For the past three years, Israel has lived under an increasing barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. More than 80 missiles landed on a single day. Israel’s first responsibility, like that of any nation, is to protect her citizens. The military action that Israel launched was clearly intended to do just that.
Israel’s action is as tragic as it is necessary and predictable. While I mourn the loss of life, no democratic nation in the world would permit a hostile force on its border to target its civilian centers with constant missile attacks. Israel has demonstrated extraordinary restraint as nearly 8000 rockets have been launched at Israel’s cities in the last 8 years. When Israel withdrew every civilian and soldier from Gaza in 2005, the attacks did not stop for a single day.
I believe that military action must always be the last resort. But more and more Israeli cities are now in range of Hamas’ rocket-firing army of terror, and we know that the traumatized children of Sderot and neighboring towns can no longer be expected to live in constant fear.
Hamas chose to end the existing cease-fire. Hamas has cynically chosen to use Palestinian civilians as cover for its military operations. Hamas openly declares its commitment to destroy Israel. Hamas, therefore, must bear responsibility for the bloodshed. Hamas, and only Hamas, can make the decision to move beyond this bloody conflict by stopping, once and for all, all attacks on Israel from the territory it controls.
As usual, Israel's critics are quick to denounce the Jewish state for its actions. How easy it is for critics to ignore what led to the current military action: Population centers in southern Israel have been the target of over 10,000 rockets, as well as thousands of mortar shells, fired by Hamas and other organizations since 2000. The first Grad/Katyusha strike on Ashdod took place on December 28. There had been no formal cease fire between Israel and Hamas, but only an informal six-month tahadiya (lull) during which 215 rockets were launched at Israel. On December 21, Hamas unilaterally announced that the lull had ended.
While one must always be sensitive to the deaths of innocent civilians, one must also ask what any civilized nation would and must do to defend its citizens from missile and rocket attacks. One can only wonder what the United States would do, for example, if terrorists in Mexico indiscriminately fired missiles toward cities in Texas. The charge that Israel uses disproportionate force keeps resurfacing whenever it has to defend its citizens from non-state terrorist organizations and the rocket attacks they perpetuate. Alan Dershowitz noted two years ago: "Proportion must be defined by reference to the threat proposed by an enemy and not by the harm it has produced." Waiting for a Hamas rocket to fall on an Israeli school, he notes, would put Israel in the position of allowing "its enemies to play Russian Roulette with its children".
Any loss of civilian life is regrettable. No one in Israel rejoices when such casualties occur. In fact, Israel has in the past cancelled military operations over concern for the loss of civilian lives. However, when an operation is legitimate and there are civilian casualties despite best efforts to avoid them, the ultimate responsibility lies with Hamas. As Michael Walzer said in 2006, "When Palestinian militants launch rocket attacks from civilian areas, they are themselves responsible".
In 1983, I was living in Israel and studying when the first war in Lebanon began. As a strong supporter of Israel, my first reaction was to offer my aid in defending the country from terror. I was proud of my service for Israel and I continue to be concerned for her safety and security. In fact, next month, my 20 year old son will move to Israel for a year to volunteer on a Kibbutz and give some of his time and sweat to his spiritual homeland. I pray each day that he will be safe and secure in a land for which our faith and people have sacrificed so much for.
Thankly, the government of the United States has been a voice of reason in responding to Israel’s actions. I appreciate our leadership in Congress and their renewal of support for Israel and I hope that the Palestinian leadership will wake up and demand an end to missile fire and return to the path of peace that began in Annapolis. I also hope that Congress will continue its efforts to bring an end to the Middle East conflict. Peace cannot happen without the support and involvement of the US. Finally, I pray that the Palestinian people will strengthen the hand of all who are prepared to make peace a reality.
No comments:
Post a Comment