Despite the Bush Administration's hypocritical demands on Israel to appease the enemy, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has opted instead to escalate Israel's necessary offensive against Hezbollah terrorists.
Just days ago, Israel's security cabinet approved a measure that would have sent an additional 40,000 troops into Lebanon to finish a job that began 31 days ago. But at the very last minute, pressure from the Bush Administration forced Israel to halt an operation that was already underway, thereby imperiling the lives of Israeli soldiers. According to one senior Israeli officer, the spineless decision making process cost the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) lives.
"A military force always needs to be on the offensive, pushing forward, and keeping the enemy on its toes," he said. "When you sit still for too long, you turn into a target and you begin to get hit again and again."
President Bush, however, has sworn himself to a diplomatic resolution to a war that he should not be negotiating over. While unyielding in his own War on Terror, where Israeli lives are at stake, the president appears overly eager to discuss alternatives.
Since delaying Israel's offensive, more than 15 Israeli soldiers have been killed and many more have been wounded.
Today, PM Olmert gave the green light to the IDF to expand the ground invasion in accordance with the original security cabinet plan. Said one high ranking defense official, "We gave the diplomatic process a chance, it failed and now we will achieve our goals militarily."
The aim of the IDF operation is to reach the Litani river by week's end. Another 4-6 weeks will be needed to eradicate Hezbollah from the region. Still, the president's latest manifestation as a weak-kneed appeaser of terrorists cannot be overstressed. Israel faces a brutal enemy on its northern border, whose ties to the rogue regimes of Iran and Syria makes this war a must-win for Israel and, by extension, the United States. That the president has lost sight of this fact leaves one to question his supposed resoluteness in confronting terror where ever it may exist.
Article comments
1 - Les Slater
Dr,
I am inclined to agree with most of your post as far as what's at stake here.
However, I don't think Israel and the U.S. have identical interests.
The loss of Israel would be a blow for imperialism, but they already lost Iran, South Africa, and its been a rocky road trying to groom Iraq for that role.
The U.S. would like to operate in such a way as to limit the gains of Hesbollah, which will gain, no matter how further developments proceed. Israel will not be able to destroy Hezbolla or prevent it from reaping political gains.
But for Israel.... It's another story.
Les
2 - we must remove the savage zionism entity
long live hezollah,long live resistance,death of evil[zionism entity+USA]
3 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
To the nice fellow who would like to remove us permanently: use the Arabic. Itbahh al Yahud! Slaughter the Jew!! You save so much space and say straight out what you mean...prick.
Dr. P. Your article is a bit late. Olmert has already succumbed to the pressure to surrender and is beginning to reap a whirlwind of disapproval. The leftist loonies in Haaretz are already saying that any ceasefire will be short-lived. I think they are beginning to figure out what I've been warning about for some time - the secular entity the State of Israel is in its last days. The leftist loonies at Haaretz and the secular elite that reads them do not understand enough Judaism to comprehend that their party is almost over. But they feel it in the gut.
4 - Christopher Rose
Hey Ruvy, please remind me again when is the end of days?
5 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Now, Chris. The End of Days are occurring now. The catch is that the Big Guy Upstairs looks at time in a very different way than us poor humans do.
6 - Christopher Rose
I thought you'd said something about a specific date in the not too distant future...
7 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Chris writes,
"I thought you'd said something about a specific date in the not too distant future..."
Ohhh, that date. Well, actually it is one of two dates depending on how you are reading the text. The earlier of the two dates is 5786 (2026), the later of the two dates is 5790 (2030).
That date indicates when the messiah is supposed to have already arrived and completed his tasks, or at least most of them. This is from the Talmud. Like everything else, it is not written in stone...
8 - Christopher Rose
What do you mean by "that date"? Are there two? I'm getting confused again.
9 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
You get confused so easily, Chris...
10 - Christopher Rose
It's your weird theory, Ruvy, I'm just trying to keep up. So are you going to clear up this two dates business and explain just what a chap might have to deal with?
11 - Jet in Columbus
I thought it was supposed to happen when Apophis was due to slam into Earth
in 2036???
12 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Chris,
This is not my wierd theory. It is in the Talmud. And unfortunately I cannot give you a thumbnail view of your evil inclination being destroyed. I do not know what is in your head.
Jet,
If it turns out that the medresh in the Talmud is correct, then the asteroid Apophis, coming under Divine guidance, will accomplish His will. He hasn't clued me in as to what that might be. I can guess though. A fellow I know has a theory that the tilt of the earth will change in the days of the messiah. This asteroid might be designed to accomplish this change.