On Calling Israelis "Terrorists"

Dear Readers,

I have heard enough of well-meaning, sorely misguided people calling Israelis "terrorists." As I respond to these people, please bear with me. Reuters News Service reported yesterday that Israel had tried to kill Osama bin Laden in 1996 -- two years before American embassies were bombed by Al Qaida in east Africa and four years before the bombing of the U. S. S. Cole. If Israelis really wanted to do so, they could easily cut off diplomatic ties with the United States and Great Britain. Neither nation helped Israel become independent in 1948. Britain actually helped the Arabs by supplying weapons to them and fighting along side the Arab Legion to keep "order" in the region. The U. S. supported the Arabs, too, by staying "neutral" in the Palestinian Jews' fight to make Israel their homeland. And, before you can think to mention it, while The United States does give financial assistance to Israel, they also support The Palestinians, along with many other Arab nations, and have done so for quite a while. This action has not really been much of a gesture of friendship in the larger scheme of things; merely a token payment. Lastly, before you can think up this one, as well, just because Jews have lived in this country for just over 350 years does not make the U. S. Government our official "ally of allies." Anyone who thinks Jews should have set up Israel in the Australian outback has about as much information on Jewish history as the British seem to care to remember (especially if Prince Harry's Halloween costume is any indication of how things still are in the good ol' G. B.). These very same British, at the time, still considered Australia a Commonwealth of The Crown. Given the current scheme of things, and our past fortunes, unfortunately, I think Jews in this nation have good reason to think about their own survival. As Yitzhak Rabin once said, "Israelis are responsible for the protection of Israel."

If you're thinking that the Arabs have never fought the Jews fairly, you're right. The history goes back to The Crusades when Romans wanted to keep "order" in that region. Sound familiar? If, by the mid-1960s, The Catholic Church can strike out of its own holy books that Jews killed Jesus (and how much fuel does this untruth still add to the fire?), then other Christians ought to follow in re-examining the history, too, since, whether they like it or not, Rome is the heart of Christian development in the western world.

I have tried talking with Christians about their uses of terms such as "Judas" and "I was Jewed." I have even heard, privately, of course, openly "decent" people say to me that Osama bin Laden isn't even the problem. While the former is troublesome, the latter is clearly a falsehood. Osama and his followers are the problem. We have been appeasing them ever since we never went to war with Iran in 1980 and, perhaps, long before then in our seemingly never-ending quest for oil. Remember when Iran held some of our soldiers hostage? We already "fought" them "over there" during the Iran-Iraq War by propping up Saddam Hussein (Google the picture of his handshake with Donald Rumsfeld if you don't believe me), and we now know how far this got us. Now, our own young men and women, barely adults, and many older, are over in that region fighting the wrong group of Arabs in place of essentially the same type of people. For lack of a better way of saying this, Al Qaida, and others like them, are the Arab equivalent of the Japanese kamikaze (Google them, too, and you'll see what I mean.).

Now, you can go ahead all you want to and call Israelis terrorists, but remember this fact: Israel was only supported at all as more than just a passing idea after Adolph Hitler built a myriad of ovens and gas showers designed to kill millions of people, primarily Jews, in his "Final Solution" plan, and followed through with it. Let's face it: we have reached many of the technological heights that we are ever going to face in the world. Can you honestly imagine an Israel without at least a few nuclear weapons? Can you honestly tell me that you would rather not have the Israelis try to get the bad guy before he's even on our radar screen long enough to kill over three thousand of our citizens, especially when, and I don't like saying this, President Reagan dropped the ball by "avoiding" an open conflict with the Iranians, and probably others in the Middle-East? (I thought Republicans didn't "negotiate" with terrorists? I don't like saying this, either, but I have to ask you this question. Surely, you understand.)

People call themselves "pacifists," but I suspect that the belief in so-called "pacifism" really doesn't exist except in the most naive among us. After all, I think even the most "pacifistic" Americans would hardly have complained if President Bush had gone after the real target. I doubt these same people would have protested much, if at all, had Mr. bin Laden been hung, or otherwise executed, for his crimes.

We have to face, as a people, a sad notion that was first formally introduced to us by Dante Alighiery: "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality." The Swiss, whether they ever admit it, or not, know what I'm talking about. Their banks still hold the wealth built on the backs of many a Nazi "sympathizer," even if great portions of the money, gold teeth, and works of art have been returned to their rightful owners.

I ask you, dear Readers, do you really want to support bin Laden and lose the backing of a nation that has no spectacularly good reason to be friendly to you? I ask you, also, to consider this: most of our cures for diseases, computer advances, and agricultural miracles do come from, and will continue to come from, Israel. Is it really right to pick fights with Israel when Jews have proven themselves able to use their money, and resources, wisely? Wouldn't it be better if the British and Americans, and other white, European folks, simply left the Jews and Arabs alone once and for all, and openly said as much? Maybe the two peoples would be able to work things out on their own, even eventually like good adults do....

By the way, after pondering what I've written for several moments, and perhaps even doing some of your own research, are Israelis still "terrorists"?

Respectfully yours,

Rachel Gluck
Concerned Citizen
of The Republic