The debate on this one is all over the block. Did the IDF violate the rules of engagement? Are there different rules for dealing with protests by Arabs and by Jews? The rules should be changed to make sure it doesn?t happen again, but are they looking for rules that make sure such protests don?t happen again or that such protestors aren?t shot? What is acceptable protest? What should be done to prevent unacceptable protest? Etc., etc.
I detect a tendency on the part of the Israelis to apologize, or feel guilty, or to worry about international reaction. What I don?t see enough of is confidence in the Israeli cause or methods. Israel is easy pickings; and the Left and the Arabs know it.
Throughout the last few years, the world has done everything it can to tie Israel?s hands. ?There is no military solution.?; ?Exercise restraint.?; ?Don?t use excessive force.?; ?Don?t act unilaterally.?; ?Don?t prejudge the outcome by putting facts on the ground.?; ?Don?t do a land grab.?; ?Don?t build the fence.?; ?Don?t set up blockades or restrict Palestinians.?; ?Stop targeted killings.?; Ad nauseam.
It is one thing for the Left to buy into these restrictions. It?s another thing for the Right to do so.
What is happening here is an attempt to prevent Israel from using its military strength to get a better result in the final settlement. Mind you, the Arabs are allowed to do everything in their power to get a better result, such as incitement, terror, propaganda, anti-Semitism, UN resolutions, etc.
If that weren?t enough, the Roadmap, which was dreamed up by the Quartet with the Saudi?s approval, further favours the Arabs with a better result then they could achieve with negotiations, by mandating that there should be a Palestinian state, that it should be ?viable? and that it should be ?contiguous?. Whereas Resolution 242 mandates ?secure and recognized borders?, the Roadmap has finessed this requirement into an Israeli entitlement to ?peace and security?. So security must come from peace rather than borders. Nowhere does one hear anything about Israel's rights to any part of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha). There are none. We are expected to give back all the land and are told that security will come from peace.
Israel must choose between dancing this tune and marching to its own drummer.
This is the context in which the debate above mentioned must be resolved. Imagine, if you will, a major assault upon the fence by 10,000 unarmed protestors over a distance of 100 miles, with the intent of destroying the fence. What should the rules of engagement say then? For Israel to allow the fence to be destroyed would be a major setback both militarily and psychologically.
The fence is our line of defence. It must be protected at all costs, even if it means killing such saboteurs. Let?s not dignify them by calling them ?protesters?.
People who violate military curfews are often shot. People who violate orders to stop at barricades are shot. Boats that come to close to war ships are blown out of the water. Planes that violate orders can be shot down even if they contain innocent passengers. There is no shortage of precedents. And people, whether Arab or Israeli, who enter restricted military zones, such as along the fence, should be shot. The rules of engagement should provide for it. Such rules are already in place along the Gaza fence, where Arabs, whether terrorists or labourers, have been shot attempting to cross it.
The rationale for doing this should not be limited to whether one?s life is in danger. To expect Israel to have thousands of troops along the fence, prepared to do battle with the saboteurs for a number of days running without the use of lethal force is to put Israel in an untenable position. Israel must play by its rules and the rules must be drawn to ensure Israel comes out the winner.
Whether the Left likes it or not, winning is everything. There is no duty to compromise. Whether in defence of one?s life or one?s country, killing is acceptable. Values such as ?thou shalt not kill? or any other value that the Left wants to hold over us, give way to one?s duty to survive.
The Left argues that Israel is losing her soul to save her body. Quite the contrary. Only if we fight to save our body will we save our soul. Our "soul", should one worry about it, should include a place for such values as pride, love of self, self-respect, honour, patriotism, courage and the like. If we are not for ourselves, then we lose our soul.
I detect a tendency on the part of the Israelis to apologize, or feel guilty, or to worry about international reaction. What I don?t see enough of is confidence in the Israeli cause or methods. Israel is easy pickings; and the Left and the Arabs know it.
Throughout the last few years, the world has done everything it can to tie Israel?s hands. ?There is no military solution.?; ?Exercise restraint.?; ?Don?t use excessive force.?; ?Don?t act unilaterally.?; ?Don?t prejudge the outcome by putting facts on the ground.?; ?Don?t do a land grab.?; ?Don?t build the fence.?; ?Don?t set up blockades or restrict Palestinians.?; ?Stop targeted killings.?; Ad nauseam.
It is one thing for the Left to buy into these restrictions. It?s another thing for the Right to do so.
What is happening here is an attempt to prevent Israel from using its military strength to get a better result in the final settlement. Mind you, the Arabs are allowed to do everything in their power to get a better result, such as incitement, terror, propaganda, anti-Semitism, UN resolutions, etc.
If that weren?t enough, the Roadmap, which was dreamed up by the Quartet with the Saudi?s approval, further favours the Arabs with a better result then they could achieve with negotiations, by mandating that there should be a Palestinian state, that it should be ?viable? and that it should be ?contiguous?. Whereas Resolution 242 mandates ?secure and recognized borders?, the Roadmap has finessed this requirement into an Israeli entitlement to ?peace and security?. So security must come from peace rather than borders. Nowhere does one hear anything about Israel's rights to any part of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha). There are none. We are expected to give back all the land and are told that security will come from peace.
Israel must choose between dancing this tune and marching to its own drummer.
This is the context in which the debate above mentioned must be resolved. Imagine, if you will, a major assault upon the fence by 10,000 unarmed protestors over a distance of 100 miles, with the intent of destroying the fence. What should the rules of engagement say then? For Israel to allow the fence to be destroyed would be a major setback both militarily and psychologically.
The fence is our line of defence. It must be protected at all costs, even if it means killing such saboteurs. Let?s not dignify them by calling them ?protesters?.
People who violate military curfews are often shot. People who violate orders to stop at barricades are shot. Boats that come to close to war ships are blown out of the water. Planes that violate orders can be shot down even if they contain innocent passengers. There is no shortage of precedents. And people, whether Arab or Israeli, who enter restricted military zones, such as along the fence, should be shot. The rules of engagement should provide for it. Such rules are already in place along the Gaza fence, where Arabs, whether terrorists or labourers, have been shot attempting to cross it.
The rationale for doing this should not be limited to whether one?s life is in danger. To expect Israel to have thousands of troops along the fence, prepared to do battle with the saboteurs for a number of days running without the use of lethal force is to put Israel in an untenable position. Israel must play by its rules and the rules must be drawn to ensure Israel comes out the winner.
Whether the Left likes it or not, winning is everything. There is no duty to compromise. Whether in defence of one?s life or one?s country, killing is acceptable. Values such as ?thou shalt not kill? or any other value that the Left wants to hold over us, give way to one?s duty to survive.
The Left argues that Israel is losing her soul to save her body. Quite the contrary. Only if we fight to save our body will we save our soul. Our "soul", should one worry about it, should include a place for such values as pride, love of self, self-respect, honour, patriotism, courage and the like. If we are not for ourselves, then we lose our soul.