ELIE LESHEM and GABE FISHER and MATTI FRIEDMAN and ILAN BEN ZION
Times of Israel ^[1]
November 21, 2012

The rocket fire has indeed tailed off now. Criticism within Israel, though, seems to be on the rise, with even two politicians within the inner forum of nine ministers — Yuval Steinitz (Likud) and Eli Yishai (Shas) — known to have opposed ending the operation at this stage.

Aryeh Eldad (National Union) calls the operation and failure and reflects bitterly on the Palestinian victory celebrations — a blow to Israeli morale and deterrence, he calls it.

Labor’s Isaac Herzog says the operation has not dramatically changed Israel’s deterrent capability or security situation, though he praises the IDF. Herzog, like his party leader Shelly Yachimovich earlier, however, is not directly critical of Netanyahu and Barak.

Ofer Shelach (would-be Yesh Atid MK) notes bitterly that Netanyahu had promised in opposition to oust Hamas from Gaza and says the call-up of reservists was absurd since the prime minister had plainly not intended to use them.

Full story here. ^[1]