Comments on Arens` Caution: Myth ahead`
Moshe Arens` article is a clear and lucid critique of our leadership. The first myth he exposes is the view our leadership propagated that a ground attack in Gaza would take thee lives of of hundreds of Israeli soldiers. His proof is the present aborted campaign. This, however, is not an appropriate proof. According to the news reports `Cast Lead` was not a campaign, as was declared a few days ago by the troika - Olmert, Barak and Livni - to once and for all put an end to the rocket attacks on our citizens, or to destroy the Hamas terrorist army (if not the whole organization), but as Livni noted yesterday; `a round in the long war against terrorism`.
From the beginning the troika knew they would not achieve the goals they stated to the people, that apparently was for the election. Cast Lead was essentially, a massive bombing attack (and we learned from Lebanon, that that would not bring victory), a movement from the fenced border forward where we created a new border of sand barriers and tremendous firepower. In addition, there were temporary forays in a few populated areas and division of the small strip into three pieces. This type of campaign was obviously low in casualties because their was little contact with the Hamas Guerrilla Army. For the most part when we moved forward, they retreated to the tunnels... betting on us to withdraw, that is, our lack of determination to destroy them. Houses, armaments yes, but not a determined guerrilla group that has demonstrated its willingness to die for the cause. If that was our true goal, in my view, we would have had many more body bags, perhaps in the hundreds.
Arens missed another myth propagated by our leadership; that is, that a Jewish State can survive in a hostile Moslem Middle East as a beggar for Peace without shedding the blood of many of its soldiers and citizens. (why we `beg`, why we need to be liked and loved.... by those around us who would prefer we disappear, is another extensive article.)
The lessons of our short history as the self-declared third Jewish Commonwealth, clearly point to the wisdom of the Jabotinsky concept of the `Iron Wall`, that is, being so strong (militarily, economically and most important, as a people) that our enemies would not dare to attack. If we achieved that Iron Wall, primarily, a strong united people with love for each other, country and land, peace would be achieved for us and our neighbors. |
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