Israeli towns before the IDF can overrun the firing positions behind the ground defensive belt. the Israelis have no answer to this threat. The Syrian missile force is a trivial factor in this equation and Iran is unlikely to attack Israel as it knows that massive American strategic level retribution would certainly occur. What results is a MADlike situation of stasis. you raise the issue of Israel possibly wanting to attack Hizbullah in the Bekaa valley. The rocket and missile force is not concentrated in the Bekaa Valley. It is spread all along the border all the way to the sea and penetration of the Bekaa Valley will in no way prevent a massive Hizbullah salvo into Israel. Indeed such a penetration into an area full of Shia would be likely to trigger such a salvo. pl
Also Truman’s True Warning on the CIA
It appears that this was a piece of fake news planted by Trump – Trump Ensnares Media in Yet Another Fake News Boondoggle
Col, re your comment, “Hizbullah is a power that Israel has not a clue as how to deal with it”, Haaretz has published an English version of Gili Cohen’s new article about how the IDF is working hard to mold reservists teams to act as Hezzi fighters in training exercises for the real deal:
“Eyeing northern front, Israeli army sets up own Hezbollah units”
They are focusing on providing similar physical conditions and going to great lengths to mimic “resistance” appearances, tactics and weaponry. Good luck with THAT endeavor…..The article concludes with the news that the original plans were to recruit ultra-orthodox reservists as the role-players. Wiser heads prevailed (?) and it was scrapped.
Since the Israeli military censor apparently has no problem with this publication, I wonder if they have already figured the PoG knows all about these efforts.
What you wrote here I fully agree with and would even say that there is enough in place already that Israel will not want to start another war on their own. If missiles start falling on Tel Aviv the Jews that moved there and to a large part have dual citizenship will just move back to where ever they came from. At least over the short term. That would be very, very bad for Israel. But it won’t ever get there.
But lets be honest. The Israelis haven’t been showing faked maps of Hezbollahs position to world diplomats for the lulz. They want other countries to bleed for them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-idf-army-defends-tweeting-fake-map-showing-hezbollah-positions-lebanon-a7465396.html
This is just like the faked documents they were waving around about Irans nuclear program that were intended to get the Americans to attack Iran for them.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/julian-borger-global-security-blog/2012/nov/29/iaea-nuclear-computer-error
https://www.sipri.org/commentary/expert-comment/2013/international-atomic-energy-agency-and-parchin-questions-and-concerns
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1108/Imminent-Iran-nuclear-threat-A-timeline-of-warnings-since-1979/Earliest-warnings-1979-84
Or Bibi’ centrifuges the size of refrigerators in Iraq.
http://www.juancole.com/2012/09/netanyahu-2002-iraq-has-centrifuges-the-size-of-washing-machines-to-produce-a-bomb.html
The Israelis favourite patsy’s are the Americans followed by their NATO naives. Support among Republicans for Israel and all the evil it does has never been stronger.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/what-bibi-has-wrought
And as luck would have it in a few days Israel will have the most pro Zionist president in history along with his advisers mostly named Trump who are also all pro Zionist. The House and the Senate are both far more pro Israel than the American people. The biggest contributor to both Trump and Netanyahu is Sheldon Adelson who wants nothing less than the slaughter of Muslims.
If there is even a a whiff that Hezbollah is looking at doing any thing against Israel you can dust off the Lebanon play book and reminisce on the good old days. The US will go in first take the brunt of the damage and then when it is safe the Israelis will come in and do what ever they want.
If the Americans manage to stay out some how Israel won’t use nuclear weapons on Lebanon as it is to close, but a tactical size weopon on Iran is easy to imagine and the US would do what it always does which is block any criticism of Israel for doing it.
Support for Israel among Republicans is as strong as it it has ever been.
richardstevenhack
Thanks for the opinion. It seems clear to me that Israeli encouragement of chaos and civil war in Syria has been intended to create a situation in which it becomes possible to wreck Hizbullah, thus clearing the way for either an Israeli solo attack on Iran or a coalition attack on Iran or perhaps both The solidity of HB defenses in south Lebanon and the amount of fire that can be laid onto Israeli population centers is the major obstacle to that policy goal. I don’t think the IDF has the “stones” to throw a lot of men and tanks directly at the border defenses of the south in what I have called the Tabouleh Line. That belt of fortified villages is even more strongly fortified than it was in 2006. As you point out, the level of sophistication and sheer numbers of weapons that HB can throw deep into Israel is much greater now than it was in 2006. A salvo of 10,000 weapons would not greatly deplete available ordnance. Given that situation you posit the notion that what the Israelis would do is drive toward Damascus and then take Route 1 over the mountain into the Bekaa where they can theoretically “roll up” the HB defenses from the flanks. The problem with that is that while the Israelis are doing that the HB artillery forces are going to be firing into Israel from their existing position along the border all the way to the sea. it must also be remembered that the HB commanders have had a lot of time in which to study the terrain the Israelis would have to cross coming over the mountain from Syria. you can be sure that the terrain in the mountain wall will be defended. That will really slow things up, something Israel will badly want to avoid. in that context the hardening of HB and Iranian defenses along the roads from the Golan to Damascus takes on special meaning. pl
Colonel,
OT: Final ruling :Egypt court rejects transfer of Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Courtroom erupted in cheers.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-16/egypt-court-deals-blow-to-el-sisi-on-saudi-maritime-border-pact
Now we will see what the Prince and the chihuahua will do.
YES, Spot On Pat……
Lots of surprises in store for IDF, besides Taboulé……….
You wrote: “I believe the only reason they are in this (bad) situation is they have allowed …”
I think, however, the reason is the Israelis own greed and stupidity whereby they desired West Bank and Gaza but not the Arabs living there.
They could have avoided all of this if, in 1969, they had granted Israeli Citizenship to all of those Arabs. Or again, in 1979, had acted on those portions of the Camp David Accords regarding Palestinian Autonomy.
That, in my opinion, was their biggest mistake from which everything else has flowed.
Good points Richard, but without spilling all the beans, I can tell you that Hizbullah has factored in all those equations long ago….and their arsenals are spread South To North, even missiles, all the way to Hermel…………no pincers will ever work for the Izzies.
Furthermore, Hizbullah will definitely break through Israeli borders into the Galilée this time around….and the Lebanese population will remain solidly behind Hizbullah No matter what is thrown at them, CIRCA 2006 or more….
Unconfirmed twitter reports of a drone shootdown over a restricted zone in Tehran. Some claim it was a quadcopter. That would imply it was launched locally.
@ Mike
This is the second one within a month. Most probably another one for advertising purposes and it strayed a bit too much near Pasteur street .
The sheer number of ATMs that are available to any one and every one will also be a big factor that wasn’t in the previous conflicts to the same degree. The Israelis have stated rolling out 60 ton MBTs due to the threat but I don’t think the numbers are that great yet and a tank that heavy comes with it’s own problems.
Should you ever get bored sir, I would love to see the senior members take sides and war game the scenario.
richardstevenhack
“any pincer will fail” I don’t quite know what you mean by “pincer” here. pl
PL, Richardstevenhack,
I suppose Richardstevenhack means an IDF flanking move aimed at the Bekaa valley. This is hardly going to prevent HB from hitting Israeli cities. From that POV, it wouldn’t make any sense at all.
Furthermore, what Richardstevenhack is describing would actually entail a complex military operation. IDF would have to move through Syria, possibly as close as 5-10 miles from Damascus, and then progress westwards back into Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. The difficulties and risks inherent to such an enterprise far outweigh the strategic gains that could be achieved. the SAA would obviously be pushed into action, Russia air cover and air defence might prevent IAF CAS, HB would be in a position to attack the flanks of the IDF axis of advance, while still being in a position to fire plenty of rockets into Israel. In addition to this, the terrain is incredibly difficult and offers plenty of opportunities to slow down and ambush an attacking force.
Overall, it sounds like a very high risk approach, with little gain to expect. Can’t see it happening. The only way the IDF could circumvent the nature of the problem is by doing what they were apparently were afraid to do in 2006, that is a powerful armor and infantry push through South Lebanon on the one hand, combined with a large scale airborne operation in the rear of HB ground forces, thus preventing reinforcements to reach the frontline and targeting/destroying firing positions of HB rockets and missiles. Again, a high risk gamble though, but no directly involving third parties.
TTG, PB et al
Having been up to Metula at the fence itself and to Qiryat Shmona several times I would say that this territorial salient held by the Israelis is very vulnerable to a ground attack from the high ground held by HB to the west. A sudden raid into the Israeli low ground would set the stage for ambushes against both aircraft and ground forces seeking to relieve the Israeli villages in the salient. pl
It is not like Israel is filled with Russians. The GRU really needs to use America to spy on Israel.
ps. I hope it is obvious that this is sarcastic.
Correct, and this will happen if and when hostilities break out again in south Lebanon, and this time around moves will be fast, powerful and furious compared to 2006, regardless what’s committed to the Syrian or Iraqi theater by Hizb
Sorry for digging up an old thread but I didn’t want to hijack the existing ones.
I was reading the Times of Israel this morning and was startled by what I saw there. As it is going to have an impact on Americans not to mention the region I wanted to bring it to peoples attention. It’s “America first”, right after Israel. Keep in mind that almost the entire world with the exception of the US and Israel are opposed to all of this.
“Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, a senior member of the cabinet from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, said Sunday he would bring a plan to the cabinet for Israel to annex most of the West Bank settlements surrounding Jerusalem, in a move that appeared designed to challenge Netanyahu and outflank Education Minister Naftali Bennett.”
…
“But Army Radio reported that senior White House officials had been in touch with a senior Israeli minister and told them that the new administration has no intention of stopping Israeli plans to annex Ma’ale Adumim.
“We need to tell the American administration what we want and not wait for orders from it,” said Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home), who co-chairs the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.”
“Fearing repercussions from the Obama administration, a final vote on the so-called Regulation Bill, which would legalize some 4,000 Israeli homes in the West Bank built on privately owned Palestinian land, had been shelved until Obama left office.
But after the US abstention in the UN vote, “We are done playing nice,” a coalition source told The Times of Israel in late December. “It’s back on the table.”
Bennett has called the outpost bill the first step toward annexing the rest of the West Bank.”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/challenging-netanyahu-senior-minister-floats-annexation-of-jerusalem-area-setlements/
Netanyahu to discuss ‘Iranian threat’ in phone call with Trump
…
““I want to clarify, contrary to reports that I read, that ending the Iranian threat — primarily stopping the danger posed by the bad nuclear deal that was signed with Iran — continues to be a top priority of the government of Israel,” Netanyahu said.”
…
““I think what options we have are much more than you think. Many more,” Netanyahu said when asked if he did not fear that abrogating the nuclear accord would put Tehran on the fast track to a nuclear weapon.”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-to-discuss-iranian-threat-in-phone-call-with-trump/
“Netanyahu says he’ll lift restrictions on East Jerusalem construction
Trump, Netanyahu set to chat at 8:30 p.m. as US rumored to announce embassy move; Netanyahu announces planned settlement bloc expansion”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-january-22-2017/