“We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind.
“You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.
“You ask, what is our aim?
“I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
“Let that be realized.”
Thus spoke Winston Churchill to the House, 1940, upon being named prime minister, and after Neville Chamberlain had been dismissed.
Earlier, after conceding Sudetenland to Hitler, but gaining a promise on paper from Hitler, that never again would Germany and Britain go to war, Chamberlain returned waving that paper as a trophy, as a diplomatic victory, and so he proclaimed, on November 30, 1938, to his everlasting shame, “peace for our time.”
Which brings us to, in the simplest terms, the tempest between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Or put it like this…the hawk against the dove…and the future of Israel may be riding on who wins. Gallant is prepared to cut deals with Hamas for the sake of the hostages.
For the sake of the hostages, argues Netanyahu, and for the sake of Israel’s prestige and security, the war must go on until Hamas is finished.
From the immortal words of David Mamet…” Always be Closing.”
We don’t need wobbly from a Defense Miniister.
Apparently, Netanyahu has learned his lesson from the Hamas Shalit Deal, the release of 1,027 terrorists for that one Israeli.
Or put it like this…for this drama, picture Netanyahu as Churchill, and Gallant as Chamberlain. From the eyes of this American, Gallant is a radical left-wing progressive, in the bag with Joe Biden/Kamala Harris. We noticed this in our column of May 23, when after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Gallant agreed that after the dust settled, Hamas should retain control of Gaza.
That was the tip-off that Gallant was whistling in the dark.
Now he wants Netanyahu to surrender the most vital Philadelphi Corridor, which the IDF fought and died for.
Who are these people who run our countries and our world? After they leave, the rest of humanity is forced to pick up their garbage.
Blinken has had a grudge against Israel from the word go. But Gallant, what is his excuse? He does not know that appeasement begets more appeasement?
What’s the deal with former Israeli generals who turn pacifist soon after they enter politics?
Better the words of Menachem Begin, when back in 1982 he was being heckled by Senator Joe Biden, and responded, “I am not a Jew on trembling knees.”
You say, but he did give up Sinai. True, and Sharon gave up Gaza. Seems that nearly every prime minister gets a chance to give away part of the land…and some do.
Does it always have to be this way?
New York-based bestselling American novelist Jack Engelhard writes regularly for Arutz Sheva.
He wrote the worldwide book-to-movie bestseller “Indecent Proposal.” From the publisher: His novel “Slot Attendant” and his other works motivated John W. Cassell to declare “Jack Engelhard is a writer without peer, and the conscience of us all.” Contact here
NOW AVAILABLE: The collection of Jack Engelhard’s op-eds, Writings, here
Plus, a free sample chapter of his noir gambling thriller, Compulsive, is available from his website, here.