My Advice to Israel in the Face of Muslim Aggression
Expanded from a comment to cutelildrow at http://cutelildrow.livejournal.com/2466233.html?view=6721977#t6721977
Right now things are looking pretty perilous for Israel. A radically anti-Semitic regime rules Iran and is in the process of acquiring nuclear weapons, while fools in the West make excuses for the Iranian actions or try to lull the West to sleep with false hopes that the Iranians will only use their nuclear weapons in a rational manner. Another anti-Semitic regime is coming to power in Egypt, and it looks as if another one may be coming to power in Syria.
Please note that I mean "anti-Semitic" by Mideastern standards -- pretty much any and all Muslim regimes are insane on the topic by the standards of sanity. (Indeed, half of even Western anti-Semites like baronwaste's arguments are that Muslim regimes aren't as crazily anti-Semitic as they are in truth, because modern Western anti-Semites for the most part don't actually want to kill the Jews, as Muslim anti-Semites do). I mean that they are likely to scream and leap upon Israel even against their own best interests, with little or no provocation beyong the mere fact of Israel's continued existence.
On the positive side, if the Arab Spring regimes of Egypt and Syria do scream and leap on Israel, this will happen in a world in which Israel has hundreds of nuclear weapons and there is no Soviet Union. The Israelis, if they are smart, will seize this opportunity to -- well, seize a nice big border zone of buffer territories from Egypt and Syria and annex it. Such an attack would, after all, violate the peace treaties and truces, and in particular the Camp David Accords. We could be looking at Israel regaining control over the Sinai Peninsula, and once again holding Southern Lebanon in addition to the Golan Heights -- and possibly territories beyond it.
It's all up to Israel -- can she shake her mind clear of the fog of "peace process" delusions and remember that all this was originally forced on her because she needed American assurances to prevent the Red Army from marching on Tel Aviv? And that these historical conditions no longer apply?
One way or another, Israel will live or die by her own wisdom or folly. I don't blame her enemies for acting inimically -- that's what "enemies" do. I don't even blame her allies for being lukewarm -- neither America nor the European Powers were established for the benefit of Israel. I will, however, blame the Israelis themselves if they fail to act to secure their own interests given such a rare moment of opportunity.
Israel, you have no real friends. But you do have over 100 nuclear weapons and the best damn army, unit for unit, the world has ever seen. Use it, or lose it.
Oh -- and any diplomatic fallout from such a policy? Take the territories, then deal with it. None of the Powers which might desert you as allies really fear that you will attack their territories, but they do fear your military might to the point that they will not overtly intervene against you. And it's always better to be feared than despised. When the Sinai, Southern Lebanon, and the Trans-Golan are in your grasp, then would be the time to negotiate -- from a position of strength -- and to not negotiate with anyone who by their actions or words show that they are not serious about negotiating.
Winners call the shots. Losers -- well, you found out what happens to losers, in 1939-45. Remember the lesson, and don't be the losers.
That's all.
Right now things are looking pretty perilous for Israel. A radically anti-Semitic regime rules Iran and is in the process of acquiring nuclear weapons, while fools in the West make excuses for the Iranian actions or try to lull the West to sleep with false hopes that the Iranians will only use their nuclear weapons in a rational manner. Another anti-Semitic regime is coming to power in Egypt, and it looks as if another one may be coming to power in Syria.
Please note that I mean "anti-Semitic" by Mideastern standards -- pretty much any and all Muslim regimes are insane on the topic by the standards of sanity. (Indeed, half of even Western anti-Semites like baronwaste's arguments are that Muslim regimes aren't as crazily anti-Semitic as they are in truth, because modern Western anti-Semites for the most part don't actually want to kill the Jews, as Muslim anti-Semites do). I mean that they are likely to scream and leap upon Israel even against their own best interests, with little or no provocation beyong the mere fact of Israel's continued existence.
On the positive side, if the Arab Spring regimes of Egypt and Syria do scream and leap on Israel, this will happen in a world in which Israel has hundreds of nuclear weapons and there is no Soviet Union. The Israelis, if they are smart, will seize this opportunity to -- well, seize a nice big border zone of buffer territories from Egypt and Syria and annex it. Such an attack would, after all, violate the peace treaties and truces, and in particular the Camp David Accords. We could be looking at Israel regaining control over the Sinai Peninsula, and once again holding Southern Lebanon in addition to the Golan Heights -- and possibly territories beyond it.
It's all up to Israel -- can she shake her mind clear of the fog of "peace process" delusions and remember that all this was originally forced on her because she needed American assurances to prevent the Red Army from marching on Tel Aviv? And that these historical conditions no longer apply?
One way or another, Israel will live or die by her own wisdom or folly. I don't blame her enemies for acting inimically -- that's what "enemies" do. I don't even blame her allies for being lukewarm -- neither America nor the European Powers were established for the benefit of Israel. I will, however, blame the Israelis themselves if they fail to act to secure their own interests given such a rare moment of opportunity.
Israel, you have no real friends. But you do have over 100 nuclear weapons and the best damn army, unit for unit, the world has ever seen. Use it, or lose it.
Oh -- and any diplomatic fallout from such a policy? Take the territories, then deal with it. None of the Powers which might desert you as allies really fear that you will attack their territories, but they do fear your military might to the point that they will not overtly intervene against you. And it's always better to be feared than despised. When the Sinai, Southern Lebanon, and the Trans-Golan are in your grasp, then would be the time to negotiate -- from a position of strength -- and to not negotiate with anyone who by their actions or words show that they are not serious about negotiating.
Winners call the shots. Losers -- well, you found out what happens to losers, in 1939-45. Remember the lesson, and don't be the losers.
That's all.