In praise of harsh response

[azurnoir]

Aside from the conventional wars that Israel fought in 1948, ’56, ’67, ’73, ‘82 and in the summer of 2006, the State of Israel has continuously confronted the challenges of terrorism since and even before its establishment.

The premise of Israel's willingness to sign the Oslo Accords and embark on subsequent withdrawals, including unilateral withdrawals, was that it would enhance Israel's security. The working assumption of various Israeli governments was that 1) the political process and land concessions would decrease the motivation for terror; and 2) if terrorism would not vanish, the Palestinian Authority would be more effective than Israel in combating Palestinian terrorism because their confrontation would not be "constrained by the High Court or B'tselem."
That was a misconception.

Israel's counter-terrorism measures were most effective when it applied significant force against terrorist strongholds. The 2002 operation Defensive Shield is a good example. Examples from abroad include the elimination of the Assassins in the 11th century, the Arab Revolt of '36-'39, the Red Brigades, The Shining Path, The Bader Meinhoff gang and others prove that force is the best method for victory.

Years ago Benjamin Netanyahu noted in brief that the "… the guiding policy should be based on an disproportional response to terrorism.

In our war on terror, Israel has historically chosen to battle terrorism with an iron fist on one hand, but in search of moderate counterparts for negotiations on the other hand. The latter has yet to be successful

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3653093,00.html

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Killing civilians will hurt israel badly, I think. The world will condemn the slaughter of innocents

[Behind the Aegis]

2. The world will condemn any damn thing Israel does, except maybe die.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. If you believe that, i feel sorry for you. i don't think that is true.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Don't feel sorry for me. I am realist.

You are the one living off in la-la land.

[John Q. Citizen]

6. Please don't dictate what my feelings should be. It won't work any way. It's a losing proposition.

I live in Western MT.

I believe Israel is hurting itself badly for the sake of a politician to get elected.

I feel sorry for all the people, including you.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. Then waste your time, it is yours to waste.

And, I guess I will feel sorry for the likes of you who are unable to see the writing on the wall and not able to understand what it means.

[John Q. Citizen]

9. Violence solves nothing. Yet i know you can tell me why it solves everything.

So we disagree.

That doesn't make me unable to see.
And it doesn't make me unable to understand.

But you can't see that or understand that. It's like you are self occluded.

i plan to petition my government to quit using my money to enable Israel to kill others and hurt itself. I've never done that before, ask my Senators and congressman to stop subsidizing Israel, but i'm going to start. I think it's a bad waste of money.

I have written about other expenditures but the time is past to write about this one.

Don't worry, I'm there aren't many of us yet. But there are a lot more than there were a couple of weeks ago. That's how things change.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. I won't dictate what you feel, you don't dictate what I know.

Also, don't presume to speak for me, I am not someone in need of your pity, condescending remarks, or supposed moral superiority.

"i plan to petition my government to quit using my money to enable Israel to kill others and hurt itself. I've never done that before, ask my Senators and congressman to stop subsidizing Israel, but i'm going to start. I think it's a bad waste of money." Bully for you. You can join the ranks of other false progressives you see things in such simplistic terms. Cut Israel's funding, it will not force Israel to surrender or die.

"Don't worry, I'm there aren't many of us yet. But there are a lot more than there were a couple of weeks ago. That's how things change." Yes, I am well aware of how hate, ignorance, stupidity, and "the cool kids are doing it," all move things along. Thankfully, they usually don't last long, something else will come along and distract the "johnnie come latelies."

[Alamuti Lotus]

5. Interesting arguments

By interesting, I mostly mean weak and of curious taste.

Something like 500,000 people were slaughtered by the Mongols to destroy the "Assasins" society ("Alamut" providing the nom de keyboard of your humble narrator).. the greatest library in the world destroyed, whole areas almost permanently depopulated and agricultural and industrial developments set back a thousand years. Interesting praise for the Putinist regime in Chechnya (what's a quarter million dead between friends -- his popularity is up!), Turkey against the PKK -- 20 years and still counting the bodies, bombing Iraq occasionally no less.. The Peruvian fascist regime's war with Sendero is not exactly a shining beacon to hold up either..

Years ago Benjamin Netanyahu noted in brief that the "… the guiding policy should be based on an disproportional response to terrorism. For example, in 1999, after Hizbullah launched Katyusha rockets on northern Israel, we responded with a massive bombing of key infrastructure in Lebanon, causing millions of dollars in damage. The result was a long and quiet period for northern Israel.

Sure, closely followed by an ignomious and humiliating retreat from the occupied areas of South Lebanon.. permanently breaking the myth of IDF invincibility, leading to a further defeat in 2006.

He just goes on.. I can't tell if this true-believer is just plain stupid, or expects his readers to be. Probably both.

[azurnoir]

7. By jove I think he's got it n/t

[bemildred]

11. Both, and correct on both counts.

War lovers never renounce their credo. The evidence is sifted and weighed. Anything that supports the idea that war is good is retained. Anything that shows that war is stupid is ignored. Never, never, never is the total added up and the balance of harm and benefit considered. Nuttyahoo's argument there is a perfect example. Long range mouth-fighters and short range thinkers all of them.