Israel's Unnecessary War

DanielPipes.org (NY SUN) ^ | July 18, 2006 | Daniel Pipes

[nosofar]

The New York Sun article was named "Mistakes That Led to This Unnecessary War". There are links to other articles from within the text, so it's best to read the original.

[bankwalker]

The price of past appeasement.

[sinanju]

I think they've finally got the picture.

[strategofr]

"By 1993, this record of success imbued Israelis with a sense of overconfidence."

The "end of the Cold War" was probably also a factor. Russia had armed the Arab countries of the Middle East for decades. With the "end of the Cold War" This problem had supposedly ended. But Russia has changed much less than everyone (except Golitzen) thought they had.

[Dov in Houston]

How right you are. This war would be unnecessary and non existant if Israel had held her ground and wiped out her enemies

[trisham]

Excellent article.

[Cicero]

To undo this damage of 13 years requires that Israel return to the slow, hard, expensive, frustrating, and boring work of deterrence. That means renouncing the foolish plans of compromise, the dreamy hopes for good will, the irresponsibility of releasing terrorists, the self-indulgence of weariness, and the idiocy of unilateral withdrawal.

This is much what I have been saying about Barak, Sharon, and Olmert, but I couldn't have said it better. The sad thing is that after repudiating Barak's defeatist policies and voting for Sharon, Sharon betrayed the Israeli people and brought a policy of continued weakness instead of strength. Then, apparently, the voters gave up, and elected Olmert. Now they are reaping the consequences.

[goldstategop]

I agree with Daniel Pipes. If Israel returns to the convergence plan and continues to destroy Jewish communities and turn land in the West Bank over to the PLO/Hamas, whatever gains might be made in this war will be short-lived. There is no indication Israel's leaders have abandoned their Oslo mindset and the work of deterrence takes decades of sustained, unrelenting perserverance. Not easy for democratic politicians who live in the present. Israel's enemies are not going to be impressed by a lashing out. They're going to see whether Israel stops retreating on the ground and stands fast. That is the heart of the matter that will determine Israel's fate. Israel has no choice but to give up the dreamy illusions that appeasement, goodwill concessions and territorial contradiction will win her the respect of the Arabs. Israel has to stop the loss of national will that is essential to her survival or she will not see much of the rest of this century.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em, Down Hezbullies.)

[MAD-AS-HELL]

And what US PResident and his administration of appeasers helped Israel along this road???

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also

2006israelwar or WOT

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[Psalm 73]

"The pattern since 1993...."

Hmmm, 1993 - let's see, that's right about the time of - yup - the Bubba-ocracy - when the Israeli's put their hand in the hand of the man from Arkansas.

[Sabramerican]

I think they've finally got the picture.

Unfortunately, not even close.

Freepers are not the CIA, nor Mossad, nor any Governmental agency entrusted to gather facts and come to life and death decisions affecting security.

But manyt Freepers a year ago, and before,knew where Israel was headed. Many understood what the Gaza surrender would bring.

Most know today what would result from a "Palestinian" State.

But Israel and the US continue to rush ahead into the abyss. In fact when this cools down, the rush will accelerate.

[DoughtyOne]

What bothers me most about this conflict, is the so-called voices of reason that surround it. Here Pipes hits the nail on the head, but he's not the only person with a voice these days.

Best expressed by France's Chirac, Israel is urged to return to diplomacy. My God, has that old fool been tuned in over the last 57 years? When has diplomacy worked for Israel, when dealing with the Palestinians and their supporters?

Only one nation has stepped up and made peace with Israel. Even it seems to feel compelled to voice objections to Israel not all that infrequently.

Israel must cast off the calls for restraint and clean out the nests of terrorists. It must send a clear message to the heads of state in nations that surround it. "If you folks don't stop, we're going to kick your -ss!"

Israel has been patient for far too long. It's time to whack some perps.

[Allan]

Bump

[Alberta's Child]

The pattern since 1993 has been consistent: Each disillusionment inspires an orgy of Israeli remorse and reconsideration, followed by a quiet return to appeasement and retreat.

Maybe there's a reason for this. Just about every major Israeli candidate for prime minister in that time campaigned on a promise not to vacate the Gaza Strip, and every one of them eventually decided that vacating Gaza was a good idea.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

It's like trying to go to sleep with a viper.

After seeing how close the Palestinians came to getting what they wanted, and all they needed was reasonableness to repudiate terrorism, to guarantee acting like civilized people who could live and work with their neighbors, and they couldn't/wouldn't, then I knew that everything predicated on that concept was flawed and going to bite Israel.

And it is.

But will the Israelis see it?

[MissEdie]

You must have been reading my mind!! When will everybody (besides those of us who already get it) wise up and admit just how dangerous clinton was to this country?

[MissEdie]

I meant to make that world instead of country!

[Sabramerican]

Uh?

Tell it to Bibi.

And even if it was a good idea to let the animals have their pen to themselves, no one in his right mind would have surrendered without a complementary concession.

Nature, God(?), proved, that Sharon was not in his right mind.

[Mack the knife]

The price of past appeasement.

---

That characterization is not exactly fair to Israel with respect to Lebanon. This war with Hizbullah is occurring because the U.N betrayed Israel. Israel invaded Lebanon because of Hizbullah actions, and was universally condemned for it.

In accordance with a U.N. Resolution, Israel pulled their Army out of Lebanon with the assurance that Hizbullah would be disarmed and the Lebanese Army would occupy southern Lebanon.

Lebanon was not allowed by Syria to do this -- Hizbullah moved in with the pretext of providing humanitarian aid to the devastated area. The U.N. did ot insist on it. The U.S. did not insist on it. That is why there is a war today, not because of appeasement, but because of betrayal.