War Stories

On Friday July 14th, 2006, the New York Post reporter Uri Dan stated the following:

In response to Condoleezza Rice’s call to Israel to exercise restraint in the use of self-defense, Israeli Ambassador to the US, Danny Ayalon responded “I think they misinterpreted our restraint for the last six years.”

Who exactly made this misinterpretation?

The US didn’t.

They understand that action taken by Israel prior to the kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldiers on their side of the border might have been perceived as an over-reaction, even though it would have been a clear response to provocation by Lebanon by allowing Hizballah on its southern frontier.

The UN didn’t.

They failed to implement U.N. resolution 1559 which calls for the deployment of the Lebanese military along the border and for the disarming of militant groups such as Hezbollah. Why should they follow-up on the resolution if they want to give Lebanon a free pass and Israel does nothing about it.

The EU didn’t.

They have nothing but contempt and scorn for Israel. They are so busy bending over backwards to every Arab nation including Iran and Syria, that if Israel refuses to protect their own borders even after leaving Lebanon, why should they care.

Lebanon didn’t.

If they are so frightened from Syria, Iran and Hizballah are they actually going to be frightened from Israel, who up to this point have done nothing to protect their own interests?

Certainly Iran, Syria and Hizballah did not misinterpret Israel’s lack of response in the last six years. They saw Israel as being too frightened of America, Europe and the media to take any proportionate action; too hopeful for peaceful relations with its Arab neighbors instead of seeing them for what they are – a murderous bunch of despots who are all too willing to stir their populace to hate, murder and maim themselves and every Jew they can get their hands on.

But now Bill Clinton and others have said Israel’s current response is disproportionate.

Of course it is. They should have done more years ago and even more now.

Hopefully they will. Hopefully they will clean Hizballah out of southern Lebanon and Hamas out of Gaza.

That might be proportionate. That might be interpreted correctly. That might be enough. I doubt it, though.