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The Israel-Hamas Clash of Civilizations

Israel’s battle against Hamas constitutes the most recent chapter in the clash of civilizations between Western democracies and Islamic terrorism.  This battle highlights the role of the Jewish State, as the national security and high-tech beachhead of the US, in a region which is critical to vital US defense and commercial interests. The role of Israel as a national security and high-tech producer, for the US, is doubly pertinent at a time when the US is experiencing a military and economic contraction.

Israel is designated by Hamas, the PLO, as well as most Muslim/Arab regimes in the Middle East, as “The Little Satan,” due to its values and unconditional alliance with “The Big Satan,” the USA.  Israel confronts Hamas, which – just like the Arab Middle East – is increasingly dominated by the intolerant, supremacist 7th century aspects of Islam. The 2012 Arab Street in Gaza, Ramallah and throughout the Middle East is growing more Islamic and less democratic.  Contemporary Middle East Muslim/Arab societies embrace Jihad (Holy War), execution of apostates, “honor killing” of women by their own relatives and the genital mutilation of (90% of young Egyptian) women. While Western democracies cherish life, Hamas and the PLO consecrate Shuhada – martyrdom and suicide bombing – and the virulent use of human shields. 

Unlike Western democracies, Hamas, the PLO and the Arab Middle East enshrine hate-education and fanatic bigotry towards the “infidel” Christian, Jew, Buddhist or Muslim of different persuasion.  Contrary to the ideal of peaceful co-existence, Hamas, and Islam at-large, intend to bring Muslims and all “infidels” to total spiritual and physical submission (the root word for Islam is “al-Silm,” which means “submission” or “surrender).”   Therefore, Middle East Arab/Muslim regimes consider the lifeline of democracy – freedom of expression/criticism, religion, speech, press and political association – a lethal threat. The Middle East has never experienced Muslim democracy during the last 1,400 years.

Israel is urged to conclude an agreement with Hamas, a serial violator of prior agreements with Israel and with fellow Arab/Muslim organizations.  Moreover, the culture of compliance is foreign in the Middle East, which has not experienced intra-Muslim compliance with most intra-Muslim agreements for the last 1,400 years.  It is a culture that reveres the 7th century Muhammad’s treaty of Hudaybiyya, stipulating that treaties are not in perpetuity. Treaties may be violated – in order to achieve the overriding goal of bringing enemies to submission – upon amassing sufficient power to overcome the enemy. The non-compliant nature of the Middle East has most recently been highlighted by the violent abrogation of political and social accords on the Arab Street.

 

Israel, the only Western democracy in the Middle East, an unconditional ally of the USA, is confronted by the non-democratic Palestinians who aligned themselves with America’s enemies: Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, North Korea, Hugo Chavez, Khomeini, the Communist Bloc and Nazi Germany, as well as with America’s rivals: Russia and China.

 

Israel has been the role model for countering-terrorism, facing the PLO, Hamas and Hezbollah, which have been the role model for international terrorism and anti-US terror organizations in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

 

Israel’s power projection contributes to the stability of pro-US Arab regimes, threatened by anti-US rogue and terrorist regimes. For example, the 1967 Israeli devastation of the pro-Soviet Nasser of Egypt, aborted the latter’s attempt to topple the House of Saud. In 2012, Israel’s posture of deterrence bolsters Jordan’s pro-US Hashemite regime. The Hashemites are currently threatened by the surging trans-national anti-US Muslim Brotherhood, the “parent” organization of Hamas, which is using Russian-manufactured military systems, supplied by Iran through the anti-US Sudan.  

 

A strong Israel extends the strategic hand of the US in the Middle East, at a time when Arab allies of the US are increasingly threatened by Hamas-like terrorists. On the other hand, a stronger Hamas or PLO would deepen the penetration of Russia, China and North Korea into the Middle East.   

 

Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas terrorism highlights Israel’s added-value to the US national security and economy via the “Iron Dome” air defense system.  The ground-breaking Israeli-developed “Iron Dome,” which is co-financed with the US, will be eventually employed by the US and its allies, such as South Korea and India, which face the threat of low-level missiles. The Iron Dome and medium-level air defense systems are systematically developed and upgraded by the battle-tested, time-efficient and cost-effective Israeli laboratory, which is at the disposal of the US.  They will be co-manufactured by the US and Israel, expanding employment, research and development and the export base of the US.

 

This Israel-Hamas confrontation underscores the broad implications of Israel’s national security challenges.  It underlines the mutually-beneficial, win-win US-Israel defense and commercial relationship at this time of strain on the US budget.

 

 




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Open letter to Prime Minister Bennett ahead of visit to USA

(Hebrew edition in “Israel Hayom,” Israel’s largest circulation daily)

During your first official visit to Washington, DC, you’ll have to choose between two options:

*Blurring your deeply-rooted, assertive Israeli positions on the future of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), which would be welcome by the Biden Administration, yielding to short-term political convenience and popularity inside the beltway;

or

*Tenaciously advocating your deeply-rooted, principle-driven positions, which would underscore a profound disagreement with the Biden Administration and the “elite” US media, while granting you and Israel long-term strategic respect, as demonstrated by some of your predecessors.

For example, the late Prime Minister Shamir honed the second option, bluntly introduced his assertive Israeli positions on Judea and Samaria, rebuffed heavy US pressure – including a mudslinging campaign by President Bush and Secretary of State Baker – suffered a popularity setback, but produced unprecedented expansion of US-Israel strategic cooperation. When it comes to facing the intensified threats of rogue regimes and Islamic terrorism, the US prefers principle-driven, reliable, patriotic, pressure-defying partners, irrespective of disagreements on the Palestinian issue.

Assuming that you shall not budge on the historical and national security centrality of Judea and Samaria, it behooves you to highlight the following matters during your meetings with President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Austin and Congressional leaders (especially the members of the Appropriations Committees):

  1. The 1,400-year-old track record of the stormy, unpredictable, violent and anti-“infidel” Middle East, which has yet to experience intra-Arab peaceful-coexistence, along with the 100-year-old Palestinian track record (including the systematic collaboration with anti-US entities, hate-education and anti-Arab and anti-Jewish terrorism) demonstrates that the proposed Palestinian state would be a Mini-Afghanistan or a Mega-Gaza on the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria.

It would dominate 80% of Israel’s population and infrastructures in the 9-15-mile sliver between Judea and Samaria and the Mediterranean, which is shorter than the distance between RFK Stadium and the Kennedy Center.

Thus, a Palestinian state would pose a clear and present existential threat to Israel; and therefore, Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria is a prerequisite for its survival.

  1. The proposed Palestinian state would undermine US interests, as concluded from the Palestinian intra-Arab track record, which has transformed the Palestinians into a role-model of intra-Arab subversion, terrorism and ingratitude. Arabs are aware that a Palestinian state would add fuel to the Middle East fire, teaming up with their enemies (e.g., Iran’s Ayatollahs, the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey’s Erdogan) and providing a strategic foothold to Russia and China. Consequently, Arabs shower Palestinians with favorable talk, but with cold and negative walk.

Hence, during the October, 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty ceremony, Jordan’s military leaders asserted to their Israeli colleagues that a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River would doom the pro-US Hashemite regime east of the River, and lead, subsequently, to the toppling of all pro-US Arab Peninsula regimes.

  1. There is no foundation for the contention that Israel’s retreat from the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria – which are the cradle of Jewish history, religion and culture – is required in order to sustain Israel’s Jewish majority. In reality, there is unprecedented Jewish demographic momentum, while Arab demography – throughout the Middle East – has Westernized dramatically. The Jewish majority in the combined area of Judea, Samaria and pre-1967 Israel benefits from a robust tailwind of fertility and migration.
  2. Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights, bolsters its posture of deterrence, which has daunted rogue regimes, reduced regional instability, enhanced the national security of all pro-US Arab regimes, and has advanced Israel’s role as a unique force-multiplier for the US. An Israeli retreat from Judea and Samaria would transform Israel from a strategic asset – to a strategic liability – for the US.
  3. As the US reduces its military presence in the Middle East – which is a global epicenter of oil production, global trade (Asia-Africa), international Islamic terrorism and proliferation of non-conventional military technologies – Israel’s posture of deterrence becomes increasingly critical for the pro-US Arab countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan), who consider Israel to be the most reliable “life insurance agent” in the region.

Contrary to NATO, South Korea and Japan, Israel’s defense does not require the presence of US troops on its soil.

  1. Sustaining Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge is a mutual interest for the US and Israel, which serves as the most cost-effective battle-tested laboratory for the US defense industries and armed forces. Thus, Israel’s use of hundreds of US military systems has yielded thousands of lessons (operation, maintenance and repairs), which have been integrated, by the US manufacturers, into the next generation of the military systems, saving the US many years of research and development, increasing US exports and expanding the US employment base – a mega billion dollar bonanza for the US. At the same time, the US armed forces have benefitted from Israel’s military intelligence and battle experience, as well as joint training maneuvers with Israel’s defense forces, which has improved the US formulation of battle tactics.

Prime Minister Bennett, your visit to Washington, is an opportunity to demonstrate your adherence to your deeply-rooted strong Israeli positions, rejecting the ill-advised appeals and temptations to sacrifice Israel’s national security on the altar of convenience and popularity.

Yours truly,

Yoram Ettinger, expert on US-Israel relations and Middle East affairs

Support Appreciated

 

 

 

 

 




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