DON’T HANDCUFF ISRAEL

You had to know that it was only a matter of time before I jumped on this one. What is up with the leaders in the world who are using the phrase “Disproportional Response”? You have two different groups calling for the total destruction of Israel, going into Israeli territory and kidnapping (not capturing as the press is fond of saying) soldiers, and occasionally lobbing rockets into Israel. What kind of response should we expect?

There is a growing form of international anti-Semitism in the world. It’s not surprising that countries like France or Russia would condemn Israel for its actions, but when members of the US Senate will not condemn two terrorist organizations for their actions, we have a real problem.

The Lebanese and Palestinian governments (if you count Hamas as a government) are the only bodies to blame for the severity of the Israeli response to the actions of Hezbollah and Hamas. These governing bodies have a responsibility to ensure the security of their neighboring countries as well as their own citizens. Instead, the Palestinian people allow Hamas to be the majority of their government’s body. Lebanon ignores a UN resolution that required Israel to leave and calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah. Imagine the international outcry if the US allowed the Billy Bob Redneck Militia to lob homemade rockets into populated areas of Canada or kidnap a couple of Mounties to use as bargaining chips to get Jimmy Joe and his cousin Jimmy Joe out of a Canadian Jail. Instead of being outraged at the acts that caused this crisis, the international community blames Israel. For that matter, France and members of our own congress would probably blame Israel for the Jimmy Joe scenario.

Any Lebanese or Palestinian civilian death (the deaths of children are a tragedy cause by their parents’ decisions) is a direct result of:

A. The governments not removing the armies financed by Iran and Syria from their territories.
B. Allowing themselves to be used by the terrorist organizations
C. Not heeding Israel’s repeated warnings to leave target areas

Civilian deaths are a consequence of urban warfare. When the civilian population allows its homes to be used a launching platforms for rockets or positions for snipers it has to expect the worst. When a government allows what amounts to a foreign army to operate from within its boarders, attacking its neighbors, then it must expect its boarders to be violated to stop the attacks. And, Isreal is making its plans known to everyone in advance. Israel warns everyone concerned that this area is a target: " Get Out!". People are still suprised that their house and the rocket launcher in the garage gets blown up. The UN acts suprised that their position gets bombed when they allow Hezbollah to move in next door!

Instead of calling on Israel to implement an immediate cease fire, maybe it’s time that we just allow them to finish the job they start and concentrate on our own problems: like N. Korea and Iran.