Salon.com: Why Israelis believe they're right [Samuel G. Freedman 7/25/06]

[furman]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/07/25/israeli_opinion/index.html

Why Israelis believe they're right
Much of the world sees the Israeli attacks on Lebanon as disproportionate. But for the vast majority of Israelis, including some former doves, the war against Hezbollah is deterrence in self-defense.
By Samuel G. Freedman

July 25, 2006 | In the current issue of its Tel Aviv edition, the magazine TimeOut offers the latest variation on Saul Steinberg's famous cartoon of a New Yorker's view of the world. The foreground on the Israeli illustration shows the cafes of the Shenkin district, Tel Aviv's equivalent to SoHo, and the tree-lined expanse of Rothschild Boulevard. Just past the Yarkon River, the city's northern boundary, these delights give way to a landscape marked by Patriot missile batteries, exploding bombs and incoming rockets, some launched from Tehran, Iran.

As so often in Israel, gallows humor explains something essential about the national temperament. In the case of TimeOut's cover, the relevant temperament is Israel's unity in supporting the war against Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in south Lebanon. Anyone who finds it surprising that 95 percent of Israelis endorse the aerial bombardment of Lebanon with its hundreds of civilian casualties, as a recent poll by the newspaper Maariv found, should consider the implicit punch line of TimeOut's visual joke. The battlefront in this war comprises a good deal of sovereign Israel. What might look to much of the outside world like "disproportionate" military action seems to the vast majority of Israelis like deterrence in the cause of self-defense.

more at http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/07/25/israeli_opinion/index.html

[Meshuga]

1. Thanks for the article!

Like the article says, "no thinking person would welcome the destruction and carnage in Lebanon" but then comes the threats and attacks against Israeli northern cities. Nobody likes war but it is a very complicated situation.

[dennis4868]

3. I think if more people from DU....

spent some time in the middle easy and Israel, they would have a better understanding what Israel is going through on a daily basis to protect their citizens from terrorist inside and outside their country. No other country has to deal with stuff like this like Israel does (except for maybe Iraq thanks to Bush).

[abester]

6. what have you been smoking, my friend?

Suppose you live a happy life in some small place. You want to move to the other village, because thats where your fiancee lives. A wealthy forgeinor comes along, and he offers to buy your house. Gratefuly, you oblige and off you go. Suddenly, having arrived in the other village, you find that you are surrounded by more forgeinors. Normally you don't mind, after all, you enjoy seeing new faces! But suddenly the situation turns grim. They start controlling the water supply and tell you they don't have enough water and shut you off. No more electricity too. Not too charmed by the prospects you move out - but you can't. Every piece of land is either taken away or 'bought' and you are told to start packing - or else.

So yeah, No other country has to deal with the stuff Israel gets over it. No other country has so shamelessly stolen and evicted and humiliated a native population like Israel did.

Geee what a surprise, and I thought those nasty arabs just hated Israeli's just for hate's sake!

[wellst0nev0ter]

2. Wait Until They Find Themselves Caught Up In A Losing Occupation

of South Lebanon again. They may like the aerial bombings, but when the dust settles, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Christian Maronite wing of the Hezbullah.

[furman]

4. I think they're well aware of the risks involved...

but the risks of doing nothing and letting Hezbollah grow even stronger are greater.
As you can see Israel is having a tough time.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[still_one]

7. BS. Abraham is the Patriarch of the JEWS

your ignorance, and agenda are obvious. Abraham is also the Patriarch of the Muslims. This issue is about inheritence rights

Over 90% of the 14.5 MILLION JEWS LEFT IN THE WORLD believe the JEWS SHOULD HAVE A HOMELAND

You might be able to convience NON-JEWS, but not MOST JEWS in world with your propaganda and agenda

You want to roll back to before 1948, you will have to kill every Jew, which ISN'T going to HAPPEN, because we will NOT BE LED LIKE SHEEP TO THE GAS CHAMBERS AGAIN

If you REALLY WANT PALESTINIANS TO HAVE A HOMELAND, then you better accept that ISRAEL HAS A RIGHT TO EXIST

[jonnyblitz]

8. oh please, you guys have the Palestinians essentially enslaved

how in hell are they gonna bring YOU to the gas chambers? If anything, the Palestinians should be the ones to worry since you all seem intent on slaugthering every last one of them!

[still_one]

9. You guys? Tells me exactly where you are coming from

The Jews or the Israellis NEVER had in their charter to destroy every Palestinian. The reverse is not true. Frankly, I will NOT waste my time with people who want to roll back the clock to 1948, or ignore the facts. If the sides were reversed, EVERY ISRAELLI, and JEW WOULD BE ELIMINTATED

The last two weeks on DU have taught just how peace loving, and how much many threads are looking for a REAL solution to the middle east crisis. In other words, their real solution is elimination of Israel

[meti57b]

10. Are you serious? Naturei Karta is a fringe group. A fraction of 1% of Jews

belong to it. They are more orthodox than the ultra-Orthodox.