Are we serious about deterrence?

JewishWorldReview ^ | Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.

[Iam1ru1-2]

In hindsight, it will probably be obvious that the missteps of the Obama administration vis a vis Israel were critical catalysts to a war that today seems ever more likely to engulf the Middle East, and perhaps the world more generally. Assuming such an outcome is neither the intention of the President and his team, nor desired by them, American course corrections must be urgently taken.

To be sure, as is often the case in the moment, a different narrative is operating. The rising tensions in the region are widely seen as the fault of the Jewish State. Most recently, Israel is being portrayed as the villain of the bloody interception of a "humanitarian flotilla" bringing relief aid to the Gaza Strip.

Before that, the Jewish State has been serially excoriated for: engaging in: "illegal" construction of homes in Jerusalem; exercising "disproportionate force" in military action in Gaza, including by some accounts "war crimes"; and being intransigent with respect to the sorts of territorial, strategic and political concessions needed to advance the "peace process" with the Palestinians.

In each case, the Obama administration has either strongly endorsed these memes or acted fecklessly to challenge them. Throughout their seventeen months in office, the President and his senior subordinates have been at pains to demonstrate a more even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to "engage" the Muslim "world."

The practical effect, however, has been to excuse, empower and embolden those hostile not just to Israel but to the United States, as well. Consider just a few ominous examples:

The Iranian regime has understood that the Obama administration will do nothing to defeat the realization of Tehran's longstanding ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons. Instead, the United States is now focused on...

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Well “they” voted for him, so ya gets what ya votes for folks. Why is there all this “surprise” in the Jewish world today about Obama’s intentions. You’d had to have been blind not to see this coming. Truly amazing.

[rmlew]

You are an idiot. Americans in Israel voted overwhelmingly against Obama. And you arguement is pathetic. Irish and Greeks vote Democrat, or at least have historically. Does that mean we should sit by if Turkey retook Greece?

[ThePatriotsFlag]

You are an idiot. Americans in Israel voted overwhelmingly against Obama. And you arguement is pathetic.

Americans in Israel? Who the hell was talking about them? I was talking about the Jewish Vote in the USA. Oh, "I'm" the "idiot" and "pathetic" by stating that the Jewish community here in the USA got what it voted for, huh? Well, before you start calling people "idiots" ... check your facts. The Americans in Israel are probably represented by the McCain votes. Facts are not very difficult to find.

78% Jews voting for Obama over McCain

My point was, most of the Jews voted for this guy. They represent 2% of our population, not huge, but almost 25% of the funding for the "Democrat Cause". You not only get what you vote for, but what you PAY for too.

The only "idiots" are the "pathetic" people that voted for this direction in foreign policy ... and perhaps we should throw in, and also the people that deny reality.