Hezbollah on the run
So I woke up this Friday with one goal in mind...write about the current Israeli conflict. I got the inspiration last night while at dinner with friends. When it was brought up in discussion, most of my friends reacted with shock at the Israeli offensive. To which I responded, if you've been battered relentlessly year after year, you'd snap at some point as well.
The news from the Middle East keeps changing by the minute with Israeli raids targeting Hezbollah. An Israeli gunship was hit off the coast of Beirut and Iran is now threatening Israel to leave Syria out of it. Allahpundit is tracking all the details over on Hot Air.
People need to understand the nature of this conflict. Israel has lived with terror on a daily basis from groups supported by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Palestinian Authority. There comes a point when the sovereign nation of Israel has to defend themselves. But with our 'hungry-for-ratings' news agencies, the story will often get lost between the sexy headlines. This conflict is being called a "Middle East Crisis," and an "Israeli Offensive." Both of which invoke the idea that there is some fault on the part of Israel and their involvement is somehow equal to that of Hezbollah and Palestine.
But the true nature of that idea is false. Sure, Israel has gone on the offensive against Hamas and Hezbollah, known terror supporting movements. But the offensive comes from years and years of provocation. On top of all that, Israel has cease-fire agreements with Lebanon and the PA that have long been ignored by militants of these two terror groups. And now both terror organizations have gone on separate raids into Israeli territory and kidnapped several Israeli soldiers. So one has to ask, who was provoked here?
Some liberals are blaming Bush while others are suddenly calling for a "peace broker."
But there's one problem with that concept. Diplomacy will never work with these guerrilla terror groups. This quote sums up the ideology of their movements... "Israel is our enemy and every Muslim must make a sacrifice," said Fadi Haidar, 36. "As time goes by, they will all realize that Sayyed Nasrallah is right and is working in the interest of Muslims."
One cannot find diplomatic resolution when one side doesn't believe in your right to exist. And so the offensive by Israel is more than just retaliation for years of innocent bloodshed, it's an Israeli struggle for survival. Iran has made it no secret they wish to wipe the country off the map and these militant groups have also dedicated their movement to that ultimate goal.
Michelle Malkin is following with some reader reaction. Iowa Voice offers an obligatory post about Israel.
And so while you're reading the blogs and news reports, keep in mind how deep this conflict runs. Keep in mind the levels to which Israel has withdrawn from land, signed peace accords, signed cease-fire agreements, and operated with the utmost level of diplomacy in a volatile region. And ask yourself this last question... if there is ever to be peace in the Middle East, is it Israel's responsibility to die, or fight back against this terror ideology?