Even though Israeli-Arab relationships merit in-depth studies and analyses, the current conflict is not too difficult to understand. The reality of the nature of contemporary Israeli and Arab relationships is war. There is always a declared war, even though there may be periods of "cease fire," which means mainly that Israel refrains from taking military action against acts of terrorist aggression within its borders. The reasons that war is continual between Israel and the Arab world is two-fold: (1) The Arab nations that have attacked Israel in the past have never been successful. (2) Israel has never been allowed complete its military operations against the Arab world which would secure victory and establish peace. This is the framework from which to understand the current conflict.
To bring about another "cease fire" in the long history of this war, one of two demands must be met. The Israeli demands are the return of their kidnapped soldiers and the immediate end of rocket attacks on Israeli territory. The Arab (re: Palestinian, Hamas, Hezbollah, et al) demands are the withdrawal of all Jews from Israel or, preferably (according to them), the eradication of all Jews. Which demand should we consider the
most reasonable and simplest to accomplish?
The force that Israel is using in retaliation to the kidnapping of their soldiers (clearly a demonstration of concern for their troops that American liberals forget to express for our kidnapped soldiers) and for the Hezbollah rocket attacks surprises some. However, remember that they have already been in a state of war and that the current conflict is merely another battle within that war.
What has been more surprising than the force Israel is now directing at their enemy has been their restraint for literally years. When Saddam directed SCUD missiles into Israel during the War to Liberate Kuwait, even though Israel was not a military participant in that conflict, Israel made no retaliation. Even though Israeli citizens have suffered devastating terrorist bombing attacks since then, they have made no significant military responses. Indeed, since then, Israel has withdrawn from settlements in the Gaza strip and other territory in order for Palestinians to occupy them and establish their own government. The principle requirement was that the Palestinian authority would actively pursue policies and actions to remove terrorist organizations from their borders. They subsequently failed to accomplish this primarily because they do not consider Arab terrorist organizations their enemy. Jewish Israel is their stated enemy! It stands to reason, then, that they would strengthen their allies and, at the same time, seek ways to disrupt the strength of their enemy.
Military response by Israel to these accumulating attacks is not an option. It is a survival necessity. They do not have the luxury to wait dozens of years for appeasement diplomacy. They do not have the luxury to sit idly by while their soldiers are kidnapped and tortured. They do not have the luxury to wring their hands over suicide Islamic jihadists while uttering platitudes that this is, after all, "something that Europeans have been enduring for years."
Israel believes in fixing the problem. Even though their solution - victory - will be condemned by those impotent world peacekeepers over at the United Nations, Israel will nevertheless do what they can to ensure their survivability among neighbor nations, some nearer than others, that make no secret of their goal to eliminate Israel as a Jewish state.
On December 4, 2001, then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated, " … A war has been forced upon us. A war of terror. A war that claims innocent victims daily. A war of terror being conducted systematically, in an organized fashion, and with methodical direction. … We will pursue those responsible, the perpetrators of terrorism and the supporters. We will pursue them until we catch them, and they will pay a price." Once again, though, this current conflict will be halted far short of what it will take to establish victory, and hence peace, in that war torn region. Unfortunately, it will only be a matter of time before battles will be once again fought regardless of how long the new phony "cease fire" may last.
4 comments:
Excellent post.
Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, just like their 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, removes the Hamas and Hezbollah pretense at having the moral high ground. There is no "occupation," so the attacks on Israel are even seen by the anti-Israel crowd as unprovoked.
Israel needs to obliterate Hezbollah's war-making capability and then prevent it from being rebuilt. A daunting challenge.
If the Israelis locate a rocket being hidden in an Arab neighborhood, they drop leaflets before they bomb. Bill Bennett said that was like an Arab suicide bomber wearing a sign at the bus stop which said, "Caution, I'm a suicide bomber."
There is simply no comparison between the stategic war that Israel is fighting and the terrorism being waged by Hizbollah and Hamas. Israel should use whatever force she has to kill the enemy. As I wrote last Friday, the recommendation that the Israelis should act proportionately condemns Israel to a perpetual state of siege by its neighbors.
Great post, Charles.
Israel is a terrorist.
Everyday it's causing pain and suffering on the palestinians, the lebanese ...
Hamas and Hezbollah are the good guys.
"If the Israelis locate a rocket being hidden in an Arab neighborhood, they drop leaflets before they bomb. Bill Bennett said that was like an Arab suicide bomber wearing a sign at the bus stop which said, "Caution, I'm a suicide bomber.""
Bill Bennett is wrong. This is like telling all tel aviv residents to leave their homes and stay out in the cold with nothing to eat or where to live, or else they'll be killed when their homes are bombed. That's NOT a good thing by any means.
And of course when israel pulled back, after being defeatd by Hezbollah, it left the homes destroyed and the poor lebanese still have nowhere to live, and summer is ending.. cold nights are coming, people will again start dying by cold (as in afghanistan).
"Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, just like their 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, removes the Hamas and Hezbollah pretense at having the moral high ground. There is no "occupation," so the attacks on Israel are even seen by the anti-Israel crowd as unprovoked."
Israel is occupying a lot of land, and still has prisonners from palestine, and still having checkpoints everywhere in the palestinian territory, where perople live in misery and constant fear.
On the other hand, Hamas and Hezbollah are there helping the people on the ground, feeding them and building schools and hospitals, and repairing the destruction caused by Israel.
And let's not forget the millions of refugees, the native people of that land whoi were chased by Israel when it came there, so it's people could live in that place. They are still considered strangers by the countries where their are in refugee camps, and need to be allowed to return to their homeland, and have their homes back.
Israel is a terrorist. There's no way any reasonnable, logical, thinking person could say anything else.
But anyway, just go on with your crazy thaughts .. you shouldn't let FACTS change you beleifs in the great israel and the chosen people of god.
Yeah GO ISRAEL! (go to hell)
Does a reasonable, logical, thinking person really consider the unprovoked abduction of Israeli soldiers as well as the multiple suicide and other random bombings on civilian targets the actions of a rational people? Some sectors of Islam have declared war on the world in order to attempt to impose their authority. That they must be opposed is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer.
chuckschants
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