William Kristol in “Why Israel Fights,” may be excessively optimistic. However he makes a point that seems lost on most analysts of the current war against Hamas.
And, of course, not all military efforts against terror fail. Recall Israel’s incursion into the West Bank in the spring of 2002, when, under the leadership of Ariel Sharon, Israel succeeded in ripping up established terror networks and began the defeat of the second intifada. Israel also was able to avoid a long-term re-occupation, while retaining the ability to go back in on anti-terror missions. What’s more, the 2002 bloodshed didn’t seem to do lasting damage to hopes for progress or moderation on the West Bank. After all, it’s Gaza, from which Israel withdrew in 2005, not the West Bank, that became a Hamas stronghold.
When the Washington Post and others compare the current war with the Hezbollah war of 2006, it’s easy to get the impression that they want Israel to lose. (Part of Kristol’s optimism is that he views the unsuccessful war against Hezbollah as a success on some level.) The idea that Israel could successfully defend itself is alien or abhorrent to many who comment on the Middle East. They’re slaves to the idea of negotiation, incapable of comprehending that there are some villains with whom compromise and diplomacy are useless. Or worse.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
(Part of Kristol’s optimism is that he
views the unsuccessful war against
Hezbollah as a success on some level.)
—
I have ALWAYS viewed the 2006 war against
Hezbollah terrorists as yet another Israeli victory.
Israeli boots on sacred Muslim ground. Huge Hezbollah casualties vs. much smaller IDF casualities. Barely a handful of IDF Armour vehicles destroyed.
The proof is that now in 2009, Hezbollah TALKS a good game, but cowers in Lebanon,soiling their pants, afraid to commit even a symbolic war crime in support of their Arab Brothers and Sisters in the Gaza District Terror Enclave.
Each day it should become more and more obvious that those who accept facts and not falsehoods can only conclude that 2006 was an Israeli Victory.
ALL GLORY TO THE IDF!
AM YISROEL CHAI!
As the world is becoming more and more anti-war, the evildoers of the world are becoming more and more brazen. Evil only understands strength. This is unfortunate, but history has proven this again and again.
anon,
I probably didn’t phrase it as well as I should have.
In terms of materiel Israel clearly won. But Israel wasn’t perceived as winning. Worse, Israel squandered any gains it made by agreeing to 1701 and allowing Hezbollah to re-arm. But maybe the war in 2006 scared Hezbollah off.
Still what’s probably most important is that the leadership of Hamas does not emerge from this war intact. Haniyeh and his co-horts should end this war in boxes or (perhaps worse) in Israeli prisons.
Part of the reason they desire Israel defeated is that they’ve purchased into this idea that Western pride, Western posperity, Western know-how, Western technical expertise, that somehow all of this combined makes for intrinsic humiliation for the mohammedan.
And that the mohammedan can’t take it.
Thus the prob with the mohammedan flows from Western arogance.
Few there are with the cultural confidence to say the Arab lives on top of a dung heap because of Arab pathology, excerbated and compounded by the manifold pathologies of mohammedanism.
“Haniyeh and his co-horts should end this war in boxes or (perhaps worse) in Israeli prisons.”
Most definitely boxes, Soccerdad, boxes. If Haniyeh and his cronies end up in Israel prisons, how many kidnapping attempts do you think the Palis will make to spring them? Trading hundreds of Pali prisoners for a couple of Jewish corpses is no good trade at all. Kill the bastards.