The Door

And so, another Terrorist attack by Hamas (who took credit for it and then didn’t) or Hesballah (who is mum) or Islamic Jihad (who sort of took credit) kills eight young rabbinical students in Jerusalem. The western world clucks their collective “concern” over another barbaric terrorist attack, safe in the belief that Hamas is not the PA and that Palestinian “moderates” really do want peace. The reality, of course, is that the Arabs play a shell game, allowing one of a number of proxies (Hamas, Hezballah et al) to do their bidding, but keeping just enough distance to achieve deniability. It’s a fiction that works for every Western diplomat.

The Left accuses the Israelis of “oppression” of a people who launch rockets daily from Gaza civilian neighborhoods (think: human shields) into Israeli cities, who celebrate in the streets when a terrorist attack kills innocents, who recruit children to blow themselves to bits in order to kill civilians in a shopping mall or Pizza parlor. The Right (think: Condi Rice) continues to press for a “peace process” that is impossible to achieve but gives the appearance of doing something about an intractable problem.

The people who live in Gaza, the West Bank, and southern Lebanon operate under a simple premise. They can continue to conduct terrorist acts with relative impunity because they are protected by Israel’s humanity. They know, at their core, that Israel will try to protect civilian Arab populations, even while Israeli civilians are attacked mercilessly. They also know that the West will protect them with cries of “disproportionality” whenever Israel tries to shut down rocket launching sites or respond to acts of war. It’s the movie Ground Hog Day playing on a continuous loop.

Have you ever wondered why Hamas or Hezballah hasn’t launched a true mass-casualty attack in Israel in which thousands die in one event. Part of the reason that this hasn’t happened is the excellence of Israeli intelligence and interdiction. But part of it, I think, is the terrorist’s awareness that they can push too far, opening the door for Israel to do what it doesn’t want to do – obliterate it’s enemies.

The day may come when door will be forced open. The result will be a tragedy for all concerned.

An aside -- for those who would like a balanced history of this conflict, the video “Relentless- Struggle for Peace in the ME,” is well-worth your time.