Several stories over the past week tell tales of Muslim children from across the region receiving critical and life-saving medical care at the hands of “evil” Zionist doctors.
While not at all uncommon, stories of Israeli goodwill toward the citizens of enemy nations are typically ignored by the mainstream media. That probably saves the press from having to compare and contrast the bestial behavior of those enemies toward Israeli Jews.
Resolutions introduced in both the US Senate and House of Representatives this week very belatedly recognizing that there was once a Jewish refugee crisis in the Middle East are both promising and dangerous.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested following talks with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday that the Arab world has come to a concensus on the need to recognize Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish state.
Either Rice is visiting a Middle East in some parallel universe, or she is severely out of touch with the will of the Arab street.
Make no mistake about it, as things currently stand, Israel has lost its war with Hizb’allah. Despite Defense Minister Amir Peretz’s ludicrous announcement Sunday that Israel has won the war, not one single stated military objective has been met.
Two Israeli soldiers are still in captivity, Hizb’allah is demonstrating once again today that it is still very capable of pounding northern Israel, and IDF troops and armor are being taken out in worrying numbers by a well-armed and highly-trained enemy.
Some in Israel will point to the terms of the UN-imposed ceasefire, which calls for Hizb’allah to withdraw north of the Litani River, as an achievement. But who is naive enough to believe the terrorists will really withdraw? Or that a sympathetic French-led force and the Shi’ite-dominated Lebanese army will actually enforce that stipulation?
No. Israel has lost. And Hizb’allah knows it. More concerning, the wider Muslim world knows it.
For decades Israel’s deterrence was based on the Arabs’ belief that the IDF was simply too powerful to be beaten. But this conflict, which saw a small band of terrorists use easily-obtained anti-tank missiles to inflict crushing losses on a mighty military machine, has ended that myth.
Israel, so long as it fights by the world’s rules, can be beat. That lesson will not be lost on the Arabs and Iranians the next time they decide to pick a fight. And it won’t be long before they do.
There is much talk lately of what is the “root cause” of the current fighting in Gaza and southern Lebanon, with much of the world pointing an accusatory finger at Hamas and Hizb’allah.
Former IDF chief Moshe Ya’alon took that one step further by pointing out that the Hamas and Hizb’allah aggression and provocations originated from areas Israel had completely vacated, disproving the long-held belief that “Israeli occupation” is the “root cause” of the wider Middle East conflict. Continue reading »
Just a little tip for those seeking democracy in the Middle East: It won’t work as long as a rogue terrorist organization, acting with impunity while a toothless government looks on, has the country by the balls.
From the Associated Press:
US President George W. Bush expressed worries the Israeli assault could cause the fall of the government, whose formation after elections last year Washington hailed as a major step for Lebanese democracy after years of Syrian control.
Israel is doing far more for Lebanese democracy than anyone is giving it credit for.
The world recognized with UN Security Council Resolution 1559 that Lebanon would not truly be free until Hizb’allah was defanged, but has failed to back up its words with action. Israel is just taking care of the dirty work, and should be applauded for doing so.
Ironically, the only ones giving Israel its dues are the Lebanese themselves (the Christian ones).
The ongoing flare-up with Hizb’allah could not have come at a better time for Israel.
Israel has a unique opportunity to deal decisively with both Hizb’allah and the Assad regime in Syria with little or no threat of military intervention by other regional powers.
Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak is highly unlikely to lead his nation into battle against Israel on behalf of Syria, as he is old, weak, and heavily beholden to American financial and military aid.
Of course, we all know that thanks to the Americans, Saddam Hussein is no longer a threat.
And with US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan sandwiching Iran, even madman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is unlikely to attack Israel and give Washington the excuse it has sought to abruptly end his quest to pave the way for the 12th Imam.
This may be just the opportunity Israel and the US have been waiting for to eliminate two of the biggest threats to regional stability. It should not be wasted.
