In Moral Defense of Israel

The Ayn Rand Institute ^ | Robert W Tracinski

[weikel]

Israel and those who attack it are not moral equals. Israel is a free, Westernized country, which recognizes the individual rights of its citizens (such as their right to liberty and freedom of speech). It uses military force only in self-defense, in order to protect itself.

Those attacking Israel, by contrast, are terrorist organizations, theocracies, dictatorships and would-be dictators. They do not recognize the individual rights of their own subjects, much less those of the citizens of Israel. They initiate force indiscriminately in order to retain and expand their power. In contrast to the state of Israel, such organizations and regimes have no moral right to exist.

Fundamentally, Israel is the target of these organizations and regimes precisely because of its virtues: it is an oasis of freedom and prosperity in a desert of tyranny and stagnation. If Israel is destroyed, the enemies of freedom attacking it will be able to turn their full attention to the United States. The United States must not let this happen.

In America's war against terrorism, it is imperative that America distinguish friend from foe, good from evil, the opponents of terrorism from the perpetrators. In the name of justice and self-preservation, therefore, America should uncompromisingly encourage and support Israel in the common fight against the enemies of freedom.

[truth_seeker]

So we must judge Israel's actions and the Palestinians' actions just on the merits of whether they are moral or not, regardless of whether they are democratic or not. In my opinion, Israel's actions are immoral because, even though Israel is democratic, Israel is clearly the oppressor and the Palestinians are clearly the oppressed. The Palestinians are David, and Israel is Goliath.

What is your basis for calling Israel the oppressor? After losing four wars waged by conventional military means against Israel, the arabs have now attempted to overcome the state of Israel by an ongoing civilian guerrilla campaign. Does Israel's self-defense against a civilian-waged guerrilla campaign render them an oppressor?

Your David and Goliath statement means nothing, as an argument. In retrospect, one could say Japan was a David, when it was ultimately smashed by the Goliath United States. Or similarly Germany was the David, when it overreached against the USSR Goliath.

In the four previous military wars against Israel, she was the David, yet prevailed.

What moral justification exists for Palestinians to bomb civilians in pizza shops, commuter buses, religious celebrations? It is plainly and simply an act of war; guerrilla war, not military war. But it is an intentional first strike aimed at civilians.

That is immoral, by any but the most deranged moral standards. As we have seen in recent weeks, the musli-arab-palis operate by a so-called moral standard far different than modern, civilized nations. An inferior standard. Vastly inferior.

[goldstategop]

Israel is helping to prevent future suicide bombings in the West. Not that the Eurotrash and the Americans appreciate her efforts today. They'll be coming around thanking her in 20 years time.

[weikel]

The Palis bring it on themselves and not that many are innocent and if the ones that are were worth anything they would have killed Arafat long ago the per capita in the territories is now 1/4 of what it was before Oslo( when Israel handed the territories over to Arafat) Israel most of the innocent are executed as "collaborators" with Israel.

[Buckeroo]

Ayn would lay down her whiskey glass about foreign invasion. Her methods of philosopical considerations never contained the "dove theory." Her writings are based upon non-agression as intent, not as a continuous method for nations. She is pretty cool, too ..... a contemporary Thomas Jefferson, whom advocated education. Today, our government teaches nothing about or for us. It just takes our money and gives it away; an issue that is unconstitutional IMO.

[weikel]

I like Rand too I just think the whole religion thing will forever keep them from becoming mainstream.

[My Identity]

Israel's actions are immoral because, even though Israel is democratic, Israel is clearly the oppressor and the Palestinians are clearly the oppressed.

Your views are too simplistic. Criminals in jail are oppressed, but for a moral reason. You need to go back to basics. Try the Ten Commandments and work forward.

[newzjunkey]

Pathetic. Israel's hardly "defending" itself with the admitted murder of "hundreds" of Palestinians:

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli army said on Friday it had apparently killed hundreds of Palestinians in fierce fighting earlier in the week in the Jenin refugee camp.

"There were apparently hundreds of dead," the army's chief spokesman, Brigadier-General Ron Kitrey, told Army Radio... (Click above for the rest of the story.)

This is disgraceful and UTTERLY disproportionate to the Israeli losses to the bombers. Oh, wait, the IDF only attacked bombing suspects (/sarcasm).

Because it will no doubt be burried in the flurry of biased stories focusing on the rabidly pro-Israel angle (no matter how much danger Sharon puts Israel and the US in) and more bombings, I'll point out the AP reports (scroll to the bottom): A senior Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an Armenian monk seriously wounded in the Church of the Nativity compound was apparently shot by an Israeli soldier.

[My Identity]

The UN partitioned Palestine without first obtaining their consent.

Not only are your moral values all messed up, your knowledge of history is seriously out of touch with...history.
Try again. And thank you for playing.

[weikel]

There is no such thing as a Pali "civilian"( well except those executed as collaborators) not when teenage girls and ten year olds are suicide bombers I don't give a damn about the Monk he should have had the good sense to stay out of a war zone.

[newzjunkey]

Agreed. I still laugh at the obvious racism in Israeli's rejection of allowing Palestinians to return to their homes inside Israel (despite it being allowed for in a prior agreement) for fear Palestinians would form a voting majority and win the Keneset.

[weikel]

I wonder did you see them cheering after 9/11 they are with few exceptions terrorist savages I don't understand why anyone sympathizes with them.

[weikel]

They never owned the land in the 1st place Jews did own the land they got in the partition.

[My Identity]

How about "Thou Shalt Not Steal"?

You're not going to try that old canard are you? Seriously?
Arabs have robbed from the Jews. Will you argue that they should return Jewish property?
Arabs attacked Jews. Will you argue that they should pay reparations? Arabs came to the land after the Jews. Will you argue that they should pay rent?
Come on old boy. You need to try harder.

[My Identity]

Palestinians were never consulted about having their land stolen from them. That's a historical fact

Other than the fact that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, what do you mean? Other than the fact that the West Bank was used to attack Israel, and the Arabs lost, thereby forfeiting any territorial claims, what do youmean? Other than the fact that Jordan controlled the West Bank, lost it in a war and gave up any claim to it, what do you mean?

[weikel]

They never owned the land the only Arabs in Ottoman Palestine before Jewish settlers started buying land were Beduin tribes and they generally support Israel look up Mark Twain's visit to Ottoman Palestine.

[TLBSHOW]

What land are you talking about du boy?