War Now, Peace Later

Gary Cooperberg
August 10, 2006

War is a terrible thing. It is an organized effort by two or more parties to kill and destroy one another. It would be wonderful if we could diplomatically end all wars. But such a thing has never ever happened and never will. The only way peace has ever been achieved by nations is when a clear and definite victory was achieved via war.

There are those who label Israel as having a “higher morality” than other nations, thus requiring it to make “sacrifices” for peace. The reality of this kind of thinking actually finds Israel prolonging the war and increasing casualties on both sides. Today we find ourselves in a hot war with a terrorist organization embedded in Lebanon and strongly supported by Syria and Iran. If Israel’s alleged “higher” morality prevails we will be sentencing both our soldiers and civilian population to unprecedented casualties and inviting all of our enemies to join together to at last defeat and destroy us.

I have always said that when we have leaders who make all the wrong decisions, G-d intervenes and creates facts which force our leaders to change course in the right direction. As rockets rain down upon increasing numbers of civilian populations in northern Israel, our leadership really has no choice. Even the most leftist of leaders cannot accept hundreds of rockets landing in major cities in Israel every day. While the military tried to stop the rockets by bombing strategic targets in Lebanon, it soon discovered that all of the bombings still failed to stop the rockets from landing in Israel.

It seems that the Israeli security cabinet has decided to send in more ground troops and literally take over South Lebanon in order to stop at least the short range rockets. But then we still have long range rockets to contend with. And they are far more threatening to us. If we go further into northern Lebanon there will be danger of confronting Syria, and thus expanding the war. Although, clearly, our government would prefer not to do this, they will not have a choice. Presently our fickle Prime Minister has bowed to pressure from the USA to delay the expansion of the war into Lebanon until the UN tries for a diplomatic solution. So as ten thousand Jewish soldiers stand at the border, prepared to do the dirty work needed to end the bombardment of Israeli cities, Olmert is delaying the inevitable.

Israel has never had the option not to go to war. We have been at war with our enemies even before our reborn state was declared. Throughout history nations which have lost wars were able to rebuild their nations afterward. In the case of the modern state of Israel, should she lose even one war, she will cease to exist. Our enemies are not interested in living with us in peace. Their only interest is to completely destroy us. Thus, to paraphrase Menachem Begin, if we enter into negotiations with our enemies, all we will be negotiating is the pace of our self-destruction.

Israel has never sought the destruction of her enemies. Yet all of our enemies have sought our destruction. How does one presume to conduct peace negotiations under such a situation? Clearly that is an effort in futility. Once we choose to recognize the reality of our status as sitting duck of the Middle East, we can begin to conduct the kind of policy which will protect us from our enemies.

First and foremost, no negotiations. We have nothing to negotiate. Next, we are a sovereign nation and will not accept attacks against us. Any attack upon us will be returned tenfold upon the perpetrators, whoever they are and wherever they are. If Lebanon cannot prevent attacks upon Israel, then Israel will take over Lebanon. If the PLO cannot stop missiles from Gaza, we will repossess Gaza and push out all Arabs from there. Sooner or later the Arabs will realize that it doesn’t pay to mess with Israel. If they behave themselves they will keep their countries. If they attack us they will lose them. It is entirely up to the Arabs whether or not the entire Middle East becomes part of the Jewish State.

All wars bring casualties in their wake. No one wants casualties. There are those even in Israel, who fail to understand that the only way to protect our nation from destruction, is to first destroy those who seek to destroy us. It is a hateful fact, but a fact none the less. At the moment our only son has been called up for reserve duty. Clearly we are concerned for his safety. But we are proud to be living in a Jewish State which is fully able to fight and defeat our enemies. And we are proud that we have a son who is eager to participate in the Mitzvah to protect and defend our homeland. May the G-d of our Fathers protect our soldiers and bring them a speedy and complete victory over His enemies.