Apparently there are some hard-liners on this forum still living in the Cold War days. Some have spoken approvingly of a military confrontation with Russia.
Sure, we would “win” - at a cost perhaps of 1 million Americans dead versus 5 million Russians. That would be unthinkable.
I was there at the Fulda Gap as American forces stood guard against the likely Soviet invasion route. Calmer heads prevailed until the Soviet Union dissolved.
I was on the Golan Heights years ago as Israeli jets SCREAMED low overhead on their way to destroy the Syrian air force - from which the Syrians never recovered.
Many Americans apparently do not understand what every Israeli knows: that the greatest threat to Israel is (soon to be) nuclear-capable Iran: specifically the Iranian-Syrian-Hezbollah axis. Iran is now establishing bases in Syria, and Hezbollah reportedly has tens of thousands of (non-nuclear) missiles ready to strike Israel. That would devastate the country. Sure, the Arrow system is excellent, but there are nowhere near the number of missiles needed to shoot down all those missiles.
That’s why Israel is intent upon bringing down Assad - Iran’s proxy in Syria. Bashir’s father Hafez at least learned his lesson after the Arab-Israeli wars and more or less kept the radicals in check.
The best solution would be for Trump to take up Putin’s offer to cooperate on attacking those directly responsible for the atrocities, and also to work together to finally eradicate Islamic radicalism in the region.
And they must be eradicated. The Western mind cannot comprehend their blind fanaticism. I lived among them for years in the Middle East, and can testify that they oppose any “moderation” - called “collaborators with Israel”. Anyone suspected of being willing to accept Israel was dragged from their home in the night and butchered. That was many years ago; today the situation is much worse.
There are rays of hope: Egypt’s al-Sisi appears to be a moderate, as is King Hussein of Jordan. And lately even the Saudis have warmed up to Israel (out of fear of their dreaded enemy Iran).
In the meantime, every effort should be made to locate and vaporize Major General Qasem Soleimani, Iranian commander of the Quds Force, and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. That would at least be a symbolic victory.
I’m not a member of the “Israel right-or-wrong” party, but I have dealt personally with Israeli soldiers, e.g., when they knocked on our door in the night in search of terrorists (we lived near a couple of refugee camps). I must say they were admirably respectful, and I have seen them show great restraint towards protesting Palestinians, who by the way would hurl deadly bricks at our windshield (I’m not Jewish, if you’re wondering).
On the whole, however, there appears to be no earthly solution for the undying hatred of radical Islam towards Israel. But it will be one day end, at Armageddon.
Just my two cents