Friday, July 21, 2006

Israel Fights for its Security and Survival


Israel Fights for its Security and Survival

Yesterday, I wrote about the nature of Israel as I see it, and how Israel is so essential to the Israeli people because it stands for the survival of the religion and the members of it.  This of course brings up various questions about the war with Lebanon and Gaza, and I want to address them here.

The attack 10 days ago which result in 8 Jewish deaths and the kidnapping of 2 more Jewish soldiers, was only one example of attacks from Lebanon into Israel, though most of these attacks have been rocket launches as opposed to incursions. They come from a group, Hezbollah, which is not largely comprised of Lebanese people, and which was supposed to be demilitarized after Israel unilaterally pulled out of Lebanon.

Each of these attacks threatens the security of the state of Israel. Israel attempted to prevent them with the Grapes of Wrath attacks, but was stopped short of their goal when Israel hit a UN Aid Station. And instead of completing its mission, Hezbollah has impacted Israeli security ever since, leaving the northern border as the least secure border in the nation, including the border with Palestine.

My heart goes out to the people of Lebanon; to me they are innocent victims.  They never had the strength to combat Hezbollah, and now they are in no-man’s land between a vicious army and a terrorist group that cares little for their well-being.  But to me there is no question that, if Israel wants to maintain any level of security within their borders, they must stop the rocket attacks.

And I feel the same sympathy for the people of Gaza, many of whom want nothing more than a peaceful existence with Israel and now stand in the line of fire.  My fellow Israelis who point to the election of Hamas and say that all Palestinians want terror against Israel miss the fact that the PA was not brokering a deal that was beneficial for the Palestinian people. These people simply want a fair shake, and thought they could get it from Hamas.

But having elected Hamas to power also means living with the consequences of having Hamas in power. Israel cannot stand by as Qassam rockets are fired from Northern Gaza into Israel, hoping that the range does not increase to the level of being able to hit the most major Israeli cities.  Israel has to achieve security, or it will cease to exist, and mark the beginning of the end for the Jewish people.

If I was a Gazan or a Lebanese person, I would be asking who is fighting for my rights, who is fighting for my survival.  But one thing is clear; neither Hamas nor Hezbollah are fighting for these innocent civilians.  These groups are engaged in their own war with Israel based upon their set of beliefs, at the expense of the rights and beliefs of the people of Gaza and Lebanon.

I hold no sympathy for the members of Hamas.  They won power by saying they would be a partner for peace with the Israeli people, and a stronger advocate for the rights of Palestinians than the Palestinian Authority, and then refused to take the necessary steps to open negotiations. To me they are traitorous to the people they represent, and deserve whatever fate lies ahead of them.

I also hold no sympathy for Hezbollah. They are cowards, fighting from a foreign land because their benefactors fear the wrath of the country they attack. They use the people of Lebanon as pawns, as human shields, while inciting their opposition to violence with the hope of attracting sympathy for the innocent Lebanese.  Their actions are deplorable, and I’m not sure a fate exists which is bad enough to be merited by this group.

The Israeli people simply want security, want to live their lives without fear of the next attack. In fact, the attacks become so normal that people just live their lives around them, like this woman sunbathing despite the bombs falling within a mile of the beach she is on. They want a secure life, something so simple, yet so unattainable.

I hate the violence we see today, the wanton death and destruction. But I can’t help but believe that, should these two groups loose their capacity to perpetrate these attacks, Israel would be a more secure country, and the whole region, including the areas housing these radical groups, would be a safer place.  

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Posted by Scottage at 10:49 AM / | |