Having been on the frontlines of or in a position of national leadership during every one of Israel’s major and minor wars with the Arab world, Ariel Sharon was largely recognized as the father of the Jewish state’s doctrine of strategic deterrence.
But Sharon was the last of his generation, and today’s leaderhip appears more concerned with perceived diplomatic successes than with maintaining that deterrence.
Many will rightly argue that Sharon himself seriously eroded that deterrence when he surrendered the Gaza Strip. While the “Palestinians” suffered serious losses during the “intifada,” the only outcome they will remember is the withdrawal of ever single Jew from Gaza. In fact, it led them to vote overwhelmingly for Hamas to lead the Palestinian Authority.
That serious violation of the doctrine of strategic deterrence notwithstanding, most also realize that faced with a cross-border act of war, like Hizb’allahs assault on northern Israel on July 12, Sharon would have understood better than today’s leader the importance of a swift, crushing action against the Lebanese terror group.
Was Hizb’allah, as Prime Minister Olmert claims, surprised by the initial ferocity of Israel’s response? Probably. Did Hizb’allah pay a price for its aggression? Yes. Was it a serious price? Perhaps. Will it keep Hizb’allah from daring to try such a thing against Israel for the next decade? Not a chance.
Israel’s old war heroes - at least those in positions of national leadership - are gone. It is difficult for those in power today, most of who have not fought in a full-scale war, to understand in the way their predecessors did the seriousness of the existential threat facing Israel.
As Israel’s enemies become increasingly bold in their approach, we can probably expect the new generations of Israeli leadership to rely every more heavily on hoped for diplomatic achievements in war, rather than outright victory. The upside is that this phenomenon will eventually lead this people to call upon a Higher Power to bring them the sought after victory.
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8 comments so far ↓
1 Marsha Carol Watson // Aug 19, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Ryan, this is an excellent article. You surely do see the Big Picture. It is my most sincere prayer that God, in His great love and mercy for His Beloved Land of Israel will raise up mighty men and women of valor. That He will pour into them by His Spirit an understanding and wisdom of the signs of the times. That they will recognize His “infilling and indwelling” Spirit in them and they will arise to become heroes and heroines for Israel even beginning today. Thank you for sharing with us, what is really going on in the real world and in the spirit world today. I have personally experienced God’s intervention into my life at critical times when I had no one else. I Know He is Able and Willing. However He choses to intervene for Israel and draw them to Him….I trust Him to do it and I pray for it daily. You can count on my prayers on behalf of Israel and its people, etc.
God is still on His Throne and I know that as we pray and fast for Israel, He delights in those who really love Israel. He draws all of us together in one mind and one accord, and power is there on behalf of the Nation of Israel.
I believe that Ariel Sharon somehow knows what is going on….whether it be by revelation from God. I also believe Sharon in whatever state he is in at this time, Is interceding on behalf of His Beloved Israel. I know if he had it all to do over again….Sharon would have done things a lot different. I am praying for this warrior of Israel, who fought valiantly for so many years….Who knows how God will work through all of this…..only time will tell.
2 Edward in Oregon // Aug 20, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Ryan,
I am not convinced it is just the warriors missing that is the problems. For some reason, the U.S. seems to think they control the worlds decisions. We have made enough errors dealing with these tyrant Muslims that we should have just supported Israel and let them do their own dealings with these corrupted Hizb’allah characters. It does show us that we are closer to the 7th and 14th chapter of Revelation when 144 thousand Jewish Evangelists take on the chore of the Church that has been removed.
How much worse can it get before the first chapter of Revelation is incorporated?? Islam wants to rule the world. Some years back, I had a web conversation with one of the editors of the Middleeast Encyclopedia. I though he was a Jew until he went into a rage that we support Israel. It turned out that he is a 35 year old Muslim. He asked me if Islam should rule the world. NO chance, I told him. He went deeper into the rage. He did not want to converse any further.
He was highly educated for his age. So much for higher education.
I would suggest that we have a few more years before the Church is removed. Therefore, it just could be that the IDF will take a radical turn-around and whip the boots off of the Hizb’allah braggarts. Of course, this will just enrage the world of Islam further. I would really like to see evangelism doors open wider to the Muslim areas so they can see some truth instead of this demonic lie.
3 Jeff // Aug 20, 2006 at 3:26 pm
I like your upside observation, Ryan; and amen, Marsha, God is still on His throne. Israel’s salvation and glory will come from God (the Placer) through the Lord Jesus Christ (Master YHWH-Salvation Anointed), Higher Power indeed.
God chooses the stupid of the world that He may be disgracing the wise, and the weak of the world that He may be disgracing the strong; and the ignoble and the contemptible of the world God chooses, and that which is not, that He should be discarding that which is, so that no flesh at all should be boasting in His sight.
4 James Lennon // Aug 20, 2006 at 7:19 pm
God was surley every bit upon his throne during the 1930’s and 1940’s. The Jewish people were pious. The same God allowed the Holocaust. Israel needs to rearm, recommit, reenergise, and defeat her enemies. God will watch.
5 Jeff // Aug 20, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Israel’s promised peace and prosperity did not come through strategic deterrence. Neither will it come through diplomacy. Nor will it come through the diplomatic, peace-promising, miracle-working, global, Man of Sin. It WILL come through that despised little Nazarene who died for the sake of all, and was roused out from among the dead by His God and Father.
And I believe by the time He returns, Israel may be thinking more along the lines of salvation from their enemies rather than victory over them.
6 citizen zero // Aug 20, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Israel’s eroded deterence may actually backfire on her enemies; Clearly, the IDF only appears weak due to political ineptness on the part of Olmert and company. Our enemies now have a false sense of power and security.
If we learn from our recent mistakes, those who plot our destruction will likely act foolishly and place themselves in great peril. But Israel’s government and public need to understand that there is no defensive action that the world and media will ever find acceptable. Even the construction of the security fence - which is the most benign defensive measure concievable - is not accepted by the rest of the world and is in fact portrayed as some evil scheme, even more villainous than the murder of innocent civilians.
7 Jeff // Aug 20, 2006 at 9:43 pm
James,
God didn’t “allow” the Holocaust. He created it and caused it to be. He isn’t just watching. He is operating all that is, not as a mad scientist, but as a loving, wise, and good Creator with an infinitely good purpose.
If Israel does rearm, recommit, reenergize, and defeat her enemies, that will be a result of God’s operation. If they become helpless and in need of a Saviour, that will also be a result of God’s operating.
I can’t remember the references, but God said very clearly through the Hebrew prophets that He creates evil, and He creates the ruiner to harm. But He does it for a good purpose, such as to discipline His people, or ultimately, to be All in all.
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The word “sin” means “miss” in Hebrew, as when a target shoooter misses a target. That is something God never does. However in His perfection and for His purpose He does create evil, which means “smash” in Hebrew.
Job was a righteous man, yet he experienced excruciating pain and trouble. You can see from the account that God instigated the whole thing. He merely used Satan to do the dirty work. But through the experience, Job had a new realization of God and was doubly blessed.
God is not only “on His throne”, which is actually quite a figure of speech. He is also in your atomic structure.
8 Bert // Aug 22, 2006 at 6:06 pm
OK, lets not panic, here… Isreal still has it’s nukes.
People seem to have a hard time understanding this terrorism thing. What is it about? What do they want? What will satisfy them?
It is about hate. As a black person I know something about it. I’ve gotten the calls from the KKK when I was dating a white woman (irronically she was jewish).
Hate comes first, then the reasons (excuses). The KKK hates because they are a bunch of jerks. These Jihadis hate because they were taught to hate jews by the Nazis.
Like the song goes “you have to be carefully taught” (movie - South Pacific)
If you want to understand what the terrorist are all about all you have to do is listen out for is one word in the news - “massacre”.
How can suicide bombings every other month change anything. The only thing it can do is mount Israeli anger untill they strike. Then you will hear it “oh, it is a massacre!”.
When a mosquito bites you what do you do? - you crush it. If you poke someone in the arm over and over, eventually you are going to get hit - hard.
But that is what the jihadis’ want. They want to get hit - hard. We used to think they wanted world sympathy. Now we now they hope to enrage the Muslim world with massive deaths - their own.
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