The peoples of both the United States and Israel both should be assured by their democratically elected governments that their safety and security will be protected. As of recent years we've sadly observed that is not an actuality.
In the case of America, we see how the open-to-all southern border and an unparalleled, climbing-through-the-roof crime rate and weak courts actually threaten the lives of our populace.
In Israel, while ruled by Yair Lapid, a weak Prime Minister, Lebanon and its ruling terrorist group, Hezbollah, have somehow managed to finagle Israel's government to sign a maritime border deal involving the sharing of valuable undersea deposits of oil and natural gas, that will surely end as did the historic Oslo Accords Deal that was eventually ignored by its Palestinian Authority signers.
Although recognized as "partners" in this recent agreement, it is a safe bet that Israel's unstable northern neighbor will surely not honor its word and turn against Israel with violence and terror. In strong arming Israel to sign the pact, Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened in August; "If the Lebanese state is not given what it wants, we will be heading to an escalation." Read "war."
To all intents and purposes, the world views Israel's signing as a capitulation. Let's remind Prime Minister Lapid, who gushed over his "victory," that Hezbollah is an militant/terror arm of Iran. Enough said.
During Lapid's hopefully rather short term in office as interim PM, attacks against his own people, on their own land, within Israel, have skyrocketed. The Palestinian Arabs are no longer intimidated by the strength of Israel's military or police since Netanyahu's was relegated to the Opposition. Just last week an Israeli soldier was shot and killed in an attack claimed by Palestinian Arab terrorists. This killing comes just three days after an 18 year old Israeli soldier was killed at a checkpoint right smack in the heart of Jerusalem. Stabbings occur on a frighteningly daily basis. And last month Palestinian and Arab-Israeli terrorists wounded six Israeli troopers and a civilian when their bus was sprayed with bullets. This is without this week's barbaric murder in Hebron, ramming attack in the Jordan Valley, and more
Israelis are now targets of their Islamist enemies within Israel itself because of the weakness of the responses of the Lapid government and its cosying up to Mahmoud Abbas. This tragic situation is reflected within America as well, where police are targets of undaunted militant domestic terrorists such as Black Lives Matter, whose street chant; "What do we want....dead cops." and the "Dead pigs in blankets" are threats that they carry out so well.
Both nations seem to suffer from voter stupidity. In Israel, the people did not give Netanyahu an opportunity to rule them again and stand up to the terrorists who now seem emboldened to threaten the lives of innocent Israelis. Perhaps it's no coincidence that both Yair Lapid and Joe Biden, both weak-kneed leaders are running their respective nations. American voters refused Trump a second term, although he had America's enemies, North Korea, China, Iran and Russia on the run. Now, the roof seems to be falling in on the US from without and within. In Israel, the same scenario. Terrorists threatening to attack the Jewish state's borders and Palestinian Arabs living within Israel and those in adjoining areas are killing, maiming and doing their terrorist thing undaunted by Israel's retaliations.
We are praying for elections to give Israel leaders who finally exhibit deterrence and strength against their enemies, whether domestic or international. And we hope the midterm US elections will be the start of a return to national strength and pride.
Again, the basic responsibility of an elected leader is to see to the safety and security of his/her constituents. A lesson to be learned by citizens in Jerusalem and D.C. We hope.
Alan Bergstein, lecturer and columnist, is an editorial writer for The NY Jewish Voice and a retired NYC school principal A father of four, he is a Korean War veteran and Jewish activist who is President of the Judeo/Christian Republican Club of Palm Beach County, Florida.