Israel’s Dilemma (CM)
Bret Stephens writes
Hamas was elected democratically and by overwhelming margins in Gaza. It has never once honored a cease-fire with Israel. Following Israel's withdrawal of its soldiers and settlements from the Strip in 2005 there was a six-fold increase in the number of Kassam strikes on Israel.
Hamas has also made no effort to rewrite its 1988 charter, which calls for Israel's destruction. The charter is explicitly anti-Semitic: "The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and kill them); until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!" (Article Seven) "In order to face the usurpation of Palestine by the Jews, we have no escape from raising the banner of Jihad." (Article 15) And so on.
It would seem perverse for Israeli taxpayers, including residents of Sderot, to feed the mouth that bites them. It would seem equally perverse for Israel merely to bide its time for an especially unlucky day -- a Kassam hitting a busload of schoolchildren, for instance -- before striking hard at Gaza. But unless Israel is willing to accept the military, political and diplomatic burdens of occupying all or parts of Gaza indefinitely, the effects of a major military incursion could be relatively short-lived. Israel suffered many more casualties before it withdrew from the Strip than it has since. …
[N]o self-respecting nation can allow the situation in Sderot to continue much longer, a point it is in every civilized country's interest to understand.
More here.
It's been going on for too long. Maybe what Israel, America and its allies need is to go on the offense and put an end to it. Hamas is like one of those annoying bullies we all saw in high school. Everyday they pick and poke at you, nothing major, just enough to aggravate. The only difference is that the small attacks are hurting innocent children and adults.
It concerns me that Iran, Venezuela, Russia, Syria and all other terrorist States are visibly moving ahead with their agenda and we are sitting back and allowing this to unfold right before our eyes.
Collectively, we are stronger and bigger. Just go on the offense and be done with this. The world cannot continue to go on like this over the next couple of years. We shouldn't wait until they've reached their peak and are ready to rumble with us.
Posted by: seatwist | March 09, 2008 at 12:18 AM
Israel has been a nation for 60 years; it's far past time it stood on its own two feet and stopped sponging off the American taxpayer. Israel gets attacked and America sends money and military aid. America gets attacked and Israel sits on its thumbs while other international countries are cajoled and threatened to step into Iraq and Afhganistan.
No more. The Israeli military is the most potent in the Middle East - complete with U.S.-furnished nuclear weapons - and this gravy train is OVER. Either Israel is able to defend itself or not... and I'm not going to play Daddy Warbucks to the Israeli state anymore. Salaam aleikum.
Posted by: Dual Citizen | March 12, 2008 at 10:06 PM
DualCitizen: Israel is the only democracy in the M.E. No matter how potent (potent partly because of U.S. support?)they are fighting for their lives. We arent - yet. The big picture eludes you, you are wrong.
Seatwist: "Going on too long" -- do you think that it should stop? Then what is your suggestion? Keen sight of the obvious without any concrete plan.
"...sitting back and allowing this to unfold..." Again, keen sight of the obvious, disapproval, but no plan. What is to be done in your opinion?
US goverment and others are watching, formulating, testing... The time for action may not be now.
Public knows nothing because news media know nothing - and wouldn't tell us if they did. News media creates diversions and controversy to divide and conquor resistance to ideas of the left such as the ones that have lead to the present state of affairs. If you don't understand, read up on the history of the Vietnem war around the time of Tet onward. That is a template for what you see going on among the left today, included but not limited to antiwar protests - all formulated to make US weaker not stronger. Fifth columns. Maybe a good start toward sanity would be to convict and execute traitors.
One thing we can do is consider our vote in November very carefully.
Posted by: Ms.R | March 23, 2008 at 11:59 AM