If anyone is wondering what will come of the current crisis in Israel/Gaza, please flip back to the summer of 2006 and take notes. Or, if you are REALLY interested, why not take a look at EVERY counterattack Israel has tried to wage against terrorist aggressors. You will find it doesn't work out so well for the Israelis. And, sadly, this counterattack will probably also fail.
It’s not a question of which side is right. Israel was attacked, and it is will within its right and duty to defend itself. Hamas started this particular mess, and Israel would be neglecting its duty if it did not respond. It’s not a question of who is more powerful. Israel's military and arms far overpower Hamas'. It’s not a question of death toll, Israel most often is able to kill more than those who attack it. This is a question of anti-Semitism, jihadist authoritarianism, globalization, and the liberalizing of the world.
If you don't agree, just look at the facts. Many argue, and logically so, that Israel was created as a safe-haven for Jews in a world that had just been tried and convicted of trying to eradicated Jewish people from the world. Guilt played a part in the establishment of Israel, but so did anti-Semitism. Great Britain and the UN were willing to provide a land for the Jews, not only to make up for the Holocaust, but also to rid Europe of Jews. This mentality, while not popularly recognized also explains why Europe has such a "hands-off" approach to Israel and its hardships.
Jihadist Authoritarianism is the movement that groups like Hamas, Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups follow. This movement would like to see the eradication of Israel and the Jews as well as a global movement to convert the globe to Islam. It’s not popular to point these relevant facts out, nor is it popular to portray these groups in such a way that gives them any real power, but the fact remains: these terrorist groups hold the support of the Palestinians as well as MANY other Arab peoples in the region and are sponsored by states like Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan. Terrorism is real. We can't close our eyes and pretend it doesn't exist.
The toxic curse of globalization is the worst foe of Israel in this on-going bias in the Middle East. In this day and age, international opinion holds more weight than ever before (more weight than it should). Global politics are full of double standards against Israel, but the worst comes from groups like the UN, who is supposed to maintain impartiality, but rarely does. Take, for instance, the two major anti-Israeli resolutions passed by the General Assembly of the United Nations: UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 which declared "Zionism" racist. Zionism is basically the belief that the Jews should have a safe haven in the holy land. And the General Assembly resolution that declared a terrorist group (the PLO...responsible for multiple terrorist attacks, including the murder of Israeli Olympians in Munich) the legitimate authority of the Palestinian people and allowed them observer status within the United Nations.
More importantly, Israel's right to defend itself is dependent, now, on international support? Why is this? Why does the world side with Palestinians, even when it is the Arabs in Israel that fire the first shot, blow themselves up, and makes Israel is scary place.
I don't have the answers to these questions, but I do have some theories. First of all, this is a product of growing anti-Americanism in the world. Israel is a strong ally of the United States and therefore, they are in the wrong. Illogical? Sure, but when was the last time you heard and anti-American make a lick of sense? Then there is the obvious problem with the entire set up of the United Nations. For the ONE Israeli vote, where are SEVERAL Arab votes that have all promised to vote against Israel. Add that to the countless African Nations that can be bought, already hate America and its allies, and are being overrun with Muslims and you've got the votes you need to pass anti-Israeli resolutions. It’s not too difficult.
It comes down to this: For every Palestinian the media portrays as "mistreated" by the Israelis, there is an Israeli grandmother who has died at the hands of a terrorist. For every media picture of the "evil" wall that separated Jewish from Muslim populations, there is an Israeli child who didn't see her 13th birthday because of a suicide bomber.
The bottom line is this: Is Israel justified for kicking a little Hamas ass? HELL YES! Will the world admit to that? Sadly, I’m not holding my breath. Israel, the common sense thinkers of the world are with you. Fight the good fight. One day, we hope the world will wake up. Until then, we will have to deal with the drive-by media posing pictures of poor Palestinians in Gaza next to "evil" Israeli tanks, the reckless United Nations attack of Israel, and a global community too scared to stand up for what is right.
